We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Donna Palmer . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Donna below.

Donna, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. One of the most important things we can do as business owners is ensure that our customers feel appreciated. What’s something you’ve done or seen a business owner do to help a customer feel valued?

First and foremost showing appreciation for my customers and going above and beyond is my number one priority. Customers have a choice, they have options but the fact that they chose me whether it’s a new customer, a referral, or a long time repeat loyal customer, I want them to know I appreciate them. Their support is what keeps my small business going and I am grateful. I like to follow up with my customers, check in with them and see how everything went after an event. I like to text them or call and thank them after they’ve picked up an order. I like to let them know when their deliveries were made and often times will send pictures. What I find ironic is often times customers are going above and beyond to thank ME! I’ve had customers bring me flowers, gift cards, homemade holiday cookies etc. Whatever the case may be, it is so unexpected. The fact that they want to thank me for helping them, for simply doing my job, baffles me. I do what I do because I love it, I love seeing my customers and clients happy and I never expect anything in return but it is so very sweet and so thoughtful.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers?

Sure, I’d love to! I started Sweet Creations, LLC in 1999, at the time I was a medical analyst for a big healthcare company but wanted to have more flexibility with my children. I always enjoyed working with chocolate, creating party favors for friends and family and enjoyed doing craft fairs and I was seeing more and more requests were coming in for my work. I saw a cute little retail shop that was for rent in the center of Branford, Connecticut, an adorable little town along the shoreline. Although I had worked in several retail establishments prior, this would be my first time, owning and operating my own establishment and I decided to go for it.

I was focusing on creating party favors for all occasions, weddings, baby showers, bridal showers, corporate events etc. One of my most popular items was and still is, Mrs. Palmer’s popcorn. It’s a butter and salted popcorn drizzled with milk and dark chocolate, I wanted to branch out and get my name out there so I started meeting with local businesses to see if they would carry my product. One business in particular was Tommy K’s Video, they were a big retail chain throughout Connecticut. I met with the executives, did my homework on wholesale price margins, etc. and before you know it Mrs. Palmer’s popcorn was being sold in 17 video store throughout the state of Connecticut. It was a great form of advertisement for me and I was truly grateful to them for giving me that opportunity.

Today Mrs. Palmer’s popcorn is still a popular favorite along with our custom gift baskets, gourmet apples, cake pops, dessert platters, custom dipped party favors and more.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Being honest, being dedicated to your work and your craft, being kind and being authentic is what sets people apart in our every day lives and this is something that I continue to carry with me daily and into my work. This sets up your reputation and reputation is important, it indicates your trustworthiness, your integrity and people want to know they are dealing with someone they can trust.

How did you build your audience on social media?

My social media is currently my retail store in a sense. It’s a place where my customers can come and see what I’m doing, what I’m selling, what I’m up to and what’s new for my business. It’s a place where I want people to come to feel good and to enjoy what they see. It’s a place for me to be my true authentic self, where I can inspire and perhaps motivate others at the same time. The best advice I could give is to be true to who you are. Represent your brand and don’t be concerned about what other people are doing, you’re not selling their items, you’re selling yours. It’s not a competition, we’re all in this together and supporting one another is a beautiful thing.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.sweetcreationsllc.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/sweetcreationsllc?igshid=NDRkN2NkYzU=
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sweetcreationsllc
• Twitter: SwtCreationsCT
• Other: Sweet Creations LLC is celebrating 23 years in business and was recently chosen as Best Dessert on the Connecticut Shoreline for 2022. We are so grateful to all of our wonderful customers that support us on a daily basis. Thank you, we appreciate you!

Image Credits
Donna Palmer