I am not the most tech savvy individual. We don't own a TV (maybe the reason I hated babysitting growing up was because I could never get anyone's TV's to work unless the remote control had less than 12 buttons); I haven't changed my voicemail in over a year from my maiden name even though it's primarily a business phone now and my camera issues have a blog post dedicated to them (but then one of the camera's screen's got all fuzzy and I never posted it which should just prove the point of the whole post). My 12 year old niece brings her own ipod speakers to visit because I can't get the old tape player radio to work without Reid and she thinks it's too quiet in the kitchen. Chandler as well as the dietetic interns I've had also have commented on the silence even though it doesn't bother me and I kind of enjoy the focused work and thinking I can do all by myself cooking. (When I clean I have to have music though and was very proud of my "Cleaing Tunes" playlist I figured out how to put together on my laptop. It starts with Rod Stewart's "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?).
Anyway, thanks to my tech savvy older brother we have a website. And thanks to my brother in law and parents we have two new cameras which now thanks to Chandler I can actually get to take a picture most of the time. And now thanks to advice from Eric from Athens Locally Grown (who I have asked sooo many computer questions to already) we are one step closer to having online ordering through our website http://www.southernscratch.com/ . (Eric actually built the locally grown set up which is now used all over the country so every time I post items to the Augusta and Athens online farmer's markets it makes me think of how smart he is and also kind of how I feel like I know a celebrity. I also know Tink Wade of http://www.tinksbeef.com/ who I think is a celebrity too.)
So my goal for having our goodies posted online is that we can make shipping treats simpler but also local pick ups and deliveries a lot easier. Rather than having to order at the market or calling me, you can order online and just choose local pick up.
The way things are right now we sell on Saturday mornings at the Washington Farmer's Market, online via http://www.athens.locallygrown.net/, http://www.augusta.locallygrown.net/, and then post a local pick up menu in the News-Reporter here in Washington and (when I remember!) on our Facebook page and website for local pick up twice a week and then special orders any day of the week. Plus, for any shipping we just have worked via email or phone and done the old-fashioned "I'll mail your treats and you mail a check before or when you get them to this address."
We also have never gotten around to ever printing out a final "menu." Part of this is because it has taken a while to get to where I feel like I've got enough items that come out "perfect" every single time to want to put them on a definite menu. When I eat dessert I want it to be the very best thing I've ever had. I want it to be so good that I insist on making a fresh pot of coffee to enjoy it with- not eat some store bought cookie that was just "okay." Other reasons we haven't gotten around to any semblance of a "standard" menu is that for a long time I never really thought about a standard menu and just kept baking whatever I wanted for the market or cooking anything that sounded good for the "Weekday Gourmet" meals.
While just going in the kitchen and cooking whatever you feel like is kind of fun, it's (obviously) not really the best approach to having what people call a "streamlined business". And it's especially not good if you are selling in more than one place and have no standard price list which means you end up trying to do a bunch of math in your head while talking to customers on the phone driving.
My goal (pipedream?) is to narrow down our top treats (you know to the ones you just have to make a pot of good coffee for), breakfast goodies and cakes and have those available online and printed on cute paper on a regular basis. Then our food items (like individual homemade rustic pizzas with locally grown/raised toppings; Tink's Grass Fed French Dip sandwich, Savannah River Farm's roasted chicken salad, side dishes, etc.) will rotate based on seasonal ingredients and availability just like they are now. We'll also be able to do holiday specials, side dishes, etc. for families so you can order whatever you need to round out your menu.
Of course, at the Washington Farmer's Market, I still fully intend to show up with French macarons or chocolate eclairs or banana pudding with homemade vanilla wafers or a wedding cake or any other random thing that sounds like fun to make. (But if I somehow really hit the tech jackpot maybe we can set it up where you can reserve treats online for those who don't make it to the market until closer to noon...).
Anyway-I need some help finalizing this menu for when I finish asking all the tech smart people questions and am ready to get our online ordering up and running. Let me know what your favorite goodies, foods, etc. are so we can get this baby going!
(And if you have any tech, online sales, photography or nursery painting related experience, remember that I am a huge fan of the bartering system and love to trade food for help in doing things I'm horrible at. Which is also how I met Reid. Yard work for dinner turned into marriage for us).
Thanks so much-can't wait to finally get a real menu ready!
-Kathryn
Monday, May 23, 2011
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