Money Making Idea - Selling Nuts at work

Money Making Idea - Selling Nuts and Dried Fruit at work

I have a money making idea. I've had this one for a while now.

Selling nuts and dried fruits at work

I work for the public service and in my office chips and chocolate are sold as a way to make some money for christmas/social club activities. There are also people in the building who sell chocolates to fundraise.

I have been thinking about selling mixed nuts. I would do it at lunch time. But i'm not sure if this is allowed? Does anyone know. Can I do this as a government employee?

I think there is a real niche here. No-one else sells nuts/dried fruit. Its a more healthy alternative to chips and chocolates. People may be interested? What do you think. Would people go for healthy foods?

There are around 300 people in our building.

Some people are lazy and may enjoy this convenience rather than walking to the shops. I was thinking I might have an earlier lunch break say 11.30 to catch when people are getting hungry.

I could buy the food in bulk and charge $2 for a small bag.

Anyone have any thoughts? Do you think people would buy? Would these foods be popular? I am I allowed to do this in the public service?

What are the pros and cons? What haven't I thought of? What do I need to consider if going ahead with this?
 
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Sounds like your a little too enterprising to be working in the public service :)

I know most Commonwealth departments require you to seek approval for external employment - not sure if this fits this idea fits that criteria though.
 
Yeah what I was thinking was I could service one floor each day. There are 6 floors in our building. Hoping to sell at least 10 nut bags a day at $2. I think this is an achievable goal. Thats $100 a week.

I wander though if it would be more hassle than its worth. I could always try and see how it goes. I can really see this working, because some people do not bring lunch or snacks in from home and these people are good targets. Some people spend their money like theres no tomorrow. "Instant Gratification" They enjoy spending each day on lunches and coffees, snacks etc etc.
lol I even know who the avid cyclists are. If they need an energy boost before their long ride home haha.

Perhaps I need to talk to someone in HR to see if I'm allowed to do this. No-one I know has ever done this before. Its worth asking.

I would put the money I make into my next deposit. My job will soon be re-classed at a higher level too. Will be earning an extra $300 per fortnight. So I'm on goal to buying my 3rd property end of 2011.

A.P.K
 
Sounds like your a little too enterprising to be working in the public service :)

I know most Commonwealth departments require you to seek approval for external employment - not sure if this fits this idea fits that criteria though.

Yeah i am an enterprising/driven person. Always after a challenge. Love to problems solve. I have to watch my stress levels though so as to stay healthy. Its a fine balancing act for me. I'm happy to be in the job i am doing. Turned down the team leader job (just too much pressure) im 2 ic :) I enjoy teaching the new team leader and because there is a high turnover rate in my team I enjoy teaching the new staff. I learn a lot too from doing this. I also enjoy the interaction and customer service. Love the hours. Not long hours :)
 
You might get a few people whinging about how you're making money whilst at work....they'll likely be kicking themselves for not coming up with the idea themselves.

Tell them it's for a good cause, the APK IP fund - turning public servants into property moguls.
 
I know most Commonwealth departments require you to seek approval for external employment - not sure if this fits this idea fits that criteria though.

This gives me an idea to go on! I could present my case to HR. If other people are allowed external employment outside of office hours then surely if I carry out this activity during my lunch hour this should be classified as *external* employment as I am partaking in this business during my own free time external to the governments time. I need to read up on this so I can put my case forward.
 
Gee, I've got over 2,500 people in my office. All on one level. You could make a good quid with your idea there.
If you can get your HR people to agree, it could be a winner.
 
You might get a few people whinging about how you're making money whilst at work....they'll likely be kicking themselves for not coming up with the idea themselves.

Tell them it's for a good cause, the APK IP fund - turning public servants into property moguls.


lol love it..... the APK IP fund. :D
 
Gee, I've got over 2,500 people in my office. All on one level. You could make a good quid with your idea there.
If you can get your HR people to agree, it could be a winner.

