Starting a cottage food business is exciting — but managing orders through Instagram DMs, Facebook messages, and handwritten notes can quickly become overwhelming. SMS ordering offers a simpler, more reliable channel that works for every buyer, regardless of what social platform they use.

With Ringmule, you get a dedicated Twilio number that your buyers text to place orders. Each incoming message is parsed by Claude AI, which extracts the item, quantity, pickup date, and any special notes — turning a casual text like "2 dozen chocolate chip cookies for Saturday" into a structured order on your dashboard. You don't need to manually re-type anything.

Getting started takes about five minutes. After logging in, you'll set your Ringmule handle and your state. Your handle becomes your public order link (ringmule.app/order/yourhandle), which you can share as a QR code at farmers markets or on your social bio. Buyers scan the code, get your number, and can start texting immediately.

The most important thing to do on day one is customize your welcome message — the auto-reply buyers receive when they first text you. Keep it friendly and include what you sell, your typical pickup days, and a note that they can text STOP at any time to opt out. A warm welcome message sets the right tone and reduces the "is this a real person?" confusion that can happen with automated responses.