Business Lessons From Selling Pies

Business lessons I learned by selling pies during the early days of my entrepreneurial journey... I tried different things that would allow me to further develop my marketing skills, cashflow management, sales, etc. one of the first things I did, was to sell pies.

It's of course thanks to all the people who supported me. The first few transactions I made selling pies was a success. Eventually, me and my supplier had a falling out, but the lessons I learned from our business was truly invaluable. For now, I would like to look forward and learn from my mistakes. So now, I share to you the business lessons I learned.

Packaging – One of the most underestimated areas of selling food is packaging. This is one of the first business lesson that I learned. People think that its enough that they bake good pies. However, a good packaging of the food can make up for an average pie. When I speak of packaging, I also speak of presentation. Have you bought one of those 10 peso donut that looked good but only had an average taste? Tricky isn't it? :)

Consistency – Another business lesson learned for me is that the customers wouldn't feel fair if the empanada you sold to a customer is bigger than another customer's . this is one secret ingredient in the franchising model such that the burger that you order from mcdonald's in SM megamall would be the same size and taste when you order from their branch at SM north. You will loose the customers trust if you don't produce consistent products.

Marketing – The best things in life are fee. When you give a free taste, I believe.... when you offer a free taste and a person tries, you've already sold to that customer. He/She will buy one day or another. Before I end this post , I would just like to point out that your market isn't limited to your friends, family or office mates. This is a good starting point, but can get very limiting for your business in the long run.

I hope to share with you more business lessons from experience in the future so if you'd like to be update when I make my next post, please subscribe to our mailing list or join our Facebook page.

Photo Credit: Nick J Webb