Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Something old, somethng new, something borrowed. ( Part 2)

Evening all,


On Sunday I wrote about our adventures in the scary world that is crowd funding, an adventure we are currently embarking on with Linked Finance. Crowd funding for your business is a very personal thing. For most of us who own a small business, they can be  as much part of us as our family, it's fair to say that they often get more attention than our children as we negotiate the highs & lows of the associated relationship, suppliers, staff, cash flow.

Consider you have a troublesome child,  no matter how hard he/she pushes you, taunts you, causes you sleepless nights you will love that child regardless. You will make endless sacrifices for it, you will protect it no matter what, you will be loyal and unforgiving for criticisms you feel are unjust.
And just when you think you can take no more, they will smile at you or hug you, give you something back, that justifies the love, makes everything worthwhile.

Small businesses are just like that, so undeniably personal & connected, we feel their pain as much as  if they are a living part of us. That's why crowd funding ain't easy. On Sunday I compared it to going on Tinder, putting yourself out there, seeing who is attracted enough to make a move.

Yesterday morning we were funded to the tune of 20%, but by yesterday evening we had hit an astonishing 75%....that's a lot of affection coming  in  the direction of my troublesome child and I am proud as punch that so many can see the potential of this, my unorthodox fifth child.

Tonight we are 84% funded, just 16% more to go, So a massive thank you to all of you who believe in my child as much as I do and have lent to us and for those of you sitting on the fence 

 BELIEVE!


Shirley x


Disclaimer:
 For Mr Delicious, I never been on Tinder (I swear !)
For my four amazing children, 
you have never been troublesome and thank you for sharing me with the fifth child !

Sunday, May 29, 2016

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed .....

Evening All,

Last week I wrote my first blog of the year, I didn't promote it on social media the way I used to, I had to get writing again, make sure I'm comfortable with what I'm saying. Ironically in the same week I had a number of people question why I stopped writing, they had been enjoying my story, so to quote the amazing Dolly....

"Here I go again"...

 I told you about the many things that were  happening for us at The Delicious Food Co, new packaging, new shop, new crowd funding with Linked Finance....it's a busy scary time,

We first put our toe in the water of Crowd Funding a few years ago  via the wonderful team at Linked Finance. For those of you unfamiliar with the concept: lenders commit to lend money to small businesses at a rate decided by them in an auction type process. It's a simple idea, the banks will give you 1% on your savings, but take a risk, back a small business (vetted by Linked Finance) and you might get up to 15% on your investment

.https://www.linkedfinance.com/loan/delicious

Everybody is different, but if I had money to invest in a small business I would certainly expect no greater rate of return than the banks. It's a moral/ ethical thing for me. So we have opted for a three year fixed rate of 8.8%, so reaching our target may be more difficult when we exclude those offering above this rate, but we will feel better about our new business partners.
Crowd funding is a difficult personal exercise, you need to write a profile of your business, your accounts are published & available to those registered with the site....you feel very exposed & vulnerable.
 I suspect it's a lot like being on Tinder...putting  yourself out there & seeing who's attracted enough to make a move.

So far we have over 26 wonderful people who have backed us to the tune of almost 20% in 3 days and we are not just grateful but touched.....For you & all of you coming down the track, I want you to know that we have been invited by BWG  to exhibit at their annual Suppliers Conference in Citywest on Wednesday, in the category of Emerging Suppliers. and I want you to know that when I am there promoting The Delicious Food Co, I will be doing it not just for  Mr Delicious,our team  in the kitchen & me, but I'll be doing it for you, our current  lenders and our future lenders, making you proud,
ensuring your return on your investment, hoping you spread the word...of this innovative world of  crowd funding..




Shirley x


If you have a minute  check out the blog I wrote when we last crowd funded with Linked Finance in 2014...I think you'll enjoy it.

http://deliciousfoodco.blogspot.ie/2014_03_01_archive.html

Friday, May 20, 2016

Good Friday...(glorious & exhausted !)

Good Evening Everybody,


It's Friday 6pm,

 I've opened a bottle of wine, which I am delightfully sipping, whilst Mr Delicious sleeps deeply on the sofa, a glass of white wine poised precariously in his hand. I daren't move it, as he might wake up & if ever a man needs some sleep  it's him. 

It's been early starts all week for us, so when I woke up this morning and he had already left I thought I must have overslept ....but it wasn't even 5.30am  when I stumbled into  my home office  blindly  searching for my last two contact lens.

The dog benefited from an extra long walk & I was at my stainless steel work table by 6.15am.

The last few months have been mental, so much going on in some directions, so little in others....my daydreambeliever  in missing in action  (but I'm sure I'll find him, I always do). Business continues to grow with all the excitement & pain that comes with it....bigger supplier / wage bills, big highs when the cheques come in & enormous lows whey fail to arrive within an expected time frame.

One minute I'm lovin' it, and the next minute  I'm sellin' it !

If you are an small business owner, I know you'll share the agonies &  ecstasies of this roller coaster ride and if you are in a safe pensionable job, well I loathe you & envy you in equal proportions.

Next week I am going to do something I have done  before & that is to expose myself to the general public and do some crowd funding...I can't manage this growth without help so I'm going back to a space I know & lets see what happens...

The new packaging will be ready next week, so that feels like the end of something & the beginning of something new.

We have first option on a site for our first retail space , which we also hope to agree on  next week..how exciting is that !

Tonight we got final confirmation that whilst the fridge in our van is super COOL..the engine of the van is DEAD...so  we also need to buy a new van, asap.

And all of that has to happen between the actual work of producing our delicious products.

Yesterday morning myself & Mr Delicious decided that the best way to get a better work life balance over the summer was to start training, so as he drove the hired fridge van around the city, on our deliveries, I signed us both up for a charity cycle to our favourite festival of the year....

Electric Picnic 2016, we're coming to get ya...and we'll be on our bikes


Shirley
x