keep Sweet Thea alive until spring!
Donation protected
Our mission for 6 years has been to bring fine-dining quality fresh sweet baked goods to farmer's markets and special events at reasonable prices, using traditional techniques and using the best quality ingredients possible. Using no preservatives or chemicals (and always real butter) has meant our margins are slim, so we have always had to be very mindful of ingredient costs and inventory levels. It is in many ways a true labour of love.
Unfortunately our little business is now in jeopardy. We have always depended on Christmas sales to cover our costs until the summer markets open - it has always been tight, but we usually manage to squeak by. This year, we have been hit by a combination of difficult circumstances, which means that, without help, we will have to shutter the doors and close down Sweet Thea in 2017.
Here is the problem in a nutshell - we have a bakery full of unsold Christmas products, we owe our suppliers for the ingredients, and have not generated enough sales to see us through the winter. The market season is effectively over, and our remote location means we do not get a lot of walk-in traffic.
What happened? Well, our traditional baking (fruitcake, stollen, christmas pudding, lebkuchen) must be baked in early fall, as they require time to mature and ripen properly. We forecast for the holiday season, and baked accordingly.
Suddenly, unexpectedly, we were short-staffed for sellers. One had to leave to tend to her business, another was diagnosed with a medical condition that did not allow her to lift anything heavy. Another, on the eve of leaving to do several markets in Alberta for us, suddenly quit to move back home. Laurie had to drive to Alberta for two weeks to fulfil our obligations, and we had to do the unthinkable - cancel booked market dates.
Circle Craft, our biggest Vancouver market, in an experiment to stimulate more sales for craft vendors, decided not to invite the most popular food vendors this year, including us. (it did not work, and we have been invited to return in 2017 ). We thought we would be able to reach many of our regular customers, but our disrupted schedule foiled those plans.
The crushing blow, though, has been the weather. Our outdoor markets had record low attendance due to driving rain or heavy snow. One of our sellers was traumatized when a motorcyclist fell over in front of her, and she was unable to stop before she hit him (he is ok, but of course ICBC says it is our fault). Another seller had an accident in a rental van, resulting in another cancelled market and another ICBC problem. The bigger indoor shows were poorly attended, and several failed miserably.
If we had a brick & mortar shop, we could hope for walk-in trade to reduce our inventory and save our season. But we have been unable to afford a build-out, and our margins are too slim for us to wholesale our holiday baking.
As of today, we have a little over $30,000 in urgent bills that we must resolve. We owe $12,750 for ingredients purchased to prepare our unsold Christmas baking, and need the rest for operating expenses. Thea and Laurie do not collect paycheques; and we have been unable to put away a nest egg for our expenses through the spring.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
we are turning to Gofundme to ask our customers to help us pay our suppliers for our ingredients, so we may remain on good terms with them and keep baking through the winter markets. All money raised her will go to that cost; and if we are lucky enough to receive more than we are request, we will apply it to our operating expenses in the spring. Please note we are not asking for 100% charity –help our cash flow, and we will happily provide you with delicious baking.
There are 3 WAYS you can help:
1 - DONATE to this campaign. Every donation will receive credit for baked goods or dessert buffets made by team Thea, just for you. Please look at our reward levels to see what you will receive by donating. We guarantee delicious freshness!
2 – Do your Christmas shopping at Sweet Thea - go to www.SweetThea.com , and help us reduce our unsold inventory. Fruitcake, stollen, lebkuchen, plum pudding, and cookies are waiting for you and our family for Christmas. Thea does amazing dessert buffets – if you or your business would like to add some wow factor to your holiday celebrations, this is the way to go!
3 – Sweet Thea Express – We will courier a Gift Box anywhere in the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, and the interior. Each box contains a variety of Christmas baking that will arrive fresh and delicious at your loved ones door!
Thanks for all your support, anything would be appreciated. We hope to continue bringing you Thea’s delicious baking in 2017.
Happy holidays, everyone!
Laurie & Thea
www.SweetThea.com
Unfortunately our little business is now in jeopardy. We have always depended on Christmas sales to cover our costs until the summer markets open - it has always been tight, but we usually manage to squeak by. This year, we have been hit by a combination of difficult circumstances, which means that, without help, we will have to shutter the doors and close down Sweet Thea in 2017.
Here is the problem in a nutshell - we have a bakery full of unsold Christmas products, we owe our suppliers for the ingredients, and have not generated enough sales to see us through the winter. The market season is effectively over, and our remote location means we do not get a lot of walk-in traffic.
What happened? Well, our traditional baking (fruitcake, stollen, christmas pudding, lebkuchen) must be baked in early fall, as they require time to mature and ripen properly. We forecast for the holiday season, and baked accordingly.
Suddenly, unexpectedly, we were short-staffed for sellers. One had to leave to tend to her business, another was diagnosed with a medical condition that did not allow her to lift anything heavy. Another, on the eve of leaving to do several markets in Alberta for us, suddenly quit to move back home. Laurie had to drive to Alberta for two weeks to fulfil our obligations, and we had to do the unthinkable - cancel booked market dates.
Circle Craft, our biggest Vancouver market, in an experiment to stimulate more sales for craft vendors, decided not to invite the most popular food vendors this year, including us. (it did not work, and we have been invited to return in 2017 ). We thought we would be able to reach many of our regular customers, but our disrupted schedule foiled those plans.
The crushing blow, though, has been the weather. Our outdoor markets had record low attendance due to driving rain or heavy snow. One of our sellers was traumatized when a motorcyclist fell over in front of her, and she was unable to stop before she hit him (he is ok, but of course ICBC says it is our fault). Another seller had an accident in a rental van, resulting in another cancelled market and another ICBC problem. The bigger indoor shows were poorly attended, and several failed miserably.
If we had a brick & mortar shop, we could hope for walk-in trade to reduce our inventory and save our season. But we have been unable to afford a build-out, and our margins are too slim for us to wholesale our holiday baking.
As of today, we have a little over $30,000 in urgent bills that we must resolve. We owe $12,750 for ingredients purchased to prepare our unsold Christmas baking, and need the rest for operating expenses. Thea and Laurie do not collect paycheques; and we have been unable to put away a nest egg for our expenses through the spring.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
we are turning to Gofundme to ask our customers to help us pay our suppliers for our ingredients, so we may remain on good terms with them and keep baking through the winter markets. All money raised her will go to that cost; and if we are lucky enough to receive more than we are request, we will apply it to our operating expenses in the spring. Please note we are not asking for 100% charity –help our cash flow, and we will happily provide you with delicious baking.
There are 3 WAYS you can help:
1 - DONATE to this campaign. Every donation will receive credit for baked goods or dessert buffets made by team Thea, just for you. Please look at our reward levels to see what you will receive by donating. We guarantee delicious freshness!
2 – Do your Christmas shopping at Sweet Thea - go to www.SweetThea.com , and help us reduce our unsold inventory. Fruitcake, stollen, lebkuchen, plum pudding, and cookies are waiting for you and our family for Christmas. Thea does amazing dessert buffets – if you or your business would like to add some wow factor to your holiday celebrations, this is the way to go!
3 – Sweet Thea Express – We will courier a Gift Box anywhere in the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, and the interior. Each box contains a variety of Christmas baking that will arrive fresh and delicious at your loved ones door!
Thanks for all your support, anything would be appreciated. We hope to continue bringing you Thea’s delicious baking in 2017.
Happy holidays, everyone!
Laurie & Thea
www.SweetThea.com
Organizer
Laurie Mercer
Organizer
Langley, BC
