What Do You Make and Sell?

[me&thegals]

Do I have to "make" it? What if my hens make it? I sell eggs, about 20 dozen per week. They're beauties since we have about 5 shades of brown, a green and blue, plus white.

We raised and sold meat chickens, more than we wanted to part with out of 100.

Our bees gave us enough honey for ourselves this year, but I hope to sell honey next year. They also gave me wax, so I'm making and planning to sell lip balm. Just waiting for my most excellently artistic cousin to design me a label.

I'm making and hope to soon be selling soap. I need to get a lot more practice, but as soon as I get labels I will be selling the good stuff. I would also like to make and sell body butter and lotions once I learn how to make the lotions.

I make and sell woven reed baskets.

Also make and sell woven hand bags made from ribbons.

The biggest $ maker, though, are my CSA shares. I grow and sell weekly vegetable shares from the first week in May through the 3rd week in Nov. Winter storage delivery in Dec.

Whew! What fun! My goal is always to earn enough from any given venture that it covers ALL my costs plus my own use of the product, plus enough for me to give a bunch away to friends and family. Does that make sense?

 

[Ldychef2k]

I have tried twice to start food based businesses. About five years ago, I made chocolate based mixes and sold them individually or in baskets for Christmas gifts. Stuff like Mexican hot chocolate, both regular and with hot chile powder, PMS Fudge (two minutes, start to finish), three chocolate butterscotch blondies, scones with a variety of dried fruits and chocolate, and meltaway brownies. I had a couple of home parties for customers, and a Christmas bazaar which was exhausting but I earned all my Christmas money that way. After Christmas? Crickets.

Then about two years ago while I was working briefly at a local hospital, one day a week I became The Lunch Lady. On my day off, I sold box lunches throughout the medical community. I was hired to be the on-site VIP chef for our local baseball team, but they didn't get their kitchen certified....BOO! Then I started to develop leg problems and couldn't do it any more anyway.

I guess for maybe 25 years I have done catering for women's groups, churches, parties for anywhere from two (he was popping the question) to a luau for 300.

Wish I were able to do it again. If the food prep restrictions weren't so severe, I would be selling my jams and jellies....because some of them are downright wierd!

Edited because sentences need to make sense.

 

[maf8009]

I raise and sell pullets... eat the roosters and will be "hatching"
(or purchase a few) about 200 chicks a week by spring. I have found more money in a $15 pullet (about 12 weeks old) or $20 for layer... than for the $3 for eggs. HONEST city people will pay this. (no cost for advertising Craigs list is free!)

Or, I donate the eggs to churches / food pantries/ barter and coupon groups. I will be taking fresh eggs to town 2 times a week to my barter group.

My thing is the chickens. It does cost to feed them, but I do make a profit in barter and cash for the young pullets. Plus, I am keeping a flock of egg layers for endless eggs, tasty chicken, barter booty, and free entertainment.. not to mention free excercise. I do not belong to an excercise group! I have lost 15 lbs and my blood pressure in normal!

I love swap eggs for groceries and toiletries.... I make out like a bandit! (of course the reciepient of the fresh eggs or new live laying hen feels the same way!) I have found several local ranchers and will try to barter eggs for fresh produce as well this spring. I "swap eggs" with my neighbor for a fresh cake every week yummy!

Also, we got a 'feeder calf" ($150 cash form selling hens) and will have 1000 lbs of beef in the spring in my freezer.. this is ALL FROM CHICKENS - Whew! I tried other things... chickens work for me but maybe not everyone else. Good luck what ever you find to do to make money.

 

[hwillm1977]

I sell artwork... mostly portraits of animals, because I like drawing them better than people. (It's really hard to get a person to look just like the actual person, people seem less picky about animals)

My father told me when I was three that if I could draw him a perfect horse, he would get me my first pony... then the mortgage rates of the early 80s hit us, we lost our farm and rented an apartment in the city. I kept drawing a few hours a day, and bought my own horse when I was 27 years old and at least I have a somewhat marketable skill now... lol

Here's a few

 

[okiegirl1]

I'm making and hope to soon be selling soap. I need to get a lot more practice, but as soon as I get labels I will be selling the good stuff. I would also like to make and sell body butter and lotions once I learn how to make the lotions.

when you're ready to start selling lotion, PM me. I had a small home based business that I sold soaps, lotions and other bath items. It did pretty good, but my daughter got sick, so I closed the business. anyway, people raved about my lotion. My husband still won't use store brands.
I'd be happy to pass on my recipe.

 

[hikerchick]

Heather, you are amazingly talented.

 

[sylvie]

Sister and I dried bridal bouquets and other event flowers like funeral, birthday, anniversary. They were mounted and framed keepsakes which we enhanced with watercolor and acrylic paints so the aging flowers kept some original color.
The amount of orders were beyond our capacity to keep up. When we raised the prices to make it worth the extensive time it took to do them properly, business fell off.
They were bringing in between $100 and $350 each, depending on size and type of flowers. Very time and space consuming. Have different degrees of drying requirements, too.

She is still doing occasional pieces for extra money.

 

[Wifezilla]

I used to sell knitting at craft shows, but then we had a couple of years where it was 80 in November and for some strange reason nobody wanted hand knit items! LOL I still do special orders for my friends, but knitting does take a toll on the old wrists. If I wasn't using looms I doubt I could still do it at all.

I have had some luck selling ducks. When I sell them as pairs they go quickly. I have had no luck selling solo drakes. Come spring I will try selling hatching eggs, and depending on how broody the girls get, ducklings.

I also have a quad of quail now, so I will hatch out some and see if there is a market for quail in the area.

 

[Beekissed]

I make and sell a few things from home but intend to ramp that wayyyyy up this coming year!

I make and sell: Soaps, lotions, lip balms, salves, windchimes made from old silver plated silver ware and some farm junk, holiday wreaths, swags, garlands, paintings on old barn wood, garden produce, apples, eggs.

I plan to get into: Selling a lot of items from my roadside stand, such as: Honey, eggs, homemade bread, veggies and fruits, cut flowers, dried flower arrangements and wreaths, our very addictive popcorn, sheep skins, apple head dolls, herbs and herbed vinegars, mountain air , perennial pots, subscription seasonal baskets of veggies, fruits, farm produce like honey, eggs, etc., small quilts, etc.

 

[me&thegals]

I'm making and hope to soon be selling soap. I need to get a lot more practice, but as soon as I get labels I will be selling the good stuff. I would also like to make and sell body butter and lotions once I learn how to make the lotions.

when you're ready to start selling lotion, PM me. I had a small home based business that I sold soaps, lotions and other bath items. It did pretty good, but my daughter got sick, so I closed the business. anyway, people raved about my lotion. My husband still won't use store brands.
I'd be happy to pass on my recipe.

That is so sweet of you!! My heart gave a lurch when I read on another thread of your daughter's battle with cancer. She has a wonderful mother!



And Heather, your drawings are amazing!!