{"id":36700,"date":"2013-03-29T07:04:10","date_gmt":"2013-03-29T12:04:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/?p=36700"},"modified":"2013-03-30T07:11:43","modified_gmt":"2013-03-30T12:11:43","slug":"local-womans-online-cookie-business-burgeoning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/2013\/03\/29\/local-womans-online-cookie-business-burgeoning\/","title":{"rendered":"Haas’ online cookie business does well"},"content":{"rendered":"

CINDY WOOD\/<\/strong>independent feature writer<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Shannon Haas boxes up another batch of Flour Loves Sugar cookies to send to a customer. (Cindy Wood\/Van Wert independent)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Shannon Haas started her business on a whim, a prayer, and two cookie sheets. Just two years later, she\u2019s graduated to 15 cookie sheets and her online business, Flour Loves Sugar, is thriving.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not a big surprise to her customers, who rave about the quality of her go-to product: cookies. With a strong local following, as well as growing business all over the nation via her online Etsy store, Haas has managed to turn a hobby she loves into a successful business.<\/p>\n

Haas, a 2007 graduate of Van Wert High School, took a break from life after attending Bowling Green State University for a year. Looking for adventure, she moved to Hawaii for the next two years, where she worked as a nanny. After returning to the mainland, she attended the Aveda Institute in Chapel Hill, N.C., to study cosmetology before eventually moving back home.<\/p>\n

A daughter arrived in April of 2011, and Haas knew that, no matter which way her life went, she wanted to be home with her child. \u201cAfter moving back to the area, I was still a bit unsure of what I wanted to do,\u201d Haas said. \u201cBut the one thing I was sure of was that I wanted to be the one to raise her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Focused on finding a way to be home with her daughter, Haas looked to the one thing that had always been a comfort to her. \u201cI grew up with a grandmother who was always in the kitchen, so baking was definitely a comfort for me,\u201d she said, adding, \u201cI never would have guessed it would become a business.\u201d<\/p>\n

Admittedly, the business began quite humbly. \u201cWhen I first started off, it was on a whim, with only family recipes, some borrowed boxes and a couple of cookie sheets,\u201d she said. \u201cI wasn\u2019t entirely sure at the time what I wanted to offer.\u201d<\/p>\n

So Haas offered a variety of products, but quickly found out what her specialty was. \u201cCookies became my strong point, and I decided that I wanted to be really good at one thing, instead of mediocre at many. So cookies it was.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her concentration on cookies has served her well. With tempting creations such as \u201clemon loves poppy seed\u201d and \u201cIrish cream loves triple chip,\u201d Haas is baking an average of 50 dozen cookies per week. During the holiday season, that number increases to about 150 dozen weekly.<\/p>\n

While the business keeps her extremely busy, she\u2019s managed to juggle the demands of motherhood with a growing small business. \u201cI operate out of my home kitchen,\u201d she said. \u201cIt works very well for me with having a toddler because I can get work done here and there where I can, instead of set hours.\u201d<\/p>\n

While her household does become a bit chaotic around busy holiday seasons, the family is making it work.<\/p>\n

Haas said a big reason her business has blossomed is because of a strong online and local network of supporters, and a focus on a quality product. \u201cI believe strongly in quality over quantity and genuinely strive to make every purchase a personal experience,\u201d she said. \u201cI love this business though, and I know that for it to survive it has to have a strong base, loyal customers and passion driving it.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to a rapidly growing list of online customers, Haas is also delivering her product to Perks, Van Wert\u2019s downtown coffeehouse. Through her Etsy shop, Haas is also now shipping orders to customers all over the U.S.<\/p>\n

Feedback from customers on her site echo the local sentiment, which has helped Haas grow an even bigger base of clients. \u201cThe feedback option is nice because it allows buyers to know what to expect from you as a seller.\u201d<\/p>\n

While there are aspirations to open a storefront some day, Haas is focusing on her online business — and continuing to grow and improve with each order placed. \u201cKeeping the consistency of quality baked goods results in loyal customers,\u201d she said. \u201cI also spend quite a bit of time on my packaging and perfecting the small details.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s those small details that have led Haas to success as a small business owner. \u201cI personally believe that there are so many options for young adults,\u201d she said. \u201cExplore who are you, figure out what you love and take a leap of faith. It\u2019s the best thing I have ever done.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those interested in ordering, or checking out Flour Loves Sugar\u2019s products can visit the business\u2019 website at www.flourlovessugar.etsy.com<\/a>, or go to the Flour Loves Sugar Facebook page. Haas can also be contacted by phone at 808.753.2589.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

CINDY WOOD\/independent feature writer Shannon Haas started her business on a whim, a prayer, and two cookie sheets. Just two years later, she\u2019s graduated to 15 cookie sheets and her online business, Flour Loves Sugar, is thriving. It\u2019s not a big surprise to her customers, who rave about the quality of her go-to product: cookies. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36700","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-30 14:40:17","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36700","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36700"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36700\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36700"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36700"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36700"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}