We recently connected with Erica Choice and have shared our conversation below.

Erica, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Folks often look at a successful business and imagine it was an overnight success, but from what we’ve seen this is often far from the truth. We’d love to hear your scaling up story – walk us through how you grew over time – what were some of the big things you had to do to grow and what was that scaling up journey like?

Well making basic buttercream cakes wasn’t enough I wanted them to look a certain way, better lol. So to scale up in this industry I started to look on YouTube for tutorials to decorate cakes then on social media. So my Husband actually made me a FB page and started posting my work on his IG page, that’s when I started to get a lot of business. I was getting better so quickly, I was socking myself and couldn’t believe the progress I was making. While on social I noticed there is a whole Cake community. I found people teaching classes so that was the next thing I started doing. All while having a newborn. And still working my corporate job. So there were plenty of sleepless nights. So I just keep practicing and practicing and taking classes doing research. Word of mouth was it and my Husband telling everyone he came across about it because I was nervous taking to people in the beginning and eventually the business grew.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Erica a cake artist, not just a baker. Owner of Cakes by Choice as Choice is my last name. I wanted the business name to be simple but I didn’t want to use Erica so my last name was perfect. As a young kid I was always into art and drawing.

I worked at Walmart in the deli department and I would get asked to write in cakes and I actually was good at it. They eventually asked did I want to work with them and I transferred to the bakery. I then started helping a coworker bake her cakes & cupcakes because she noticed I had interest in decorating. She actually taught me to bake this was in 2007.
I learned the Walmart way of decorating mainly icing cakes and simple buttercream decorations.
Once I left that job I would bake here and there for family. Then one day at a different job in September 2015 I end up making a cake for a friend and that woke up a spark in baking again. I started selling cake slices at work. Eventually people started asking me to make cakes for them. That’s when I started trying my hand again at decorating them and selling basic buttercream cakes.

Now in 2022 I’m still growing and perfecting my business. I’m so proud of myself for still doing it because it’s not always easy. Because you are the boss there’s no one to hold you accountable you are the team so you have to have discipline yourself to keep it going. I have been doing it full time for 5 years now.

So Cakes by Choice. I offer cakes for most occasions. I work with doing just buttercream cakes also fondant & 3D cakes. I also offer wedding cakes cupcakes and some treats.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

How I built the business on social media. Is posting every day if possible either my work or a post introducing myself once in a while for the new followers to keep them interested.

It’s best to have photos and videos with good lighting and captions that explains it and how they can get it or get more information about it.
Also now with instagram changing constantly it’s best to keep up with that and not get comfortable just posting pictures. Now they are focusing on videos/reels so you just have to keep up.
People love a good behind the scenes like a clip of how you did it. But keep it short lol

If posting yourself on your page, if not professional pictures at least nice clean ones. But being personable in your stories I think is good.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy to grow my Clientele is being professional no matter the situation and building a relationship with them. Because you want them to return and refer you to their friends and family. Communicating and being professional so sometimes it’s your fault sometimes it’s there’s or it could just be miscommunication. Either way keep it professional. Treat them how you want to be treated. That’s what I do.

Also I stride to provide good customer service/products, give your best at all times. If you get overwhelmed which happens and is normal that’s when I take a break step back and get back at it. Sometimes we have to just reset.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.Cakesbychoice.Com
• Instagram: Instagram.Com/cakesbychoice
• Facebook: Facebook.com/cakesbychoice
• Youtube: Cakes By Choice