Meet: Debra Williams, Owner of The AppleBerry Boutique
Debra Williams, a native of California took some time out of her busy schedule to answer our questions about her new business and passion.
- Your Hobby/Business Name? The AppleBerry boutique.
- What made you realize you could actually make money from your hobby? When I realized the apples, I was making were actually very pretty.
- Did you need to take extra training? Yes, YouTube was and still is my constant companion.
- What steps did you take to test market your first product? I tried them out on my co-workers and friends.
- What sort of a response did you get? All absolutely loved the chocolate covered strawberries. When it came to the hard candy apples, people love the flavors, but complained it was rough on their teeth (they’re older and had a rough time with them). When I started doing the caramel apples, it was an instant hit! Did you gain new clients right away? Yes!
- What Challenges did you run into? People always asking for discounts.
- How did you handle those challenges? With a reply of, “do you ask your hair or nail salon for discounts?” Then I explained the cost and labor. I want the best for my clients, so it can take me up to an hour choosing the perfect apples and might have to travel to a few different stores. It takes 2 to 3 days to clean apples and a few hours of dipping, decorating and packaging…a definite labor of love that’s not free or discounted.
- Has the business and paperwork part of business taken your love away for the hobby? No, not yet, because I don’t have an overwhelming amount of clientele yet, however when that time comes hopefully, I’m able to hire someone.
- Are you in business trade groups or similar hobby clubs? Just the online clubs, posting my work getting feedback, gathering ideas, etc.
- How are you marketing your product? Right now, word of mouth.
- How do you sell your products? Online or Brick and Mortar? Both
- Any advice for new entrepreneurs? Make sure it’s something you love or even therapeutic for you. And don’t let people bully you into lowering your prices or giving into their discount manipulation.
- A fun fact about you –I love to entertain family and friends…and I love to karaoke!
To order this deliciousness, here is the website: https://theappleberryboutique.com/
Visit her Instagram Page here: https://www.instagram.com/theappleberryboutique/