New year, new goals. New visions, new plans. New shoes, new hair. You know how it goes.
So my vision board has started to slowly come to fruition and i’m super excited to see what’s going to play out in the new year! Here it is, let’s go over it:
Weddings – ehh, we’ll get there, not a high priority.
Priorities – GOD FIRST always has worked out beautifully so far! I can’t wait to see what else He has in store!
Self-Sustaining – Primary Goal for 2018!!! By year’s end, I want to be baking from home full-time. No longer an employee, but on my way to employer! I’m going to need all of y’all’s help to do that, so gird up! We’re going for a ride…
Stay Busy – to make #3 happen, this is a given. I have to have enough orders (regular and occasional) to make the proper income. Which means baking baking and baking some more.
Small Business of the Year – A girl can dream, right?
Farmers’ Markets – Part of #3 and #4 is doing at least 4 markets a week. I’m going to offer wedges of both Red and Pink flavors, 3 of each, varying flavors weekly. To do this is to take a GIANT leap of faith because i’d have to quit my job… But I see it happening!
Weekly Orders – Check! Both Linden Public and Callaloo have been great at ordering weekly. Swing by both often so they’ll order more.
Bigger Kitchen – My hubby and i have set February as our move month. Priority #1 is a bigger kitchen (aka bigger tax write-off), #2-10 are for everything else.
Multi-layer cakes – Check! Ready to do more when you are!
Party Platters – Check! They are some work, but worth it in the end!
Menu Item – Almost there! I have a restaurant in my sites that could be the perfect conduit to being on a plate. Pray on it!
1000 Followers – You know, it sounds good, looks good, but if you’ve got 1000 followers but only 20 of them are clients, how profitable is that following? Think on it.
More Equipment – Check!! I’ve got new pans, new gadgets, more liquor, a ton of packaging supplies, a cabinet full of mixes… I’m on my way!
Super Sexy Baking Lady – well… we already know. ;o)
Now, part and parcel to satisfying #3 is pricing. I know i touched on this last blog, but here’s the deal. If i want to be taken seriously as a professional baker and bring in the income that i need to be self-sustaining, i have to value my work more seriously. I need to pay myself better and cover my costs more effectively. By selling a cake for $25 — which i thought was outrageous when i first started — i’m only paying for half of my labor. At minimum wage. Which i haven’t worked for in 25+ years. Starting now, i’m going up to $35. That is still way lower than it needs to be, but i’m not trying to shell shock my loyal clients. By late summer, i should be in the area of $50. By then, i will have built the reputation and following to command that.
But here’s the thing, i don’t want to go higher than that. I need to, but i don’t want to… I want to stay affordable. I want to stay accessible. I want mom of 3, working from home and volunteering on weekends to be able to buy a Girl’s Night Out cake whenever she wants to. I want newlywed husband who just started his career to be able to buy his wife a double tier cake for her birthday. I want college kids that just aced their finals to be able to get 3 cakes for their summer bash. I want celebrities to blow up my phone because they can get two of my cakes for the price of one of my competition’s. If i priced my cakes higher, i feel none of that would happen. I am the champion of the working poor who deserve to have good things too. I am the Queen of Value + Quality. I want everyone to be able to enjoy Red Shoe Cakes anytime they want. That’s not asking a lot, right? You saving money, me making money, everybody eating cake… It’s utopic, i say!
So let’s jump head first into this new year, shall we? Let’s see what delicious turns are headed our way!
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