Christmas is the busiest time of the year. But no matter how busy it can get, business-minded moms can still take advantage of this season. If you are thinking of how you can make some extra cash, keep reading for some tips and tricks on where, how, and what to sell as Christmas approaches.
- BAKED GOODIES. One of the most loved Christmas gifts are cookies and cupcakes. They make the best gifts because people can consume it right away. If you know how to bake and have an oven at home, you can start baking and selling! There are now baking supply stores in many malls where you can find ingredients, boxes and other packaging materials.
Proper labeling is also important when you sell food items. Make sure you indicate a “consume before” date on every pack. As the business owner, you decide the time frame where your baked goodies are in its best taste. There is no other way to do this than by testing it. Leave your cupcakes in the fridge and see how long it will last. Do the same thing frozen and in normal temperature. The taste should be as good as it is on Day 1. If the taste has been altered even if there aren’t any molds yet, consider this expired.
- BOTTLED GOURMET. There’s been an influx of gourmet sardines, tuyo, tinapa and many other bottled gourmet in the market today. It’s so easy to make. A quick search on YouTube will already give you a basic recipe that you can tweak. Glass bottles are also sold online. You don’t have to go to Divisoria anymore.
My friend started her gourmet business with P2,000 and got back her capital in a week’s time. Another friend of mine started with P5,000. She only sold it during the Christmas season. Later, her friends kept ordering, so she decided to sell all year round. Now, it’s a full-blown business employing about 40 people.
- GIFT BASKETS. If you have a lot of friends selling their own items, why not create a gift basket with their products? You not only put money in your wallet, but you also help your friends move their products. Everyone’s happy! Go through all your friends’ products and decide which products go well together. Make sure they are beautifully packed. Go the extra mile and offer personalized cards for each basket. Offer delivery via Lalamove or Grab to be shouldered by the client.
- FOOD TRAY. Christmas is the time for parties! If you are already known to be a good cook, selling party trays would be easy. It’s just like cooking a big batch for your family and friends, only that you make them pay! Trays are easily available in the grocery store, priced P100++, depending on the size. You can create packages for 8 to 10 pax or 10 to 15 pax. Five to six dishes of fish, chicken, pork, beef or pasta should be fine.
- WALL ART. I have a friend who’s good at calligraphy, so I asked her to make me small cards with verses on them. I had them framed and gave them as Christmas gifts to my mommy friends. She also makes personalized Christmas cards. What started as a hobby is now her new business. Her capital? Time and materials she already had. You can sell your work of art at Shopee or Lazada for a fee, but since you are just starting, I suggest you just post it on Facebook: make a Facebook page if you want to, or post it on Marketplace—all for free!
As you check the list above, here are some considerations you might have to take a look at before you decide on which product to sell.
- SKILL. Find out what you’re already good at. It’s a busy season, so if you want to start something but don’t know anything about it yet, studying and learning it will take up your time. Consider instead doing something you already have at least some knowledge of.
- COSTING. How much are you willing to shell out? How much raw material do you need? Do some research online and see how much it might cost to create your product. Then, do another round of research for the pricing. How much are your competitors selling it for? If you want to sell it higher, make your packaging very attractive. And make sure that the quality will speak for its price.
- TEST THE MARKET. Most businesses fail because they create a product nobody wants. Make sure that you have a market for your product. Many businesses I know started as a hobby that people loved so much, their owners decided to get serious with it. As expected, they just scaled up their success!
- TIME. How much time are you willing to put into this? You’re a mom, and that comes first. You still have a life outside of business, like ministry, time with hubby, family reunions, etc. There may be a few times you’ll need to sacrifice a bit of time, but this should not be a norm. Make sure your husband and children also benefit from what you are doing, so they won’t resent you. Get your kid her favorite toy. Get hubby his favorite perfume or take him out to dinner – on you! Don’t forget to thank them for the sacrifice they have to make so you can make this business work.
- MARKETING. You may have the best product in the whole world, but if nobody knows your product, you will not sell a single item. It’s a very noisy world online. Very noisy. If there is nothing special in your product, they will just pass you by. There are many ways you can make your product stand out:
*You don’t want to sell an item with no labels. You at least need to have a logo. You can go to canva.com and create your own logo in literally minutes. Have your labels printed in the nearest Printing Shop. It won’t cost you more than P500 to have your initial stickers printed.
*Make your message loud and clear. Is part of your proceeds going to a certain ministry? Are you using organic materials? Are 100% of your ingredients locally made supporting local farmers? I have a friend selling accessories made by prisoners and this has become a selling advantage for the products she carries.
*Print screen reviews and post these along with your products. People vouching for your products make the best marketing tool. After you send your products, ask them feedback, print screen and post. If possible, ask them to leave a review on your Facebook page if you have one.
Income opportunities abound. It’s really up to you to keep yourself open, creative, and courageous in pursuing business. Since people are willing to open up their wallets for items they feel are valuable, take advantage of it to bring in extra cash for the family.
Viviene Bigornia is a motivational speaker, mindset coach, and founder of the Fulfilled Women, a community for Christian women entrepreneurs. Her mission is to help women become unstoppable in achieving their God-given dreams. When not wearing a hat as a speaker and coach, you’ll find her at home chasing her two adorable children or folding a mountain of clothes. You can reach her through www.facebook.com/groups/thefulfilledwomen, www.facebook.com/thefulfilledwomen, www.facebook.com/vivienebigornia, www.thefulfilledwomen.com, and www.vivienebigornia.com.
