08/09/2026
Like most, I’m prone to only sharing the successes, but I do appreciate when people are more real….. So here goes some vulnerability and some stuff I haven’t shared out loud before….
Halloween pre-sales: When I started, I got a bit caught up in all the pre-sales American cookie decorators did (literally for everything – even St Patrick’s Day!). I thought Halloween would be worth a shot, but the interest just wasn’t there – I think kids get enough sweets when they’re out guising!
Wedding fairs – this one was a toughie! It was a fun couple of days, and my mum even joined me for the duration. I had loads of interest and amazing feedback, but the reality was that wedding favours, hen parties etc are just not what newly engaged couples are looking to book at wedding fairs. It’s all the big ticket items – the majority of attendees weren’t getting married for at least 18 months!
The Whaley design – some designs look great, but just don’t translate. Again, I was probably influenced by American buying behaviour here and this just didn’t sell. No more pun sets for me!
Markets – this one has also been hard to admit. I’ve had some great days at markets, but for a perishable gift business, unless you catch exactly the right audience, at exactly the right time, you can go home with a lot of biscuits. I may still do one or two markets at Christmas, but on the whole, they are such a hit and miss for me!
Workshops – on the whole they have been a massive success, but every now and then one doesn’t sell. I think there’s usually a reason for this though, and some things I need to be better at to make it work!
Sending a set out with the wrong name – I was mortified. I now triple check all the details so I don’t do that again!
So there you go, there’s probably loads more but I think that’s enough embarrassment for this biscuit business owner for one day!
