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Starting a small business

Posted on 6/4/16 at 4:06 pm
Posted by cfa626
Member since Apr 2016
561 posts
Posted on 6/4/16 at 4:06 pm
Sister and I would like to open a small business together. We are not planning to strike it rich but would enjoy a bit of extra income.
I would basically handle marketing, business management and she would be creative side, as she stays at home with her child.
We don't have a lot for an initial investment (a few thousand) so nothing major.
She really wants to open a craft store on Etsy. The problem I see is, there are already 50000 of these. And many people are not selling much.
My idea was those decorated sugar cookies that sell for $2 or so each. Seems like an easy way to make a profit.
Sister said market is too limited and Etsy would be better because your customers are all over.
I'm open to other ideas. Just not sure what else is out there.
Any ideas or resources to help us get started?
Posted by GFunk
Denham Springs
Member since Feb 2011
14966 posts
Posted on 6/4/16 at 4:11 pm to
You want people here to give you a business idea? You crapped out at selling Crafts on EBay and Sugar Cookies on Etsy? This is the limit of your brainstorming for business idea before coming here to ask other people for their ideas?

Gotta admit that I'm a bit pessimistic on your prospects for success...
This post was edited on 6/4/16 at 4:15 pm
Posted by cfa626
Member since Apr 2016
561 posts
Posted on 6/4/16 at 4:20 pm to
Yeah you really didn't have to bother even replying.
I haven't researched it. I had a short conversation with my sister at a cousin's commencement ceremony.
Now I'm on my way home and was thinking over the conversation.
I was just wondering if anyone had heard of success stories.
So keep that snarky tone to yourself.
Thanks.
Posted by GenesChin
The Promise Land
Member since Feb 2012
37706 posts
Posted on 6/4/16 at 4:39 pm to
quote:

You crapped out at selling Crafts on EBay and Sugar Cookies on Etsy?


Mother in law sells decorated sugar cookies for $5/cookie and rejects people she isn't friends with

She isn't an average stay at home but a professional artist who makes things like this






So hard to use her as an example since she isn't a start up
This post was edited on 6/4/16 at 4:44 pm
Posted by BowDownToLSU
Livingston louisiana
Member since Feb 2010
19254 posts
Posted on 6/4/16 at 4:47 pm to
I think either of those ideas would be hard too make a decent return. Not trying to be a negative Nancy like the other poster. We ( my wife and I ) do CPR classes on the side for extra income. We charge $35 a person and have to pay $7 to American Heart for the cards. It's easy to get into. I would say around $1500 investment which includes training , dummies, DVDs etc. . We did ten people this morning in a couple hours. It's a nice extra income....hope this helps
Posted by foshizzle
Washington DC metro
Member since Mar 2008
40599 posts
Posted on 6/4/16 at 5:12 pm to
quote:

Yeah you really didn't have to bother even replying.
I haven't researched it.


So why should we do it for you?
Posted by cfa626
Member since Apr 2016
561 posts
Posted on 6/4/16 at 5:49 pm to
I'm just asking for anecdotes, like 2 other posters have been kind enough to provide.
Why are so many people on TD so hateful? It's a forum post. Don't make a huge deal about it. I didn't make you read it.
Posted by TigerDeBaiter
Member since Dec 2010
10266 posts
Posted on 6/4/16 at 6:15 pm to
My fiancée decorates cookies occasionally, but definitely loses money when she factors in the time spent (well, when I factor it in for her). And $2.00 is way too little per cookie to even think about making a profit. She mainly does it for friends/family and is more of a hobby, so it's not a big deal. She enjoys doing it.

quote:

Any ideas or resources to help us get started?


Get started. Stop "planning" or you will never do anything. Who cares if you fail? You are at least guaranteed to learn something and will be better off than not doing anything. It's not like there's a lot of risk in these side gigs you've described.
Posted by GFunk
Denham Springs
Member since Feb 2011
14966 posts
Posted on 6/5/16 at 7:11 am to
quote:

cfa626


quote:

I'm just asking for anecdotes, like 2 other posters have been kind enough to provide.
Why are so many people on TD so hateful? It's a forum post. Don't make a huge deal about it. I didn't make you read it.


Had a boss in the mortgage business teach me an invaluable lesson over 10 years ago. I am super inquisitive by nature and was always interesting in testing the limits of our in house guidelines for the mortgage products we offered. I was in his office all the time asking questions and wanting to know about this, that or the other.

I went from a new hire to a nuisance in short order. I was also using him as a crutch and preventing myself from mastering our guidelines on my own much more quickly than just asking him everything.

So he made me bring my guidelines in along with my scenario and prove to him that I researched on my own regarding the subject I was asking about before I could ask my question.

In other words, do your own research before you ask me so YOU can show me you're learning before I help.

I sat in line with a girl I've been taking classes with since January relating to a certification exam we are both took yesterday morning. She's doing it for work. I'm doing it because there are several side hustles I'll use it for to supplement my income for away from the office. I haven't shared my plans with ANYONE else in the class. Simply put none of them showed up, or expressed anything other than an eye-rolling excuse of, "Inhave to do this for work and they're making me take the class," so to me, they don't deserve me telling them about the money that can be made using this certification.

