We recently connected with Amanda Keeney and have shared our conversation below.
Amanda, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. One of our favorite things to brainstorm about with friends who’ve built something entrepreneurial is what they would do differently if they were to start over today. Surely, there are things you’ve learned that would allow you to do it over faster, more efficiently. We’d love to hear how you would go about setting things up if you were starting over today, knowing everything that you already know.
When I was just starting out as a new business owner, I really struggled trying to do everything myself. I was working another full-time job at the time and would stay up all hours of the night to complete orders. One time I worked for 56 hours straight with no sleep. If I could go back and do anything differently, I would have hired help sooner.
It took me about 12 years to start building a team. My business completed changed when I started letting go and accepting that I could not do everything myself. I had help here and there along the way, but not a completely reliable staff in the kitchen. My business really took a turn when I hired my virtual assistant, Heather, to help with all the emails, contracts and following up with clients so I could focus on our work in the kitchen and explore new ideas and opportunities to continue growing the business. I currently have a total of 7 team members who help in a variety of areas to keep business running smoothly. I used to be so proud of myself for doing it “all by myself”, but I’m even more proud of where we stand today with a full team that supports me and I can rely on to deliver the Signature Sweets by Amanda experience that I worked so hard to build.
It can be scary to spend money as a new business owner, but I think that investing in hiring a reliable employee in the kitchen early on would have saved me a lot of time and money in the long run, and ultimately would have helped my business become more successful sooner.
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
My name is Amanda Keeney, and I started Signature Sweets by Amanda in 2007 at the age of 15. My love for baking began when I inherited my grandmother’s treasured baking supplies after her passing. I started taking Wilton classes and baking cakes for family and friends throughout high school using my beloved grandmother’s baking pans and books.
As I thought ahead to my next chapter once I graduated high school, I still wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, so I didn’t feel comfortable with my parents investing in sending me to college. My parents encouraged me to go to culinary school, and it was a perfect fit for me to learn and refine my passion for cooking and baking. I graduated with both a Pastry and Culinary degree from Stratford University at the age of 19.
Building a business at such a young age has come with many challenges and it took me a few years to find my footing. My mantra has always been “don’t give up”. I would not be where I am today if I didn’t have the drive and perseverance that I do.
At Signature Sweets by Amanda, we provide a variety of desserts like decorated cakes and cupcakes, but we specialize in beautiful dessert bars. What sets us apart from other vendors is our extensive menu, rental packages, and the ease of booking. Our menu truly offers something for everyone! It can be hard to choose from so many options, so we are happy to share our recommendations and guide clients in making selections everyone will love. Our clients also love our rental packages that take the guess work out of bringing a beautiful dessert display to life. We take care of the table design, set up and even break down so our clients don’t have to deal with buying plates and stands, arranging everything on the table and being stuck with items they will never use again. When it comes to booking Signature Sweets by Amanda for an event, our process is very simple! Let us know what you’re looking for and we’ll give you our professional recommendations based on your guest count along with an estimate. Our job is to make this process easy on you and bring your vision to life!
My goal is to always go above and beyond to ensure that your cake and desserts will be a memorable experience for you and your loved ones. As a small business, I am the person who sees everything through from start to finish. Every event I have had the pleasure to be a part of has been an experience that has shaped Signature Sweets by Amanda to be the strong, sought-after company it is today. What I love most about this business is the feeling of making life’s occasions special, whether it’s a wedding, birthday, baby shower, or last gathering before a family member passes.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
In 2018, I was in a terrible car accident. The kind of accident that send chills up your spine. I was airlifted to a local trauma center and was in a coma for 4 days. I had 4 weddings that weekend. My mother knew that even on my death bed, she had to see my orders through, as that’s what I would have wanted. She was able to access all my materials, call in to complete the orders, and get everything delivered. When I woke up, I learned that I had multiple broken bones, including my dominant arm, my back, my scapula, and my collar bone. One week after surgery, I returned to the kitchen, faced with the challenge of keeping my business running during one of the most difficult times in my life.
I packed up my kitchen and moved into my parents’ house for 4 months, as I couldn’t drive. I held tastings with a neck brace on. I iced cakes while standing on a stool because I couldn’t lift my arm. I strapped a slab of frozen bacon on my back while decorating cakes to ease the excruciating pain. I worked all night. I did everything I could. I pushed through because I had no choice to keep myself in business. I don’t think you really realize how strong you are and how much you can endure until you are in a position where you truly could have lost it all. The hard work I put in during this horrible time, solidified the person I am today, helped me connect more with my clients, and was a part of the foundation I needed to push Signature Sweets by Amanda forward to where we are today.
Have you ever had to pivot?
I think all of us business owners can speak about 2020 and our experience navigating the challenges of Covid. The minute the lockdown was announced, my email account was flooded with emails about cancellations or reschedules. I panicked. The business I put 150% of my life into was in jeopardy. My source of income and livelihood was at stake. I could lose everything I worked so hard on for all my life.
One thing I’ve learned about myself early on in business is that I am very good at handling stressful situations. Cake wars? I experience that every week at least once a week. No biggie. Dealing with Covid as a business owner was an entirely different level of stress and uncertainty.
When our 2020 calendar completely cleared out, I decided to offer a small tasting box to my current clients, new clients, or future couples thinking about scheduling their wedding. I offered a 12-piece dessert boxes for dirt cheap, $20 of quality desserts, just hoping to make a sale. Every week, I would change the flavors. Looking back, it was completely insane, but I needed to try and do something to keep us afloat. Thankfully, I was able to find a commercial distributing company to help me with obtaining ingredients during this time when grocery store lines were out the door and the shelves held very limited options.
Not only was I very concerned for the future of my business, but I had also decided to hire some friends and neighbors that had lost their jobs and I felt responsible for keeping them employed. Needing to come up with more ways to create business, I reached out to other local vendors and asked how I could support/help them. We sold some other business’ products and supported one another. I also started offering a subscription box where clients could sign up for recurring dessert boxes. I had clients who came to pick up boxes from me for 16 weeks straight! I had couples who told me that this was the highlight of their week. Some clients drove AN HOUR to come pick up my box of sweets, and said it was their time to be together for the week.
I don’t think I could have adapted more to the pandemic, and regardless of if I did this or not, I would have found some way to keep my business afloat and make it through, just like many others were forced to do!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.SignatureSweetsbyAmanda.com
- Instagram: @SignaturesweetsbyAmanda
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/Signaturesweetsbyamanda
Image Credits
Heather Chipps Photography Forest Heart Photography