On my weekly radio show, The Dark Side of the Moon, which airs on Thursdays, 3PM ET and can be heard by logging onto www.blogtalkradio.com/michael-ferreira, I had the privilege of interviewing Jackie McAlister, co-founder of the Cup and Saucer Cookie Company.
Jackie's mother, also named Jackie, a retired schoolteacher had seen her retirement savings dwindle due to the drop in the stock market in 2008. Determined not to let her mother spend countless hours on her feet, making minimal wage, Jackie and her mom identified one thing they both enjoyed and could do together. Bake cookies!!
What was interesting and fascinating at the same time was the preparatory work work Jackie did BEFORE she purchased a single ingredient. First, she researched the laws in her home state. She discovered that she could not sell her baked goods commercially unless they were made in a commercial kitchen. She researched the type of legal entity she and her mother should incorporate. She investigated how to build a website and begin to display her products for sale.
Jackie will be the first to admit she has a lot of learning yet to go. Her marketing plan needs a boost and she is toying with the idea of social media marketing.
Yet the key take-away is the straight-forward approach she has taken. She identified key major risks and then set forth plans to overcome them.
I plan to have Jackie return to the show in about 6 months so we can compare and contrast the additional lessons she has learned. No one can doubt her persistence and energy.
Jackie admits to learning several valuable lessons which this writer believes will influence her role as a mother an educator.
You can view and purchase these delicious cookies on www.cupandsaucercookieco.com
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment