I'm sure that sounds whiny, but I'm discouraged, my husband is out of the country (and out of contact) and I have no one to talk to. 
I've been working to build my business and I'm the only person around here who sells freshly baked kosher goods, so you would think I would have it made. But people forget they can order from me until it's too late in the week, or they think about me at the holidays. That would be helpful but the local preschool ships in mass produced baked goods as fundraisers every holiday and I can't compete with the prices. The straw that broke the camel's back is that tonight I get an email from my Shul's (temple) mailing list advertising that the preschool is selling hamantaschen cookies for purim. I've spent a lot of time developing creative recipes for hamantaschen but what's the point of even trying to sell them, when everyone just got blitzed with an advertisement from the preschool and their prices are less than I can afford to sell mine for!! 
I just feel like packing up all my baking stuff and my dreams and giving up!
Kathi
Their selling theirs for $6.50 a dozen. I was planning on $8.50 a dozen, following the triple the price theory. I guess I just don't know how to compete with them when we have the exact same target group, their's raises money for the school, and they have already blizted everyone with advertising!
Kathi
Don't give up! The stuff they ship in is that awful stuff in the 3 flavors with the really hard sugar cookie taste! I used to get those packages sent to me in college, and most of the stuff ended up in the garbage. They also have limited selections/options. See if you can circulate another flyer, or even advertise in the shul newsletter or in the Jewish Week down there. A lot of people will want better quality and more options that what is being offered through your shul, and will be willing to pay for it! They also may want things for their home parties, and gift baskets they can take or give to friends, and there are always people who want to be a little different. Don't despair - keep it up! I have a cousin who is doing a bat mitzvah on Purim, so you still have other opportunities. Plus, you could do creative cookies in addition to the hamentaschen, and there are lots of other events to think about. Maybe next year, you could do some sort of a deal with the shul so that they will order through you . . . even with your higher prices. I know they must get some sort of a kickback/fundraiser where they order, so perhaps that won't be possible, but it is worth investigating. If they don't make a profit off of the sales, then maybe they will consider advertising your products in addition to or instead of the national company.
I haven't tasted your goods, but I can see from your photos that your skills are amazing! Creativity will win out here, and you just have to believe. Also, don't forget about the non-kosher market, too - there is a larger Jewish community and other synagogues where the membership may not be as concerned about ordering exclusively from a kosher decorator, but they may not have any other place to buy Jewish baked goods! I'm sure there are other reform and conservative synagogues in the region, and maybe you can advertise in those synagogues as well. Good luck!
Thanks Tkeys.
You're right about the cookies. They are selling these cardboard tasting ones with plain dough filled with poppyseed, prune, apricot or strawberry filling. Mine are Chocolate with either Almond, peanut butter or raspberry filling, Orange Cranberry and Orange-Chocolate.
Unfortunately our Shul newsletter comes out quarterly, so that won't help and we don't have a Jewish week here. We have a Jewish paper that comes out every 2 months but one just came out and the next one will be after Purim.
I had hoped to sell mine to the school at a discount for their fundraiser but they are getting them at $3.00 a dozen and some of mine cost $2.50 a dozen without including labor. I just can't afford that, even if they were open to it. And they won't advertise anything that competes with their sales in any way.
I would really like to reach into the larger community, but I have been waiting until I was licensed, which hasn't happened yet. (I'm waiting on my tax refund). But I suppose I could put up flyers anyway.
I'll give it some thought.
Kathi
That is really frustrating . . . . I wouldn't worry about competing head to head with the prices - if your products are better, there will be people willing to pay more for better quality. Do you have a client mailing list? See if you can put together something and mail it to your clients, and if you have a shul directory, I'd mail it out to everyone on that list, too. You don't need permission or the help of the shul to do that! I know you want to be careful about not being licensed, so maybe until you are licensed just selectively advertise/mail, and devise a plan of attack for the next major holiday when you are licensed (and for next year).
Maybe you can also talk to the school about offering 1 "higher end" package through their fundraiser . . . it wouldn't compete with their fundraiser as long as it still clears their profit margin. Put together a package or some options that are not being offered, price accordingly, and tell them what you can sell at, what the school cut can be (even if it is higher than the other cookies). Maybe you won't sell as many, but maybe you'll sell some. And maybe the people who buy from you will be thrilled, and everyone else won't like what they purchased as much, so next year, they will buy yours instead. Don't undercut yourself . . . just be the high end option on the menu list, and sell different products, and a few different flavors. I think it is still worth approaching the shul and asking if you can participate in their fundraiser. And next year when you are licensed, I'd get all the ads in the paper early! I think it is too early to give up - it just seems like a little bump in the road as you are setting up your business. You will be able to weather this.
Thanks Tkeys. I'll try some of your ideas. I feel a little better this morning, of course it could be that there is snow on the ground for the first time in 2 years! As I sit her typing my daughter is gleefully pelting my sliding glass door (right next to me) with snowballs. School has been cancelled and she is enjoying herself immensely.
Thanks,
Kathi
Don't give up!! I think you might have found something there. Your product sounds wonderful. It takes time to get busy, don't get discouraged, your business will pick up. How bout that snow we're getting?? It sure is pretty.
I would also try expanding the advertising to the nearby towns. My sister lives in Apex and was complaining that there was no one good for cakes when she was planning her wedding last year. Those towns are not that far and I know from my visit that there is money waiting to be spent by some of those people. Don't short change yourself on your price, sometimes people at schools can be creatures of habit and using a new vendor scares them. Hankg in there.
