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Post by Rustaholic on Apr 16, 2015 23:14:25 GMT
Wendy, I am VERY excited that you are thinking about doing this. Cleanliness and friendliness go a long, long, long, long way with me as a customer. What are you thinking about the store? Just a place that sells foods and crafts, or more like a general farm store? Whatever you make it, PLEASE consider selling cold pop. I can't tell you how many times that I've been out and about in a rural area, and it is virtually impossible to find a place that sells cold pop. It is crazy to me that someone would open a store and not sell some type of cold pop, whether it be Coca-Cola or a specialty pop. There is a small place around here...they carry about 5 cans of pop on the shelf, but we often stop in, just to get a cold Coke and specialty root beer. While it might not be organic, it will be something that people will stop in to buy. I love that you call it pop. We now live in Texas and its soda down here. Well Amylou, It is POP here in Michigan but when I am posting on a web page I normally write Soda Pop. That way we all know what I am talking about. What I learned in May of 2011 was just how NASTY all that Soda Pop really is. I had been cleaning up my diet and hadn't had anything carbonated for eight months then I tried one swallow of Mt. Dew and to me that tasted like some very badly rotten or spoiled substance in my mouth. Downright foul. My sweet wife tasted it and said it was fine. My body was telling that I was way past done with that stuff and don't try feeding me any more of it.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2015 4:36:04 GMT
Wendy, I am VERY excited that you are thinking about doing this. Cleanliness and friendliness go a long, long, long, long way with me as a customer. What are you thinking about the store? Just a place that sells foods and crafts, or more like a general farm store? Whatever you make it, PLEASE consider selling cold pop. I can't tell you how many times that I've been out and about in a rural area, and it is virtually impossible to find a place that sells cold pop. It is crazy to me that someone would open a store and not sell some type of cold pop, whether it be Coca-Cola or a specialty pop. There is a small place around here...they carry about 5 cans of pop on the shelf, but we often stop in, just to get a cold Coke and specialty root beer. While it might not be organic, it will be something that people will stop in to buy. I love that you call it pop. We now live in Texas and its soda down here. Actually, around here, it is mostly referred to as a brand. "Can I get you a Coke?" The next question is "What do you want? Coke, Diet, or Dr Pepper? I think there is a Pepsi in here too."
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Post by fordy on Apr 18, 2015 22:01:41 GMT
........Nothing attracts folks attention like the smoke from a big old BBQ pit with a big steel lid lifted up by a counter weight hung on a rope ! Esp. if it's situated just off a small country road . There use to be a lot of these in the Tx hill country and the proprietor was usually a black man with a very sharp butcher knife slicing up BBQ for beef sandwiches . ........I get hungary just remembering good those sliced beef sandwiches were . There are probably some health laws that preempt such places now which is kinda sad because those guys were making a good living right there in their front yard . , fordy
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2015 22:37:53 GMT
Wendy-
Do you have any updates?
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Post by motdaugrnds on Apr 26, 2015 8:46:20 GMT
Wendy, you're getting some great ideas! (I've been considering doing something similar up at the state road where my old shack is laying. Thought I'ld dedicate it to mother and put up a sign, i.e. "Take what you need. Pay what you can." and leave a simple box on the counter.)
One of the things you might want to consider is "medicinal" items like the tinctures and extracts. They would last a good while without going bad and are easy to make.
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Post by Wendy on Apr 26, 2015 14:26:35 GMT
Nothing new at this time. I am still in the thinking stage & need to clear an area where I would put the building. We tore down an old chicken house & need to fill with soil & re-seed it.
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Post by Homesteader on Apr 26, 2015 14:40:21 GMT
Don't forget you'll need liability insurance, also, if you have insurance on your home, the rules of that policy may not allow you to have a business on the place. Be very careful of the insurance issue! Best wishes as you know.........
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Post by Deleted on Apr 26, 2015 18:26:57 GMT
Have you thought about selling goods made by other homesteaders on consignment? Crafts ect. it could give you inventory and be profitable for both you and them.
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Post by Wendy on Apr 27, 2015 1:24:54 GMT
Yes, I have thought of that too. I would like to have all local hand made crafts/items.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 27, 2015 1:53:26 GMT
So, are you going to sell cold pop?
Their is a candy shop in our town that sells specialty pop. I am pretty sure that they buy a good bit of it from Meijer grocery store and Menards, in 4-packs, refrigerate it, and sell it by the bottle.
Menards carries Sprecher in a bunch of flavors.
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Post by Wendy on Apr 27, 2015 10:56:35 GMT
Yes, if I get it going.
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Post by my3boys on Apr 27, 2015 18:26:14 GMT
I like the idea of selling locally made crafts. Thing like pot holders, coasters and trivets sell really well at our little farm stands around here.
A collection of recipes from your kitchen and others in your community should do well too.
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Post by Rustaholic on Apr 28, 2015 2:22:58 GMT
Don't forget you'll need liability insurance, also, if you have insurance on your home, the rules of that policy may not allow you to have a business on the place. Be very careful of the insurance issue! Best wishes as you know......... Thank you for this. I am opening my small engine repair shop. I better check with my house insurance folks.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 28, 2015 10:46:54 GMT
Don't forget you'll need liability insurance, also, if you have insurance on your home, the rules of that policy may not allow you to have a business on the place. Be very careful of the insurance issue! Best wishes as you know......... Thank you for this. I am opening my small engine repair shop. I better check with my house insurance folks.This could be an eye opener. I owned a business that I ran out of my dining room. Even though I never had any customers that stopped by, and had no real assets, other than a computer, business rates were very expensive. Insurance, from my perspective, is looking for: 1. Customer liability. If a customer trips over a box that you have sitting on the floor, and sues for injury... 2. Product liability: If you repair an engine that ultimately injures someone... 3. Asset liability: How much do you have wrapped up in business assets? My homeowner's covers up to $2,500 in business assets, and not a dime more. Business insurance for the small guy is tricky. It is an expensive overhead. I think that small business owners have to do some soul searching about their businesses and buying insurance. I never purchased insurance for my business. I never had any customers stop by, and honestly, for my business assets, I never had much. As for product liability, I never felt like I had much exposure.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2015 10:43:38 GMT
Yes, if I get it going. Cool! There are fairly good profit margins on both pop and bottled water, especially if you get it on sale.
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Post by themotherhen on May 3, 2015 7:33:09 GMT
What about aprons? I make aprons with a basic background color to match the kitchen (say, tan) and make a set of them with different trim. Pot holders to match the set, the trim fabric of the aprons used as strip piecing trim for the pot holders? People really like original items. Maybe offer custom sewing jobs and outsource it with other homesteaders?
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Post by Muller's Lane Farm on May 3, 2015 7:44:01 GMT
Don't forget you'll need liability insurance, also, if you have insurance on your home, the rules of that policy may not allow you to have a business on the place. Be very careful of the insurance issue! Best wishes as you know......... But if you have a farm insurance policy, it may cover it. I wish I had something to offer to your store that you don't already do yourself ... alas, I don't think I do ... unless it is handspun yarn, which is pretty pricey ...
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Post by Wendy on May 4, 2015 16:47:43 GMT
Cyndi, handspun yarn is something I don't do. If I EVER get this going, I may just try it. You never know who may wander in.
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