Wow a lot of positive responses so far!! Really Rob. Ya really think so mate?? :)

:D

Cool

lol you have 2,500. You'd never run outa people to sell too. lmao

Well yeah it is worth presenting my case to HR. If they say yes I could then give it a shot. See how it goes. The good thing about this business venture would be minimal starting capital outlay. Minimal ongoing costs.

I would have to pay for:

Plastic bags
Nuts Dried fruits (would buy in bulk)
 
You could pitch it in a way that your "concerned" for the well-being of your colleagues as the only snack food they have access to are high in sugar and fat :)
 
I've thought about a similar thing, so I'm very supportive of your plan.
In my workplace, every second desk has boxes of chocolates for some fundraiser or other.
Good luck with it and keeps in the loop with progress. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.
 
You could pitch it in a way that your "concerned" for the well-being of your colleagues as the only snack food they have access to are high in sugar and fat :)

Great idea!! They employ Tr.ench health and fitness to run exercise classes such as boxing at lunch time and after hours. They also take peoples blood pressure and blood tests etc. "A healthy body.. a healthy fit mind" I'm no corporation but..... maybe they'll go for it. :)
 
I suspect you would find yourself falling foul of a number of regulations. These include:

The APS Code Of Conduct contained in the Public Service Act, which requires you to not gain any benefit except for your remuneration for your work as a public servant. Selling in your own workplace for personal gain - as opposed to selling out of hours and off the premises, which is permitted with employer consent under most APS collective agreements, or selling for community purposes - is pushing the boundaries IMO. Any attempt to passively or actively make it look like fundraising, if discovered, could be treated as a breach as well (benefit by deception). The penalties for a code of conduct complaint vary from demotion, to fines under the Public Service Act, to dismissal. Demotion or dismissal could also compromise the calculations used in your superannuation benefit if you were under one of the older, better schemes.

Possibly, you (or rather your employer) would also fall foul of the Financial Management Act (FMA) and Commonwealth Procurement Guidelines (CPGs), which would probably require any service of this kind (eg, vending machines, to which your suggestion could be equated) to be offered on a merit basis to market. If the workplace sees a need for this, they should be inviting tenders or expressions of interest and assessing them on competitive criteria. It may sound like it's meant to stifle you, but actually, these frameworks are designed to avoid any suggestion of preferential treatment or cronyism and ensure the value-for-money proposition. It's why small-to-medium enterprise can now sell to government - they used to be locked out by the big players.

In addition, by buying in bulk and re-packaging you would be subjecting yourself to any legislation around food handling, and also potentially to liability for nut allergies. I have no idea if you could get public liability insurance for this.

All in all I don't think it's a good idea. However, if you want to persist, I would talk to (1) your Property & Services people (they may have an exclusivity clause in their contract with the vending machine providers that means they actually can't allow anyone else to sell for profit onsite), (2) Contracts & Procurement (to make sure it would be allowed to just let you do this without a contract and a competitive process under the FMA), (3) HR to discuss whether this would fall foul of the APS Code of Conduct or APS Values, and then (4) bring your boss into the discussion for written permission to work part time, and present him/her with your evidence that he/she would not be legally exposed by you doing so in this way.

Personally, I think you'd be better just starting a vending machine business away from your work.
 
I've thought about a similar thing, so I'm very supportive of your plan.
In my workplace, every second desk has boxes of chocolates for some fundraiser or other.
Good luck with it and keeps in the loop with progress. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.

The last year has been agony for me. The box of yummys are right near my desk. I decided not to eat from it at all. Its all or nothing for me. So addictive. I ended up sticking a big red asterisk to the sides of the box to remind me not to go there!! So easy to gain weight in this place.

Thanks will do! If it does well and once the word is out. People might even come to me. We have a front counter where people pick up their mail during the day. I'm always serving the front counter. Could work very nicely.

" Yes I have come to collect my mail" Can i also please have 2 bags of nuts" haha. Could be lucrative
 
I suspect you would find yourself falling foul of a number of regulations. These include:

The APS Code Of Conduct.........



Possibly, you (or rather your employer) would also fall foul of the Financial Management Act (FMA) and Commonwealth Procurement Guidelines (CPGs),



In addition, by buying in bulk and re-packaging you would be subjecting yourself to any legislation around food handling, and also potentially to liability for nut allergies. I have no idea if you could get public liability insurance for this.


