I may be the last person to offer advice based on experience (as I have none), but here’s whatever wisdom I can muster:
You should be careful about selling before you have a business license and such. Obviously this all depends on the country, state/province and city you live in. You should really research what is required to sell your product unless you wish to be shut down and/or pay fines and excess taxes. (A lawyer and/or accountant may be a very good idea here.)
Having someone else sell your goods may work, but you should still do your homework. You could get screwed over.
If you’re simply gauging interest, try to find ways to hawk your wares where you likely won’t be subject to regulations — like point #2 you suggest — and of course charity events like bake sales, church functions, or local fairs put on by small organizations, etc. If it’s starting to take off, consider talking with school administration about long term feasability (perhaps a poor chance, but it never hurts to try).
If you’re worried about putting down capital for a full shop, think small. What would it take to be a legally selling food truck? Even better may be finding a partner or two and splitting costs.
Or why do all the work yourself? Bakeries exist, so why not use their equipment and already established business connections? Apply or convince a bakery they need to hire you to bake and sell your doughnuts there.
Gauging interest is definitely the main goal for now, and it's seeming like the only way to do that without getting the full legal outfit first is selling for events like you mentioned.
Your last point is resourceful, but it also kind of goes against our market advantage of 'the only home-made doughnut location near campus'.
There was a 'bagel start up' in the SF area that got some press. They basically rented out a commercial kitchen and made NY style bagels, and then sold them to coffee shops and bakeries for re-sale. I believe that they closed up shop (although supposedly it wasn't for lack of profitability). Might be worth looking into their story.
Comments
I may be the last person to offer advice based on experience (as I have none), but here’s whatever wisdom I can muster:
You should be careful about selling before you have a business license and such. Obviously this all depends on the country, state/province and city you live in. You should really research what is required to sell your product unless you wish to be shut down and/or pay fines and excess taxes. (A lawyer and/or accountant may be a very good idea here.)
Having someone else sell your goods may work, but you should still do your homework. You could get screwed over.
If you’re simply gauging interest, try to find ways to hawk your wares where you likely won’t be subject to regulations — like point #2 you suggest — and of course charity events like bake sales, church functions, or local fairs put on by small organizations, etc. If it’s starting to take off, consider talking with school administration about long term feasability (perhaps a poor chance, but it never hurts to try).
If you’re worried about putting down capital for a full shop, think small. What would it take to be a legally selling food truck? Even better may be finding a partner or two and splitting costs.
Or why do all the work yourself? Bakeries exist, so why not use their equipment and already established business connections? Apply or convince a bakery they need to hire you to bake and sell your doughnuts there.
Gauging interest is definitely the main goal for now, and it's seeming like the only way to do that without getting the full legal outfit first is selling for events like you mentioned.
Your last point is resourceful, but it also kind of goes against our market advantage of 'the only home-made doughnut location near campus'.
There was a 'bagel start up' in the SF area that got some press. They basically rented out a commercial kitchen and made NY style bagels, and then sold them to coffee shops and bakeries for re-sale. I believe that they closed up shop (although supposedly it wasn't for lack of profitability). Might be worth looking into their story.