We were lucky to catch up with Amanda Boutain recently and have shared our conversation below.

Amanda, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How do you think about cost-management? Growing a business is always exciting, but often businesses run into issues when costs grow faster than revenue – have you experienced such an episode? Any advice for other operators around how to keep costs in line?

In a time where we are experiencing inflation around every corner it definitely is a struggle for small business owners. Those of us in the baking industry are heavily effected by the rising costs of dairy and eggs especially, but even ingredients as simple as sugar and flour have continued to go up. Personally, I have had to raise my prices and just hope that customers will continue to see the value in my product. I am not one to lessen the quality of a product just to save a buck, so as these prices increase we are taking it one day at a time and appreciate how understanding our clients have been.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

First and foremost I am a wife and mama of 3 and that is my favorite “job” in the world! I have been baking for friends and family as early as I can remember: high school baked sales, handing out cupcakes in college classrooms, etc. Five years ago I felt a big nudge to get my Cottage Food License that would allow me to bake and sell out of my home while also being a stay-at-home mom to 3 under 3. That was almost five years ago now and when I look back on it I think “how in the world did I do that?” haha. I still bake out of my home creating custom cakes and gourmet cupcakes for any occasion. I love to be unique with my designs and especially enjoy making buttercream flowers and succulents! My kids sure enjoy seeing the creations made in our kitchen and are always asking “can I have that cake for my birthday too?” It’s so fun to have their encouragement. My husband also helps me in the kitchen with buttercream, cake batter, and also the never-ending dishes! It’s a team effort for sure.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

My clients have always been active on my social media pages, that is where I first started taking orders from. Facebook was a huge outlet starting out! I just posted the creations I made and as they got ordered more word spread and it just kept growing. I’ve thankfully never had to pay for advertising. I love hearing “I’ve heard so much about you from so-and-so!” or “I’ve always wanted to try your cupcakes!” It means so much when people share with their friend and family that they love my products. Many of my orders are repeat clients, each year they look forward to another birthday cake from me and it warms my heart, I truly wouldn’t be in business without them!

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

Honestly, just be yourself! There are already so many other people out there doing things the way that fit them best, and you have something unique to bring to the table. When you are being yourself, the right people will follow you. If you are proud of your work – post it! Don’t worry about how many likes it gets. The right audience will find you. My advice is don’t focus on the numbers, I know that might sound silly when trying to grow a business. Authenticity is attractive! Just continue to do what you love and the rest will follow.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.littlecakescupcakery.com
• Instagram: @littlecakescupcakery
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/littlecakescupcakery

Image Credits
Super Cooper Media and Colorful Edge Photography