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Facebook boosts baking business

Lezette Engelbrecht
By Lezette Engelbrecht, ITWeb online features editor
Johannesburg, 23 Feb 2011

In last week's 21st-century store feature, animal lover Katherine Townshend related some of the challenges involved in getting a business started online. This week, stay-at-home mom Mariam Bibi Sulliman reveals why a little networking can go a long way.

While staying at home to look after her 18-month-old daughter, Sulliman found studying for her final year LLB degree wasn't enough to fill the time. “I had nothing to do, so I decided to sell something.

“I started with savouries and samoosas and things, but decided it was so much hard work and it would be so much easier to sell something over the Internet - something that wouldn't go off.”

She played around with the idea for a while, until an unexpected request finally saw her take the plunge. A family friend called to ask whether she could help sell a range of US baking accessories called Nordic Ware.

“My husband's cousin had a whole container load of the stuff that she couldn't manage to sell. It was just sitting there, so her father asked me if I could help. I tried selling it over the Internet and was successful.”

Now that she's done with the Nordic Ware supply, Sulliman plans to continue selling home ware, including baking pans, tins, dinner sets, and trays. She hasn't set up a Web site for the business, choosing instead to conduct her sales through Facebook.

You can't just depend solely on the Internet.

Mariam Bibi Sulliman

While Sulliman imported a few items from Saudi Arabia, the US, and China, other goods are sourced locally. The cupcake carriers - plastic containers for carting iced treats to parties or school birthdays - are a hit, as are the sliver serving trays.

When it came to choosing her products, Sulliman followed her instincts.

“I sat one day, and thought about what people would want to buy. I wanted to go into homey kinds of things, so I went online and did some research. Then I just walked through the malls and looked at what caught my eye.

“I chose things I liked, because if I like it, there's a good chance other people will also like it. I thought, if it's good enough to be in my house, then others are bound to also want it in their house.”

For Sulliman, it was much easier running a business from home than setting up a shop somewhere, both because of her young daughter and for the sake of convenience.

“It's easier doing things online. A lot of my customers have asked me to open up a shop, but I only started a year ago and paying rent would swallow up all the money, plus you have electricity and water costs, and have to hire people to work for you.

“At home you can sell on your terms; you control the time and decide when you're free and when you're busy. And when you want some space, you can take off and go somewhere. When I'm here, people can come over, but I can also leave when I like.“

Because she doesn't have a dedicated site, Sulliman doesn't make use of an online payment service, relying instead on EFT or cash payments when customers come see her directly. “When you sell online you're competing on a bigger scale, so you have to keep the price low enough for people to come. Once they know that I'm selling, a lot of customers also come back.”

Working the net

Getting the word out about her online venture involved a bit of trial and error, says Sulliman. She used Facebook to flog her home ware to fellow foodies, and says the platform has been very helpful. “I put my products on my Facebook profile, and placed adverts on Facebook and Gumtree.

Tips for getting started online

* Get marketing tips and links to resources at Internet Business Entrepreneur.
* Visit Duct Tape Marketing for ways to get more out of Facebook.
* Browse Entrepreneur for useful tips on how to sell online.
* Learn about costly mistakes beginners often make on Search engines, Web traffic and Web site optimisation tips.
* See Compila for various articles on running a small business online.

“Online there's a lot of competition; quite a few people sell the things I sell.”

Facebook has become something of an informal springboard for small businesses, with simple ways to post content, network and communicate. With half a billion users, it provides a rich marketing opportunity, but also means it's easy to get lost in the crowd.

The Small Business Success Index report, released by research firm Network Solutions last year, revealed a change in the way small business owners in the US perceive social media. While previously they expected it would generate leads, recent findings show raising awareness is the chief benefit. Some 77% of small business owners now believe social media is better suited to building awareness than producing leads.

In addition, of the entrepreneurs using social media, 82% say they have a Facebook page for their business, versus 38% with a LinkedIn page, and 30% with a Twitter account.

For those worried that sales will be limited to their friendship circle, Sulliman says: “To be honest, not one of my friends has bought the products. It's people I don't know that become customers.”

She adds that Facebook plays an important role in her business, as a way to post photos of new products and communicate with customers, as well as an advertising medium.

“But you can't just depend solely on the Internet,” says Sulliman. “You have to build a customer base by word of mouth.

“For example, I sold some products to someone in Durban, and two days later her cousin from Johannesburg wanted to buy not one but 25, as part of a wedding parcel. That's through word of mouth, not because they personally saw the products on my page.”

The only real trouble Sulliman's had with running her business online is nasty comments from online competitors, which she wasn't prepared for.

Then there's the fact that the business has more than delivered on its role as a time-filler. “I really didn't think it would take up so much time and effort. But I do enjoy it. You meet lots of different people, instead of just sitting at home all the time.”

She admits that many customers have urged her to set up a Web site, which she's considering, although she conducts lots of business from her BlackBerry. “It's beautiful. I can sell from wherever I am; it's so easy now to do it via phone.”

According to Sulliman, having items available online is good both for the people selling and those buying. “They can view stuff from the comfort of their home, or wherever they are, really.”

She'll continue the business as long as it keeps going, and while sales aren't huge, Sulliman says it's usually more than 50 items per month.

“I enjoy finding nice things and selling it if it makes someone else happy. If I can help fill their house with nice things, then they're happy and I'm happy. Whatever I sell sells fast - it doesn't stay around long.”

But it looks like her budding Internet business just might.

Look out for next week's 21st-century feature on dog breeder Eileen Gibb, who turned a dream and some dog kennels into a successful local pet site.

*Speak your mind: Would you do business through Facebook? Post your comments via our feedback facility.

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