Start up products for winter or summer?

Re:Start up products for winter or summer? (loulas77)

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 17:15:44 GMT

lornaschinske

I wouldn't give away a sample any bigger than a piece the size of a dice (the kind you gamble with). Fudge is very intense. A small amount is all you need. Even half that amount would be enough for a good taste of the product.

I love a good fudge.... by the pound!

I am surely going to follow your sage advice. I want to allow them to taste and want more but not to taste and be satisfied. Since fudge is so rich I am giving out quite smallish samples indeed. Thank you so much.

Re:Start up products for winter or summer? (loulas77)

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 17:13:50 GMT

6star

What flavors will be available to you?

Cheers! Sorry it took me so long to respond as I have been moving and setting up my Kiosk business! I am all settled in now.

    I have 21 flavors:
chocolate                                                                 Chocolate Mint
chocolate walnut                                                      strawberry cheesecake
peanutbutter                                                           chocolate banana
chocolate/peanutbutter                                            Dreamsicle (orange/cream)
maple walnut                                                           Penuche
chocolate raspberry                                                 Egg Nog
Chocolate cheesecake                                              Mocha cream
Vanilla                                                                      White House (cherry/vanilla)
butter pecan                                                            Goat Milk
tiger paws (vanilla/peanutbutter/chocolat/nuts)     Rocky Road
Chocolate Amaretto

Re:Start up products for winter or summer? (lornaschinske)

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 14:09:39 GMT

I wouldn't give away a sample any bigger than a piece the size of a dice (the kind you gamble with). Fudge is very intense. A small amount is all you need. Even half that amount would be enough for a good taste of the product.

I love a good fudge.... by the pound!

Re:Start up products for winter or summer? (6star)

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 21:57:48 GMT

What flavors will be available to you?

Re:Start up products for winter or summer? (slammin)

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 21:51:53 GMT

A local downtown shop that specializes in Colorado made products has recently added fudge to their offerings. They make it themselves, usually have at least a dozen flavors and are more than happy to pass out samples. Customers that sample almost always buy. Fudge seems to be a popular addition to many places, from gift shops to wineries.

Re:Start up products for winter or summer? (loulas77)

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 20:59:22 GMT

Well, with some help from some friends and Swamp, I have everything set up and ready to go! I will be making my flight over for permanent residence this Thursday the 4th!
We will be set up in the Mall for Valentines day! I am very excited. I have decided to charge 2.50usd per slice of fudge at one quarter pound. I have also decided to sell the giftboxes as I think they will sell well for gifts. My question really is how much should I give away as samples and also should I carry a huge variety of flavors? When I think of Fudge I think of chocolate and also of Peanut butter but there are literally over 20 flavors of fudge to choose from. I don't want to have wasted product but I think more variety may increase sales. Any words of wisdom regarding the inventory that I should keep or how many different flavors that I should carry to start out with my first time?

Re:Start up products for winter or summer? (loulas77)

Fri, 01 Jan 2010 03:37:26 GMT

Swamp I would very much like your info. I will be contacting you next week if you PM me your contact details. Your pricing is cheaper than I thought it might be actually and I also am fond of the idea that there isn't any minimum order requirements. This information has me very excited about possibly selling the fudge. The more I ponder it the more I really like the idea. Thank you!

Re:Start up products for winter or summer? (Swamp)

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:36:24 GMT

loulas77

What kind of costs for the stand and fudge would a startup kit be? I would think of stand, fudge, display, cutters and I assume you sell the fudge already made? Is this fudge that I would cut and hand out or fudge that is in containers already? Would it have a brand name on it or would it appear homemade by me? Is the fudge of good quality or is it the cheapish fudge that I see in convenience stores as little square cubes of sugar basically? How much do the vendors you supply actually sell at an event? Is the fudge going to get hard or go bad quickly or does it last?

Loulas77, I just realized that you are actually moving to within 45 minutes of me! I know the Erie area pretty well and I do think that you can make a good business there!

Being a local person I think that we would allow you to rent to own a stand (they are very cheap). The only thing that you would really need is to purchase the fudge and make signage. We would supply the fudge cutting utensils. Yes, we sell the fudge already made. It comes in either 5lb loaves or prepackaged gift boxes. The gift boxes are either 1lb or 1/2lb boxes and you would sell them as is with no cutting. We private label the boxes to different companies but we also have our own brands and you could choose which to sell. It is all the same fudge just under different brand names. The 5lb loaves come in generic containers and you are more than welcome to claim that you make the product.

