Fun fact about me: I LOVE FALL! Gimmie all the fall things: pumpkin, apple, spice- you name it! As the air turns crisp and leaves begin to fall, it's a signal from the universe that it’s time to infuse some seasonal magic into your cake business. So what are some amazing ways to guarantee success in your cake business? Let's discuss how you can attract more customers and make your bakery a MUST-ORDER from this season!

1. Harness the Power of Fall Flavors

Fall is synonymous with comforting flavors - pumpkin spice, apple cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. These are the tastes that remind us of cozy nights spent with loved ones, chunky sweaters, PSLs, and all the fall activities. So why not bring these flavors into a seasonal menu? Try out new recipes featuring these ingredients and create a dedicated "Fall Flavors" menu. Introducing a new flavor each week can keep your customers intrigued, engaged, and eager for more. While classics like pumpkin pie always hit the spot, don't...

YAY! You did it! You started your very own cake business! Starting a business takes a lot of guts and hard work, and you deserve to clap for yourself. However, running a business also comes with its own unique challenges, particularly when it comes to dealing with customers. As a bakery owner, you’re most likely dealing with customers who have specific orders, and it’s easy to blur the lines between being helpful and accommodating and allowing people to take advantage of you. In this blog post, I’ll offer some tips on how to set clear boundaries with your customers to ensure your business runs smoothly and remains profitable! 

Let’s dive in!

Tip #1- Be Clear from the Start

One of the most important things you can do is to set expectations from the start. Make sure that customers understand your policies, such as your payment terms, delivery and pick-up times, and any other rules that you have around cancellations or refunds. This can be done through...

I don’t know about you but I LOVE back to school season! There’s something about the change in the weather, the change in routine, and the start of new beginnings that feels magical. I don’t know what specifically it is (maybe it’s the cozy sweaters and PUMPKIN everything) but I feel it. And maybe you do too?

But with the new change also comes realizations and sometimes feelings of exhaustion and overwhelm.

You may have been HUSTLING 24/7, in the middle of grind season the last 8 months and now you’ve finally hit your breaking point. You’ve fallen off the hamster wheel and now you’re struggling to get back up. You’re TIRED AF!

If this sounds like you, I’ve got a diagnosis for you sis, and you may not like what you’re gonna hear…

You’re BURNT OUT.

Burnout is a state of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion caused by prolonged and overwhelming stress. It can make you feel drained, unmotivated, and unable to...

Listen… SALES SUCK! Let’s not sugarcoat it.

I’m pretty sure that every single person I’ve ever talked to about their business HATES TO SELL. Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could just pour our heart and soul into something and have that same love reciprocated in sales?

If that were the case, EVERYONE would be an entrepreneur.

Although sales suck and no one wants to feel like a slimy car sales guy on Black Friday, it’s a part of running a business.

And if you want to be successful in this business you have to learn how to sell!

So you may be thinking, “I know Janelle, but I’m just not good at it,” OR “I hate selling to people. I’m an introvert and I don’t know what to say,” Lucky for you I’m gonna let you in on a little tip that I learned when I was working in corporate America that I adopted in my cake business that helped ease the pain of selling.

STOP SELLING. START DATING.

Wait what????

I want you...

With the holiday season upon us, it’s time to start thinking in BIG WAYS for the holiday season!

The holiday season is a crucial time for small business owners! I’m talking about the MAKE or BREAK season! So I’m gonna share PROVEN strategies to help you boost your sales and MAKE THE MOST out of this holiday season

Make sure to read all the way through because I have a FUN little announcement at the end! Ready? Let’s dive in!

1. Understand your audience

You can’t SELL MORE if you don’t even know WHO you’re selling to! You feel me?? It’s like trying to sell lip balm to someone who has no lips. Understanding your key clientele's needs and preferences is the key to having a successful holiday. So, how do you figure out WHO you should be selling to? Think about your business and the demographic you want to serve but also the people you are accessible to. In my bakery, we were in the middle of a TON of schools and family-based communities....

NEWSFLASH friend  whenever you start a business, MONEY is REQUIRED.

