We recently connected with Natalie Dears and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Natalie , thanks for joining us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea
Before moving to Michigan, we lived in a northern suburb of Chicago. I had the idea to start baking and decorating cakes for family and friends, and I was delighted to hear all of the positive comments about them! I started out with simple buttercream cakes and then began to research and understand this world of fondant. I think of fondant as an edible play-doh, soft and moldable for a while before it hardens and secures its position. While buttercream cakes can look amazing, fondant is actually what makes the clean lines and the “wow” factor. I figured that if I ever made this into a business, I would need to prioritize how to use fondant in a variety of ways. After a few years of dabbling in being a cake artist, I researched what it would take to establish my own small business. Unfortunately, at the time, Illinois did not have Cottage Food Laws so my only chance would be to run my business through a commercial kitchen, which was unrealistic for my family at the time with two young children. However, once my husband and I made the decision to move to Michigan, my juices were flowing and I could not wait to establish my LLC in Michigan and understand all of the Cottage Food Laws in Michigan as well. In September 2022, I officially became the owner of Dancin’ Sweets LLC in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area and business has been great! The orders are flying in on a consistent basis, and I feel blessed to make custom cakes and cupcakes for people in the area!
Natalie , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
As a child, I have always had a creative mindset, dancing on a national level, sketching figurines, and baking with my mom in the kitchen. At the same time, my passion for math and science continued to magnify, ultimately inspiring me to graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. Post-college, I continued my Engineering Career in the medical field for 5 years until our first son was born. Stepping out of the corporate world and into motherhood, it may have changed my daily responsibilities, but my ongoing passions were still present in my mind. I started to bake and decorate cakes for family and friends to keep my creative spirit provoked, and I was delighted to hear all of the positive comments about them! Starting out with simple buttercream cakes, I then started to research and learn how to work with fondant and then added them to my cakes and cupcake toppers. After a few years, I was highly motivated to bring my creativity and science background together and establish my own custom cake, cupcake and cookie business! Baking is a true science, and when merging that with my love for artistic designs, it became clear that this needs to be my next adventure. In September 2022, I officially became the owner of Dancin’ Sweets LLC in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area!
All of my cakes, cupcakes and cookies are fully customizable. Each customer can provide me a picture of their desired design or sometimes I receive free reign to create a special design for them! I have several regular cake and cupcake recipes but also allergy friendly options too so I can meet the needs of customers who are gluten free, dairy free, tree nut free, peanut free, egg free and vegan. I learned quickly that it is essential to have allergy friendly recipe options, as I understand not as many other bakeries provide this in the area.
One of the main ideas that set me apart from my other competitors is my detailed fondant work. From meticulous 3D sculptures to hand-painted 2D designs, my fondant work stands out on my cakes, cupcakes and cookies. I work with fondant almost on a daily basis, figuring out new ways to continue to improve my work. It always brings me such great joy to see their ecstatic faces when the customer sees their cake or set of cupcakes or cookies for the first time.
Another priority in my business is fast and honest communication with all customers. I have had several customers comment how much they appreciate me getting back to them quickly initially and with their quotes as well. I strive to have a 24 turn around time for all customer quotes. Customers also enjoy how thorough my quotes are and that I listen to them in what they want. My quote details exactly what the cake will look like so we are both on the same page. It is so exciting to see how thrilled my customers get, and I truly have the best clientele in the Grand Rapids area!
When starting Dancin’ Sweets LLC, I felt as if I took a leap of faith not knowing how it would progress. Now, just over a year later, I can honestly say that I am humbled and elated that my customers gave me a chance to make their event special with one of my custom treats! I feel so blessed that Dancin’ Sweets LLC is gaining significant traction, and I am eager to see if at some point we may need to scale up!
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
Social media has been a game changer for me. Considering we are in such a digital age right now, engaging in Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest posts and reels have helped me attract almost all of my customers! The main challenge I had was truly starting from ground zero, since 90% of my social media friends were from Chicago, not the Grand Rapids Area. I joined several Grand Rapids groups on social media, and thankfully there are always posts about birthdays or any special events inquiries. Those are the chances I take to comment about Dancin’ Sweets LLC, include images of my recent work, and see if they have any interest. Many times customers even reach out then because they simply saw a post I commented on, not necessarily that they were the ones who originally wrote the inquiry.
Once an order has been confirmed and they pick up their custom treat, several of my customers will then provide an amazing review once I post their product on social media. They elaborate on how much they love their custom treat and that they enjoyed their overall experience with Dancin’ Sweets LLC. Other interested people will see their recommendation, and then they reach out for their own order inquiry! It’s a wonderful domino effect. I even have people tell me that they cannot wait for me to make them a cake so that they can see the picture on my social media page! If you use it correctly, social media can have a significant positive impact on your business!
For those just starting out, I would recommend joining as many local social media groups as you can and post or comment whenever it is appropriate. People do review comments, and especially if you include images of your work, that speaks louder than words. While building a social media presence takes time, it can lead to a constant inflow of customers and have a positive impact on your business.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
A few of the most effective strategies for growing my clientele thus far have been my social media influence and via word of mouth. From posting multiple custom orders each week on social media, people will then share my posts and add it to their personal page where all of their friends can see it. Word travels fast when hundreds of people in the Grand Rapids area are reviewing my posts every week! Also, my products typically go to larger events like birthdays, weddings, baby showers, etc. so people will then ask the host who made the custom treat. My customers also appreciate how quick I am to respond to their inquiries and listen to their wants, that it keeps them coming back yet again and again for more orders!
Contact Info:
- Website: dancinsweets.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dancinsweets/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dancinsweets