Meet the Merchant: Heavenly Sweet Tastes

Diana Kramer knows a thing or two about jams, jellies, pickles, and preserves. With the help of her daughter, Kramer is dishing out her jarred confections and generating local buzz with her canning business Heavenly Sweet Tastes, LLC, in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Kramer didn’t intend to start her own business when she began making jams and preserves, but when demand for her canned creations steadily increased, she turned a hobby into a burgeoning business.

“There were a bunch of friends and family that liked the jams so well,” recalls Kramer. “My daughter and I both looked at it as an experiment. We were online looking at water canning items, pressure cooking, and things of that nature, and we said, ‘Let’s try this.’ People that we gave samples to really, really enjoyed them.”

Soon, the orders started rolling in, and Kramer heeded the suggestion of a family member to start her own jarring business. “It was like, one, two, three, and we were starting a business,” says Kramer.

In 2022, Kramer started Heavenly Sweet Tastes, LLC, where she and her daughter dish out delicious, jarred jams, preserves, jellies, pickles, salsas, and more from their home. The duo now offers more than 30 jam flavors, including best sellers such as peach banana bourbon, Crown Royal peach, peach and pear, as well as pear and fig.

Word quickly spread around town about Heavenly Sweet Tastes, helping Kramer grow her clientele.

“People called us, we gave them flyers and business cards, and they called us back for things or placed an order,” says Kramer. “It wasn’t something that I planned on. It just started growing rapidly. So, I put a lot of financing into it.”

Taking care of business on the go

In response to the customer boom, Kramer expanded her business beyond the comforts of home and began selling her jarred creations at local craft shows and fairs in Cincinnati. She’s able to service her customers anywhere she goes, thanks to her Clover Go. With her mobile POS system, Kramer can offer her customers additional payment options. “Before, we weren’t taking cards, so now I’m hoping to see an increase in business,” says Kramer.

With Clover’s integrated business tracking software, Kramer has found managing her sales and business expenses digitally very easy.

“Last year I did the taxes, and I had a bunch of receipts. This year, I haven’t had to put any numbers down on paper,” she says.

Although Kramer is just getting started with her business ventures, she’s hopeful that she’ll be able to go full-time with her business in the future and is looking to partner with local eateries to sell more of her jarred delights.

“I’m hoping to grow this business so that I can quit working the part-time hours I’m working now. It’ll be well worth it in the long run.”