#sorrynot sorry

BUT… keep reading to learn how you can do it with limited funds! Because YES, it’s possible!

First thing first- you need a BUSINESS PLAN!

WHY? There are a few reasons:

1. Accountability: This will help stay on track with your goals, and keep your eyes on the prize! You feel me? Inside this business plan you’re gonna lay out some key metrics: How will you attract customers, how will you sell to your customers, and how will your business generate PROFITABILITY? These are the foundational principles your business will be built on.

2. Forecasting: This is where your DATA is gonna come into play. Forecasting is about estimating and projecting sales and setting goals for your business. You’re going to refer to this OFTEN.

3. FUNDING: Which you will most likely need somewhere down the line. Anytime you are seeking out funding from a bank, or investor, they’re going to...

This deserves to be said in all caps: YOU NEED TO REALIZE THERE’S MORE TO RUNNING A “PROFITABLE” BUSINESS THAN ADDING UP THE COST OF YOUR INGREDIENTS AND YOUR TIME.

First, lemme just say, PROFIT is not the same as paying yourself! You should be incorporating your RATE (the $ you are paying yourself per hr) into your overall pricing strategy.

Some of you think you’re doing BIG THANGS with your pricing. The problem is you’re using the WRONG formula! It looks like this…

Cost of your Ingredients + Supply Costs + Hourly Rate = Overall price

Following this advice makes you a NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION.

Costs + Labor Costs (YOUR SALARY)+ DESIRED PROFIT (aka what is used to RE-INVEST in the business) = “A FOR PROFIT” BUSINESS.

Profit is used to help FUND and GROW your business, not pay yourself. It’s an INVESTMENT tool.

Your desired profit should pay for things like:

• upgrading or purchasing new tools/equipment
• more supplies
• ...

In case you didn’t know this about me, I’ve been a business coach for bakers and small business owners for almost 6 years now, and after my running multiple businesses for over a decade and mentoring thousands of small business owners, I’ve seen so many of them make the same mistakes in their businesses. So, today I wanna share the 5 mistakes you may be making in your baking business so you can AVOID the challenges and hassles and jump ahead of your competition.

You have NO processes in place!

I’m not joking when I say processes & systems will literally SAVE YOUR LIFE. Having a process for everything allows your business to run smoothly and efficiently PLUS creates more time in your schedule to do things you love to do. So, you may be wondering, “What are processes?” Well, processes are standard operating procedures. You know when you had your first job and you had to clock in every day- that’s the most basic process you can have. In a...

Recently, I went to the Barbie movie and in case you haven’t seen it yet, I’m gonna do my best to avoid spoilers, but you MUST see this movie if you’re a woman. You’ve probably seen people on TikTok post that they signed up to go see a movie that was light-hearted, that would maybe make them laugh but the truth is BARBIE is that but it’s also so much more.

It’s a story of womanhood and the journey of being a woman. In childhood, we’re safe, naive, full of imagination, and everything is perfect. But as we grow, we’re faced with reality- that the world is scary, and there’s pain, loss, and unexpected challenges. Yet, as women, we are held to an unrealistic standard.

If you’re reading this on August 1st, today is GIRLFRIENDS DAY…

And I can’t stress enough HOW IMPORTANT collaborative, supportive, relationships are when you’re an entrepreneur, but especially as a woman.

WOMEN: We’re...

As a business coach the NUMBER ONE thing I get asked the most is, “What’s your advice? I’ve been sitting on this idea. I wanna start a business.”

So in this blog, I wanna share exactly what I would do if I were starting a business in 2023 and the five things that are holding you back that I think could set you up for success. Let’s gets into it!

1) You need an EXCEPTIONAL product

Most industries are saturated in 2023! And this may trigger you, but if you’re thinking of starting a cupcake business- that’s not an exceptional product anymore. I had a bakery for 13 years when cupcakes and fondant cakes were a HUGE DEAL! (Think back to when Cupcake Wars and Cake Boss were on T.V.) Today, there are so many more exceptional products that you could build a business around. So many people are saying, we’re in a recession, and consumers are being a little cheaper with birthday parties but this has been happening for a while. Today, people want...