Yes a bit common on the intro but hey, I am mentally worn out today...LOL!
Join me in my journey through my life as a cake artist. Orders are non existant right now as I am in a reorganization mode from being a licensed caker who used a rental kitchen and my website as my storefront to being a home baker.
The law in Texas will change effectively September 1, 2011, and it will then be legal for anyone to sell bake goods, jams, jellies, and/or dry spice mixes that are made in their home kitchen. Come with me as I learn what impact this will have on my cake businesses: Cakes Divine and Cupcakes Divine.
I know I will still have the issue of not having a brick and mortar storefront that folks can just walk into and purchase something. Every new potential client always asks if they can just swing by and have a free sample. Every custom shop I know of is also run on an appointment only basis, we aren't a grocery store, nor are we Walmart or Costco, so why they would think they could just walk in and get free cake is beyond me. So how do I get around this? I host a free sampling event each month at my dance studio. We decorate the room and I set up a lavish display. I book several consults/tastings on those days and only bake what I need to feed that day. Brides must RSVP for the event. If no one RSVPs then I don't hold the event. If a bride wants a more personal tasting then I charge a fee, they get to choose 4 cake flavors, and if they book I deduct the $40 fee from their order, thus making the sampling free.
I am hoping that I will increase my sales. I don't plan on lowering my price point because my product is great if I do say so myself, but there are plenty of clients that will agree with me. All I know is that from January 31, 2011, when my license expired I have had to turn away around $15000 worth of business. Talk about a financial OUCH! And I lost my day job back in March so that money would have been such a great help for us, but alas, it was not to be.
My life has been like a soap opera since January. I originally wanted this blog to document my journey of opening Cupcakes Divine: A Cupcake Bar. Everything was falling perfectly in place then just before it could become a reality, everything crashed and burned. I have been in an emotional and financial slump ever since. I am hoping this new law will be a blessing so I can start making cakes again.
Stick around, come back often to see how things are progressing. :)
No comments:
Post a Comment