Let the Field Research begin! Finally, the chance to meet with Mike, the Bakery Owner friend of mine. What I learned was beyond my expectations. When I first arrived at his Bakery we talked about the basics...like how many cupcakes or pastries to make in advance...without wasting too much time and money on throw away food that wouldn't sell. I learned it's something you sort of figure out as you go depending on how much business you draw.
While his shop was much larger than anything I'd take on - his business acumen and hands-on experience proved incredibly insightful. Our conversation gave rise to many details that hadn't come to mind.
Sitting and talking with him proved highly valuable - as questions I hadn't event thought of were answered. As a successful entrepreneur he advised me against focusing solely on cupcakes. In fact, after showing him photos of some of my own Confectionary Creations, he convinced me I should re-consider perhaps focusing more on selling Cakes. Not only were they more profitable, but they were contracted which meant they were presold, guaranteed sales - i.e. no waste. I hadn't thought of this! I love this idea! After all, it was the creativity of cake decorating that sucked me in to baking in the first place
We talked for hours about my dream and he walked me through his entire facility. He reminded that Location was going to be the key to my success or failure. Because I wanted to combine the idea of a bakery with an Inn - the challenge would be to find a store-front location for the Bakery to lure in passersby while also being able to operate a B&B in a residential type atmosphere. His point was - the two don't really mix well together in terms of location. Most Inns are situated apart from the bustling 'Main Street' atmosphere required of a walk-in Bakery setting.
However, there are a few exceptions. In spots like Napa, California for example, there are streets that fit that mold. Single lane 'Main Streets' quaint enough to host a boutique Inn with enough foot traffic to attract Bakery sales. This was a pretty major revelation...as I hadn't considered the requirements of each business location-wise.
Mike had so much valuable information to impart that I'll need to share the rest in my next blog. But this research proved two things: First, you never know what you don't know...until you know it. Second, getting out there and doing the leg work is a very important step in educating myself on the Realities of my Dream. Bottom line: the more information I can get, the better.
Sweet Dreams,
Me
"The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one." - Mark Twain
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