My goal in life has always been to find something that I was passionate about and would leave me exhausted from hard work at the end of the day. On family vacations, my brother and I would lie on the beach and think up new business ideas; then we’d come home and actually try to implement them. I didn’t realize at the time, but all that dreaming would come in handy. In 2008 I was working as an assistant media planner. I certainly wasn’t passionate about my job, and I guess it was clear to the people at the company because – I was fired. On that day, I called my brother, and he told me, “Don’t worry, it’s the best thing that could ever happen to you.”
He was right. “Go home and bake your cupcakes; we’ll start a business out of it” is what he told me. I ran to the supermarket, looking for flavor inspiration. That’s when I thought up s’mores, cookie dough, and peanut butter cup cupcakes — three of my favorite things in the world. These went along with the flavor I famously had been making for all my family and friends — tie-dye.
Following a serendipitous series of events, I got a tasting with a well-known NYC caterer. We needed a name and a logo, and my brother insisted that it have a personal touch. We settled on Baked by Melissa. My friend Matt was twiddling around on his computer; within minutes he turned his monitor around and asked, “What do you think of this?” It was the exact same logo that we have today.
I went to that meeting with the NYC caterer with boxes that I got from the deli across the street from my apartment, our new logo printed on a piece of paper that we glued on top of the box. Inside were my cupcakes, which I decided to make mini without paper, so the aesthetic was just like they are to this day – simply designed with a little touch of the stuffing on top. The caterer loved them and from there, everything was a whirlwind. We created a website, baked cupcakes for events and holiday markets in the city, started selling at a pop-up, and then launched our first retail location – a pickup window in Soho. It is amazing how our business has continued to grow and I definitely recommend starting a business because it was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. Now it is easier than ever to start a business with websites that help you to create your business and give you support. People often forget about all the elements of creating a business and at the beginning, I was a jumble, but when we set up this location it was important to use an official registered office address service through places like Your Company Formations. The information is always out there you just have to look for it.
Baked by Melissa has always been a group vision. In those early days, I had an amazing team of friends (old and new), plus my brilliant brother, parents, and now husband! You can’t do something like this alone: you have to recognize what you’re great at and surround yourself with people who have the strengths that you don’t. That’s exactly what we did, and that is what we do today. Now we have 14 locations and ship our baked goods nationwide. It’s been a magical ride, and there is so much more to come. I feel so fortunate to wake up each day and make life sweeter for people everywhere.
I’m surprised at just how far my business has come in just a short space of time and this is only the beginning. There are so many things that I want to achieve to keep my dream alive. One of my friends told me that, in order to keep achieving my dreams, I need to step up my marketing. She said that I need more clients and business. Apparently, using SEO companies like OutreachPete can be useful for this. By using link building techniques, SEO companies are able to increase your Google rankings, helping your page to rank higher. This helps more people become aware of your website, encouraging them to visit your page and learn more about your company. My friend said that technique might be good for my business, so I’ll keep it in mind. Hopefully one day I will be able to have some of my own employees who will be able to help me keep up with our increasing workload and then I can reward them by deciding to use a payroll company that can help me to easily manage their wages, as well as any vacation time that they need. Because of this, they will be able to work hard in helping me to make my business successful. That is the dream, but it is important that I focus on my business and how it is now.
Running your own business is not without its challenges though! For example, in the catering industry, it is so important to stay on top of your utility bills as these can soon spiral out of control. Utility Bidder is a great resource for businesses looking to switch energy providers as you can use their website to compare different suppliers and ensure you are getting the best price. Ultimately, it is all about finding unique ways to save money where you can.
Click here to shop Baked By Melissa.