BY FIONA STAVROU
When Pitney Bowes Inc. managers examined Michelle Jaffee”™s application for its Small Business Makeover contest in 2011, they immediately saw a recipe for success.
“We saw Michelle was a great baking producer with a lot of potential for growth,” said Justin Amendola, vice president of global visual strategy for small entrepreneurial businesses at Stamford-based Pitney Bowes.
In a makeover contest designed to help small businesses gain momentum in the transition phase of growth, Jaffee”™s project couldn”™t be more fitting.
Jaffee started her baking company, Sweet & Simple, just three years ago. A mother of three children under 10 at the time, she already had plenty on her plate. But when she received cooking lessons for her 30th birthday in 2009, she felt the pull of baking and never looked back.
Jaffee explained she had baked sporadically her whole life, but “I was baking so much after that class it was all I wanted to do with my free time.”
After learning that under Connecticut law foods produced in the home cannot be sold to the public, Jaffee found commercial kitchen space to rent in December 2009.
She began seeking out wholesalers to sell her products, making cold calls and appearing at their headquarters with merchandise to show off. She built up her following through Facebook and an email list, which ended up being what attracted Pitney Bowes”™ judges.
“We were impressed that she had already completely engaged in social media in a huge way,” Amendola said.
So the Pitney Bowes makeover built on her strengths. She was granted access to a year”™s counsel from the experts and several software solutions, including the company”™s pBsmart communications platform to include QR codes and email solutions, among others.
Jaffee”™s business card has a small QR code, which can be scanned onto smartphones, tablets or other gadgets. Within seconds links appear to the Sweet & Simple website, Twitter account, Facebook page, online shopping options and email list.
“It”™s a way to enjoy business in a different way,” Jaffee said. “I enjoy talking about baking whether it”™s on Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest.”
After the Pitney Bowes makeover, Jaffee”™s connections through Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest will reach more people than ever before. But she”™s careful to ensure that connections made over the Internet don”™t become distant and anonymous. She keeps the small business atmosphere of the company by ensuring the personal connections made between her and her clients stay sacred.
“Part of the process I value most is giving the products to my family and friends and seeing they love it. It keeps the whole thing personal,” she said.
The company”™s newfound Internet savvy doesn”™t end with social media.
“My main focus right now is developing my ecommerce sight; whether it”™s summer camp care packages or back-to-school-in-the-fall packages, Mother”™s Day, wedding favors, all those things ”¦ you can buy it on the site,” she explained.
The site allows customers to ship products, find the nearest store and look up ingredients.
A high ”“ quality baker may be reluctant to reveal what goes on behind kitchen doors, but Jaffee explained, “That”™s what differentiates me ”“ I”™m willing to say what specific ingredients I use. I wanted to keep it personal in that way. It might be all natural but other companies aren”™t saying where the eggs came from, what specific flour they”™re using or what butter.”
Jaffee uses all-natural ingredients, with no preservatives. However, quality doesn”™t come without a price.
“I really try to use ingredients that I use at home, so they”™re a little more expensive ”“ they”™re at the high end of the range,” Jaffee said. “I”™m catering to somebody who has some discretionary income to spend on a treat, but wants something great, something all natural and is willing to pay for it.”
Jaffee says it”™s important to know your customers, what they want to buy and what their goals are.
When she first won the contest, Jaffee spoke with SmallBizLady blogger and author Melinda Emerson. Emerson has 40,000 followers on Twitter and in the words of Jaffee is “a force of nature.”
“She spoke to me very upfront ”“ asking me how do I talk to my customer, who is my customer and what do they want,” Jaffee said. “She really helped me focus on who my customer is and helped me tighten up my online identity. It”™s made me more confident and I can now eliminate certain stores that just wouldn”™t be right for my product and focus on stores that are appropriate for my product.”
