Confessions of a Bakery Owner

Do you own your own business?

 

I do.

 

Let me tell ya, it's one stressful venture.
Like stressful to the point of new gray hairs sprouting hourly, frown lines developing quicker than a $13 bottle of Olay can keep up with, and blood pressure meds...

...lots and lots of meds...

Yep. It's a lot to take on.

 

For those of you that don't know, I own a bakery.

 

 

Yeah, it's pretty cute.

But its not easy keeping this little bake shop of mine afloat.  Early mornings, tight budgets and not being able to afford helpers make me feel very stressed and worn as thin as the saran wrap that I battle with on a daily basis.

 

Thank goodness for coffee.

And wine.

 

Don't get me wrong, I adore my bakery.  I love everything about it, and despite the struggle, I'm very proud of my accomplishments.  Every time a customer tells me how much they love the bakery and how much they love my baked goodies, well, my heart swells a little with pride...

 

...It could be from my high intake of late night sodium-rich stress eating, but still....

 

Money has always been tight at the bakery.  Bakery's alone are a tough business.  You have a small demographic of people looking specifically for pastries and other sweets, and I am also located in a small town, which naturally reduces my foot traffic substantially compared to those larger bakeries with a constant flow of people all day long.

 

There are weeks when I have to push off paying a bill, or I can't put out quite as much product that day because I have to make my ingredients stretch for a couple extra days of baking.  There have been many nights when I told my husband that I was just going to give up and close the doors.  I was so physically and emotionally exhausted and distraught over the fact that money was always so tight that I just didn't think it was worth the graying hair and lost time with my children.  But then, as usual, the next morning a customer would smile and tell me with such sincerity that they were so happy that the bakery was here.

 

Well now I feel bad...Guess I'm not closing this week.

 

So now it's been two years. 

 

Recently, I had the great idea to reduce my hours to 3 days a week in order to save on utilities at the bakery and to also have more time with my little girls.  Unfortunately, that was a bad move as far as business goes.  Sure, the days the bakery was open almost always sold out, as usual, but the accounts took such a dip as far as income goes, that I got myself into a terrible hole that I was having trouble getting out of.  I'm still working on digging myself out of that one, but it's moving along.

 

Word from the wise. Less hours = Less money

 

 Shocking revelation, I know.

 

After weeks of brainstorming, racking my brain, thinking, thinking, thinking, about how to get my business back on track and in the black...

 

...I think the black is good?... I dunno...

 

I came to a realization. An epiphany if you will...

 

Plain and Simple, I had gotten LAZY. 

 

I had thought that since I had loyal customers and yummy products, that everything would just sort of take care of itself...

 

Not true.

 

Sigh. Meryl Streep makes it look so easy!

 

I realized that if I wanted my business to prevail, possibly expand one day, and to actually give myself a paycheck, then I needed to get up earlier, work longer hours, and market my business better.  I needed to offer specials, Holiday deals, more products, punch cards, constant Facebook updates, and the list goes on.  If a customer would like it, I needed to offer it.

 

So, after nearly having a total breakdown and closing my bakery, I realized what I had to do.  At first, I was reluctant. What if all this extra work and money I had to put into this ended up being a big waste? What if what I was already experiencing, was in actuality, the best it was going to get? How much more business could I really expect to bring in from this small of a town? And what did I need to add or change to bring new business in?

 

Well, I drank and drank and drank thought and thought and thought, and here are the changes that I have decided on.

 

1. New Business Hours

The bakery will be back open Tuesday through Saturday, and with the exception of Saturdays, will stay open until 5pm so that after work customers have a little time to come in and score some goodies.

 

2. More Products

I almost ALWAYS sell out before noon every day.  I use to go by the "Once its sold out, it's gone" mentality. For the most part, I still will, but I will start out with twice as many goodies as I had before. 

 

3. New Offerings

Do you have specialty coffee?  Ahh, a question I am asked often, and every time I have to give the "I'm sorry" face and say "No, sorry. Just regular"  Well that's going to change as well.  As soon as I can afford it, I'm going to invest in an espresso machine and some good coffee equipment.

Starbucks won't have nothin' on Bittersweet...

 

...except for that measly net worth of $2,648,980,000...

 

Whatever.

 

4. Savory Options

Many customers have asked me to start selling lunch again.  I'm sorry, but it's just not my thing.  I have however, decided to offer a bakery version of lunch items.  What could such an item be you ask?  Savory Pastries, like Herb and Cheese Scones,  Savory Turnovers, Flatbreads, etc.  Basically, if its a traditional baked good, but the sweet ingredients and fruits can be switched out for delicate meats, cheeses and herbs, then stop on by. 

 

5. Punch Cards

If you're a regular, or are aspiring to become one, first of all, you are awesome, second, grab a punch card.

 Hey, after several purchases, it's a free goodie for you, and I love ordering marketing materials on Vistaprint, so it's a win-win for all of us.

 

6. An Official Logo

I never really had a formal logo made when I first opened.  I just kind of described a look I was going for and I ended up with a cute, grandma's kitchen kind of look.  I love the look, but every time I try to print a new menu, or make a website or business cards, the look always changes a bit because I'm trying to match the previously used style or font to the best of my non-computer literate abilities. I've had two years to get a good feel for what I would like to have as a logo as well as what I think would fit well with the bakery's overall "feel".  I've got it in my head, now I just need to find a designer to type in some code and make it a reality.  No more mismatched fonts...

 

...it's time to get legit... too legit to quit.

 

You like that? It just came to me.

 

 

So there you have it folks. 

 

The new game plan. 

I love my little bakery too much to let it go. I'm doing this to prove to myself that I can do it, and that I have what it takes to keep a dream alive.  The fact that so many of you love the bakery makes me feel awesome, like I may actually have something here. Something that can thrive, grow, and be a local favorite.

 

Maybe I could be on Unique Sweets one day...

That would be righteous...

 

I want this little bakery to become a staple in this small town. 

I want people to miss it if they move away. 

I want children to request coming here for a treat. 

I want the older kids to tell their new college roommate that they would give anything for a cinnamon roll right now.

I want it to become a staple item on Christmas Morning kitchen tables.

I want it to be a warm memory from back home.

I want it to be a Saturday morning treat.

I want my children to be proud of their mom.

 

Know what I'm saying?

 

Do you have a place that makes you feel this way?

 

Everyone should have a place that makes them feel warm and cozy inside, and that's what I want Bittersweet Bakery to be. 

 

So if you are already a loyal customer, thank you.

 

You are what keeps this place going.

 

Well, you and coffee.

 

 

:) Ashley