All in all I don't think it's a good idea. However, if you want to persist, I would talk to (1) your Property & Services people (they may have an exclusivity clause in their contract with the vending machine providers that means they actually can't allow anyone else to sell for profit onsite), (2) Contracts & Procurement (to make sure it would be allowed to just let you do this without a contract and a competitive process under the FMA), (3) HR to discuss whether this would fall foul of the APS Code of Conduct or APS Values, and then (4) bring your boss into the discussion for written permission to work part time, and present him/her with your evidence that he/she would not be legally exposed by you doing so in this way.


Thanks for all this information. I appreciate it.

I'm curious... can I ask what your occupation is? You seem to be very knowledgable on this.

Seems there are some obstacles, hurdles to jump, things to consider!

I will still give it a go though. I will need to do some research before jumping in. I need to know what I'm up against first off.

thanks again.
 
One of the guys at our dept. Started stocking the section fridge
with cans of soft drink. It has become such a money earner
that he has to restock every day, about 4-5 cartons worth.
During summer he stocks the freezer with ice creams and one
buy lasts a week. That is about 50 icecreams. Not sure what
happens with the coin but I know he brought a nice
coffee machine and and has expanded to also selling coffee.
 
Thanks for all this information. I appreciate it.

I'm curious... can I ask what your occupation is? You seem to be very knowledgable on this.

You caught me...I'm a EL-level governance and project manager in the APS. ;)

Seems there are some obstacles, hurdles to jump, things to consider!

I will still give it a go though. I will need to do some research before jumping in. I need to know what I'm up against first off.

thanks again.

Most welcome. And you certainly won't do yourself any harm by trying. You may even be lucky enough to have people all along the way willing to try to make it happen rather than try to throw up roadblocks. But you need to know what those are. At the end of the day, if someone lets you and then it goes to hell, it's back on them - that's what they're usually really afraid of. Especially with the FMA and Code of Conduct (and also the Privacy Act, although that's not an issue here), which can come back on a person in terms of pay, fines, or civil liability.

Good luck!
 
One of the guys at our dept. Started stocking the section fridge
with cans of soft drink. It has become such a money earner
that he has to restock every day, about 4-5 cartons worth.
During summer he stocks the freezer with ice creams and one
buy lasts a week. That is about 50 icecreams. Not sure what
happens with the coin but I know he brought a nice
coffee machine and and has expanded to also selling coffee.

Is this the public service? Did he need permission to sell?

We have a fridge too but the social club use it to sell drinks. They also bought a coffee machine and are making money out of that too.
 
You caught me...I'm a EL-level governance and project manager in the APS. ;)


Most welcome. And you certainly won't do yourself any harm by trying. You may even be lucky enough to have people all along the way willing to try to make it happen rather than try to throw up roadblocks. But you need to know what those are. At the end of the day, if someone lets you and then it goes to hell, it's back on them - that's what they're usually really afraid of. Especially with the FMA and Code of Conduct (and also the Privacy Act, although that's not an issue here), which can come back on a person in terms of pay, fines, or civil liability.

Good luck!

thanks :)

Cool this info is invaluable. Thanks again! :)

Yeah you never know unless you give it a go hey... Positivity!

I'll read the policies of my govt dept. Not sure what kind of info I can find but it will be a start.

)
 
Yeah i am an enterprising/driven person. Always after a challenge. Love to problems solve. I have to watch my stress levels though so as to stay healthy. Its a fine balancing act for me. I'm happy to be in the job i am doing. Turned down the team leader job (just too much pressure) im 2 ic :) I enjoy teaching the new team leader and because there is a high turnover rate in my team I enjoy teaching the new staff. I learn a lot too from doing this. I also enjoy the interaction and customer service. Love the hours. Not long hours :)

Maybe your time should be spent solving problems that benefit your employer since they are paying you.
So driven & enterprising that your turned down a promotion cause you can't handle the pressure :confused:
Enjoy your taxpayer funded holiday.
 
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