You asked about quality. We make the fudge so of course I will say it is great :)
The truth of the matter is that we make an extremely high end fudge. We sell in some very good venues. As a matter of fact if you have ever purchased Forbidden Fudge from a Hallmark store here in the states I(including several in Erie) in the gold boxes then you have tasted our fudge. It is always very soft, smooth and creamy - its never hard, gritty or sugary like the kind you have probably tasted at the convenience stores.

Pricing is simple. The 5lb loaves cost $20 each. They are usually sold by 1/4lb slices and you can get anywhere from 10$ to $15 per pound selling it depending on your venue.
The 1/2 lb boxes cost $4 and retail for between $6 to $8. The 1lb boxes cost $6 and retail for between $10 and $13 each. You can order as much as you want. You could start out with 1 box if you wish. We don't make you buy any certain amount to start.

The shelf life of the loaves (how long it lasts) is generally a few weeks. We use all natural products and no preservatives. The shelf life of the gift boxes is at least 6 months.

I could not answer specifically how much a vendor will sell at a given event. It depends on the event, the weather, the other vendors and any number of other things. All that I can tell you is that our vendors do quite well selling the fudge and it is very profitable for them. If you would like I can PM you our contact info for when you arrive again in the states. I can give you some samples and meet with you. If not that is fine, I don't want to seem pushy and I hope that this information has helped regardless of what you pursue once you start your business.

Re:Start up products for winter or summer? (loulas77)

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 11:53:56 GMT

Cheers Billy. I am a cleric for my husband, which I am not entirely fond of. What I did that was enjoyable was to help my nephew and his wife with there market stand. They fried crisps and made sandwiches and I would often help out during busy times. I loved it and I saw how profitable it can be. I loved talking to people and watching them enjoy the food being served.
I am not totally unaware of Erie. We have my brother-in-law and his family that already reside there. I have been already 3 times and will be again next weekend for a final walk through of our new home. I know that in the summer months there are many street events and fairs. They have a very high traffic Mall and plenty of foot traffic during the day in the business districts.

Re:Start up products for winter or summer? (BillyB)

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 08:48:54 GMT

Welcome Loulas, What do you do for a living in the UK ??? and why would you think opening a business in a town that you don't know anyone, is a good idea. Why haven't you started a business in the area your in now. ...............Billyb

Re:Start up products for winter or summer? (loulas77)

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:08:53 GMT

What kind of costs for the stand and fudge would a startup kit be? I would think of stand, fudge, display, cutters and I assume you sell the fudge already made? Is this fudge that I would cut and hand out or fudge that is in containers already? Would it have a brand name on it or would it appear homemade by me? Is the fudge of good quality or is it the cheapish fudge that I see in convenience stores as little square cubes of sugar basically? How much do the vendors you supply actually sell at an event? Is the fudge going to get hard or go bad quickly or does it last?

Re:Start up products for winter or summer? (Swamp)

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 21:38:16 GMT

Hello loulas77

Have you considered selling fudge? It is a great item in the winter and the summer. It doesnt melt in the heat and it is not harmed by the cold.
It is inexpensive to start out with as you only need to invest in the actual fudge and a stand (outside of licenses, permits...etc).
We actually provide fudge and stands for many vendors who do events all summer/fall long and also for indoor vendors who do great business in Malls and such. It sounds like it would be exactly what you are looking for and I would suggest giving it a try! Good luck.

Start up products for winter or summer? (loulas77)

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 19:21:24 GMT

Cheers!

I have been lurking a bit on the site and trying to read up all the information here. I am from the UK but will be relocating to Erie, Pennsylvania next month and am very excited. My husband works so this will be all mine.
I am looking at something to sell as a vendor that I can sell in the summer months and also indoors via kiosks in the winter. I really am trying to not invest too very much money to start with but I am energetic and love to meet new people. Is there any suggestions as to an item or items that I could sell from a stand or kiosk that is easy to prepare or maybe already made (nuts, pies, candy...?) that is fashionable in the states? Thank you in advance for any advice or direction.

Louise