Hi there,
Trends are a funny thing.When I first created my
free mini course a few years ago, I gave a few
examples of businesses that I told people NOT to start.
Three such examples were
businesses that focused on: drop cookies, brownies, and marshmallows. I had seen those types of businesses fail time and time again.
Fast forward a few years, and
now all of them have proven viable, and in some cases, viral too:
- Huge drop cookies became the biggest trend during the pandemic, and even spawned a brand new national dessert chain (Crumbl).
- My last three guests not only have brownies on their menu, but brownies are their #1 or #2 best-selling product. And back in Episode 115, Elisa shared that brownies are the majority of her business!
- And now we have examples of entire cottage food businesses focused on selling marshmallows, such as last weeks' episode with Jondell.
I haven't seen many marshmallow cottage food businesses over the years, but I clearly remember one a decade ago, called Mallow & Hop.
The business really stood out to me because it was so unique and well-marketed. And, the entrepreneur showed plenty of persistence in trying to turn it into a success. But it wasn't to be. She struggled and eventually had to shut her business down.
But you know what?
I bet she could start her business today with exactly the same products, packaging, marketing, and location,
and she'd probably do quite well!Which is a good reminder, that
sometimes it's not about whether or not your product is good enough. Sometimes, there simply isn't enough interest in the marketplace.
And it's also a good reminder that
no matter how popular an item seems to be, it will not last forever. Someday, I am certain that Crumbl will crumble away, just like almost all of the cupcakeries did within the past decade.
Trends can be friends, but just remember, your friend today might not be your best friend forever. Which is perfectly fine: after all,
the most successful entrepreneurs are those who can adapt to changing market conditions.
Speaking of which, you can expect some significant changes coming to Forrager next year. But that's a topic for another newsletter. :)
Forraging ahead,
David