Thanks Momof4luvscakes. Yes, I love the snow, but you better get some clothes on that baby or she's going to freeze!!! 
I hope you don't have to anywhere. There is a (secondary) road right behind my house and I keep hearing a lot spinning tires and sliding. So be careful!
Kathi
I have no idea what you've tried, but I'd stop trying at that school.
Do you have a nursing home nearby? Maybe you can get a flyer going there. Or an assisted living? Older people love quality baked goods and often they'll pay for them. Instead of selling dozens, sell half-dozens (more affordable, less waste, etc).
Try the local senior center, the Del Web or "active Retirement community" in your area.
There's lots of other places you can market. Forget the schools. They're not worth the heachache sometimes.
Good luck and don't give up. You do awesome stuff and your flavor combinations sound amazing.
KathiK don't quit. I've seen your work and we've spoken before -- you are very talented!! As with most all of us here on CC, there are store bakeries undercutting us in price, but we are higher priced -- why? BECAUSE WE SELL QUALITY, NOT QUANTITY. It's just as simple as that. I tell people up front my prices are high and I want a lot of notice because I provide a very special product. (Because of this I mainly get special occasion cake orders, which is fine by me.) Believe me, if your quality is premium then they will buy (or as someone aptly has as their signature "if you bake it they will come...")
Put your trust in the Lord and do the very best you can (you're working for Him you know) and you will do well.
This has already been touched upon - but once you are licensed, perhaps you can offer a donation of your own as a fundraiser. That way at least the clients you are worried about not having will have a taste of something better. You would lose in the short run, but I know if I find a good cookie or cake, I would go back unless it were an everyday thing. Maybe yours cost more, but won't people be more apt to buy better quality when it comes to things like this? Your prices are a tad more, but I think quality would offset that.
Ya know there is something else to consider here too, when you order form those fundraiser thingees, it takes like months for it to show up. By the time you do get it you can't even remember what you ordered, and nine times out of ten, it's a lot smaller than what was pictured and it just tastes gross. So chin up kiddo, you'll do fine.
I know that you are a kosher bakery but have you tried to contact the Seventh Day Adventists in your area? That is also another venue where you can sell your specialties.
everyone here has some relaly good advice. i just want to say that we use to know a jewish family that made the most amazing hamantaschen but we lost the recipe. They are the most amazing thing, my mom and i are addicted and the ones you can buy int eh supermarket just dont even come close. I like the red filled ones (raspberry i think).
So if you ever need a taste tester feel free to call me up if you are around the south jersey area.
Hang it there! It does take time to build up a business. . . any business! It's a lot harder for us home bakers to compete with these large outfits but we have lots more quality and love put into our products. Enjoy the day with your little girl! Snow has fallen so rarely lately that it would be nice to take the day, but here I sit work in Durham!! You might want to expand your market to Durham and Chapel Hill because I don't know how big the kosher market is . . . just a thought!
Leslie
Definitely send emails to the Hilels at the universities nearby; I have no doubt that will bring in big business (you can even offer to do a workshop to teach the college students how to make them--paid, of course. People will come to make 1 batch for the fun of it, and then they'll buy tons from you there). I went to Duke for grad school, and the options there for Kosher food were lacking but the Jewish community was strong. Since there are so many schools in the Triangle, email/call them and see what happens.
Thanks everyone, I really appreciate the encouragement! Please don't think I'm ignoring you by not listing you individually, I promise I'm not!
Thank you CupCake13, I never thought about trying the nursing homes or assisted living. That's a great idea.
NatalieJ75 I have already been consistently donating to their fundraisers. They approach me for donations for auctions, etc., and I always give something.
chaptlps, do Seventh Day Adventists keep kosher?
ncdessertdiva, as soon as I am licensed the kosher store in Durham wants to carry my products.
Jodiedew, thank you for the suggestion! I never would have thought of it, but now that you mention it I remember hearing that some students have trouble locating kosher stuff. And we all know that college students love their goodies!! 
I feel much better now, you guys are great!!
Kathi
I can't believe you got snow in NC before we did up here in MD! I'm glad you are feeling better! I didn't think of the Hillel, but Duke and UNC are great places to contact, and they order things all the time. Jodidew is right - I think the Hillel at Duke does very regular events (for break fast, and Friday night dinners, handing out shalach manos to students, chanukah packages, a community seder, etc.) That could be a great opportunity! At Emory, there was a mailing to our parents through the Hillel, and our parents could order a shalach manos basket to be delivered to our dorms for us - probably too late to figure that out for this year, but maybe you could coordinate that with the Hillel for next year? There was also something similar for Chanukah, and they distributed it with a menorah.
As for the 7th day adventists - they don't keep kosher, but they are usually vegetarian, so maybe the other poster meant that there might be a market for that? Also, if there is a muslim population, their hallal rules are pretty close to kashrut rules, and some muslims will purchase/order kosher when they can't find hallal. Just some other ideas . . . but I think you've got a big enough Jewish community down there that you should do great!
that "higher" end package sounds great. I would try to "barter" with them. Give to them at cost if you can but on the condition that they allow you to advertise...eighter by handing out your flyer or price list.
OH please don't quit! I love your work---I'm not jewish and believe me I would buy from you in a second because everything you make looks so tempting. Others will think so too! Once you can broaden you market and the orders will be coming more often.
my in-laws are Seventh day adventists. They do not eat pork at all. Most are vegetarians in my MIL's church. They do eat some meat just not anything with pork. My MIL buys organic usually. They do not have to eat just kosher certified items but most of the seventh day religion prefers it. There is a market there.
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