Has anyone sold the cookie dough that does not require refrig. or freezing? I was curious as too how good the product tasted compared to the refrig. & frozen.

I also agree that what works for some doesn't work for everyone. Our cookie dough was delivered this week and it was great. The company sent 2 works and they did most of the work and stayed the whole time. We also listen to our parents request and try to do what appeals to them. I had parents calling me during the summer (when the cookie dough they ordered last year ran out) to find out if we would be selling again this year and when! It works for us and they enjoyed it much more than the catalog's that offer alittle bit of everything. Everyone enjoys cookies!! Just my 2 cents and good luck! [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Hi, all, my two cents - if you are going to consider other catalog vendors, contact them and ask them to come in and make a presentation to your board and/or fundraising committee. They should send someone live with samples, and let you know what you are looking at as far as profit. Let each company know you are interviewing other companies. CHECK REFERENCES - and ask the hard questions. Don't just ask for references - ask for the name of the closest school to yours that they work with. Ask for the name of a school that used to use their company but switched to some other fundraiser or fundraising company. Then call those school and find out the person to talk to who handled the sale. Don't ask the rep from the catalog company just for references, as they will only tell you who will give them a glowing recommendation and you want the real story.

Finally - just when you think you are finished - NEGOTIATE and believe me, you can negotiate anything. We got extra prizes donated, and took cash instead of the "big" prizes - then we bought those on our own. Negotiate that they stuff all the envelopes as well as distributing to the classrooms or mailboxes. Be sure that your rep or someone from the company with whom you can have constant communication will be available live and in person on delivery day.

I could go on and on - but I'm sure you've gathered that I learned most of these things the hard way!

That is sooooo very important, finding the fundraiser that will work in your area. I live in a rural area where most folks are over 50 and don't buy a lot of convenience foods. The cool fundraiser that LUVMYKIDS is using wouldn't work as well here. You also have to keep in mind what other schools and service organizations are doing to raise funds. Again, it sounds like you just need some new products, not a different type of fundraiser. Look into some other catalog companies.

Good Luck!

I agree with the comment about knowing yor area. If we did a catalog sale, I doubt we'd make very much. We go a little farther than cookie dough though. We used a company called Club Choice this year. They sell frozen food and other food products. We offered everything from frozen pizza to boxed chocolates(cookie dough too). We made $9400. Which was great since this was our first year with them(we had used a different company previously, but Club Choice wooed us away with more selection, better pricing and a signing bonus). They estimate a 30% increase for the next year. The rep said that's the typical increase for first timers.
I've had people ask about doing something different. I always ask them what they have in mind and if they think we could make as much or more than what we currently do. We're always open to ideas but we have programs that need funding and we have to have some guarantees too.

You really have to know your area to make a switch like that. Cookie dough can make that kind of money, but not as a rule. We use catolog sales as our main fundraiser at the beginning of the year and cookie dough (or other types of fundraisers to supplement during the rest of the year). I like cookie dough because it is so easy to do, not because it makes gallons and gallons of money - although it meets our needs just fine.

If you are tired of Innesbrook, maybe you could try a different catalog company, like Red Apple or QSP or Party Shop ( www.morleyfundraising.com or www.QSP.com or www.themepartystuff.com respectively - and remember to tell them that Elizabeth Metz from Manzanita Elem. in Kingman, AZ referred you!). There are a lot of companies out there that do the same thing. We use Fiesta Fundraising in Arizona because when we signed up, they were a young company in our area and willing to really work with and for us. Every school can have one (or two) of those kinds of companies. Fiesta changes it stock a bit every year so nothing gets too 'old hat'. Do some research and find your Fiesta! There are a lot of smaller, lesser known companies that can change their stock each year to provide new products all the time.

You might just want to take a year off of Innesbrook and use someone one time. I wouldn't suggest that you get away from catalog sales though. There is a lot to be said for Tried And True. If you do decide to use the cookie dough instead, however, I would make sure that there was a catalog company waiting in the wings in case your budget requirements aren't filled by the dough.

Good Luck!

[ 02-13-2003: Message edited by: TheMetzyMom ]</p>