But this little girl is getting it for work but mentioned she has been looking for part time work outside of their company. She's newly divorced, technologically challenged and was wondering if our certification could be used to help accomplish it.

She told me how she'd tried Googling but evidently her skills are limited. So I opened up chapter and verse on exactly what and how. Once we talked, she proved to me she had done the work beforehand and researched to the best of her ability and still had questions.

In short, she'd done her work up front.

In short, you haven't. So I apologize if my creativity or knowledge isn't something I'd prefer to let you use while you stand on my shoulders to make yourself more successful. How about you put in more effort than just sugar cookies and eBay before you ask for help?

It sure as hell worked for me, and it worked for my classmate. It might just work for you too if you put a little more effort into it.
Posted by hungryone
river parishes
Member since Sep 2010
11987 posts
Posted on 6/5/16 at 8:05 am to
Listen to sister.....craft based businesses have distinct advantages over food related ones, esp as a side hustle. With a handicraft, she can produce in quantity whenever she has time, whereas a decorated cookie has a brief shelf life. Etsy will deliver a worldwide audience looking for specialty items; you can make a niche item and it will find buyers looking for precisely that niche. I've bought a fair number of things from Etsy, ranging from a magnetic knife holder to ceramic house numbers and so on.

BUT, the merchandise must be high quality. Browse through Etsy and you'll see some seriously wonderful things. You'll get no traction there selling net/wire ribbon wreaths (or whatever the suburban housewife craft of the moment is). You've got to have an interesting item and it needs to be well made.

So don't put the cart before the horse. Figure out if she has the skills, equipment, and talent to make something before you try to build a business around it.
Posted by Paul Allen
Montauk, NY
Member since Nov 2007
75196 posts
Posted on 6/5/16 at 9:35 am to
quote:

I went from a new hire to a nuisance in short order.


You did the same at YOW
Posted by I Love Bama
Alabama
Member since Nov 2007
37715 posts
Posted on 6/5/16 at 10:15 am to
quote:

You want people here to give you a business idea? You crapped out at selling Crafts on EBay and Sugar Cookies on Etsy? This is the limit of your brainstorming for business idea before coming here to ask other people for their ideas?

Gotta admit that I'm a bit pessimistic on your prospects for success..


Not sure why you are being downvoted. OP should thank you...
Posted by GFunk
Denham Springs
Member since Feb 2011
14966 posts
Posted on 6/5/16 at 10:32 am to
Alter accounts logging in and registering DV's? I dunno and don't care. My advice is solid. Whether folks appreciate my delivery isn't my problem since I'm not the one asking for advice but instead am the one giving it.
This post was edited on 6/5/16 at 10:33 am
Posted by boosiebadazz
Member since Feb 2008
80228 posts
Posted on 6/5/16 at 6:51 pm to
You sound like a fricking blast to hang out with.
Posted by stout
Smoking Crack with Hunter Biden
Member since Sep 2006
167245 posts
Posted on 6/5/16 at 9:00 pm to
quote:

My idea was those decorated sugar cookies that sell for $2 or so each



If you think pennies, you get pennies.

Running a business, even on the side, can be time-consuming and there is no way I would do something that would eat up my spare in hopes to make pennies.

You and your sister are both correct. Too many shops on etsy and only girl scouts make money selling cookies.
Posted by birdieman
New Orleans
Member since Dec 2012
1647 posts
Posted on 6/5/16 at 9:16 pm to
Gunk, your post was a nuisance. What a pain you must be in real life.
Posted by schexyoung
Deaf Valley
Member since May 2008
6534 posts
Posted on 6/5/16 at 9:17 pm to
quote:

When you've got 10,000 people trying to do the same thing, why would you want to be number 10,001?


- Mark Cuban
Posted by GenesChin
The Promise Land
Member since Feb 2012
37706 posts
Posted on 6/5/16 at 10:05 pm to
quote:

And $2.00 is way too little per cookie to even think about making a profit


This right here. If you charge less than $5/cookie you aren't going to be making it worth your while. No one will buy $5 cookies unless they are unbelievable, so you almost need to have a background in art or decorative baking
Posted by LSUFanHouston
NOLA
Member since Jul 2009
37093 posts
Posted on 6/5/16 at 10:20 pm to
I know a number of people who bake cookies and cakes for sale, make crafts for sale, hair bows, wreaths, etc.

All of them enjoy doing that sort of crafty/baking thing, so they figure they might as well make a couple of dimes doing it.

No way any of them are getting rich or doing anything close to full time with this type of work.

But at least they don't annoy me like the friends that sell wraps, jeweler, whatever.
Posted by Lou Pai
Member since Dec 2014
28117 posts
Posted on 6/5/16 at 11:01 pm to
That is one of the worst posts I've ever read on this website. What a complete fricking clown.
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