We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Carolina Torres a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Carolina thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with what makes profitability in your industry a challenge – what would you say is the biggest challenge?

Being a custom cake maker and designer racing against big box stores and franchise bakeries it’s a whole challenge. The time I pour on every order will never be comparable with a mass produced cake. But the biggest challenge is how can you put price to your creativity and the time it takes? estimate the baking time it’s easy, but how to quote the time you dedicate to answer questions, consultings, research, think…How to educate the market that the difference in service, dedication and creativity has a cost as well? The biggest challenge is beat the belief that they are paying just for a mix of flour, eggs and milk. They are paying for years of practice and experience, hours of dedication and above and beyond costumer service that a supermarket store will never provide.

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 Carolina Torres, a passionate baker and designer. I have always been creative and a perfectionist, I graduated as a fashion and shoe designer, a career I love and worked in for some time but life took me to a different path becoming a cake designer.

I am always challenging myself, and my story as a baker started years ago when i made my daughter’s second birthday cake. That cake was far from a pretty cake, but when I saw her big smile I was so happy! So I started to practice more making other cakes for family and friends and seeing their expressions of surprise, excitement and happiness made me decide that I wanted to do it for others, so I started my business.

With the help and support of my husband and kids and an $6 usd mixer I made my first order. My first customer loved the cake so they referred me to someone else and then my second customer referred me to the third and the rest is history.

Since then, I have been making everything from small birthday cakes to large wedding cakes, always improving, looking for new trends, and new techniques, but most of all loving every cake I make.

I specialized in custom cakes of any size and design. From a simple round cake to 3D cakes, as well as desserts and sweet treats. For every order, I dedicate the time needed to make it beautiful and tasty using my own recipes from scratch. From the cake batter to the frosting.

I keep an eye on every detail, I don’t rush my work, I make every cake special! Regardless if it’s for a birthday or a wedding!. I make everything with dedication. My customers love my homemade fondant! And I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished, from zero cooking knowledge to make 9 tier wedding cakes! And everything is self-taught. What I think sets me apart from others it’s the dedication I put on every cake. I compromise to their event as my own, I make sure that their cake order won’t be a burdensome. I take the time to listen to my customers, I listen carefully to their needs, I give them the best advice I have for them about size, design, trends, timeline, budget, and find the best option for them based on what they like and their event. Once we are ready, I make their order with love and trying to make it perfect. Love every time a costumer backs to me and share their photos or talks to me about how great their party went. That means I did a good job and made them happy! So I’m happy too!

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Quality and dedication! That’s what I pour with every costumer to make their order and I think it’s what helped me to grow my business. Do an excellent job and go above and beyond in costumer service and the people will appreciate that and you will be recommended. Treat every costumer same as how you would like to be treated. Do what would you expect to get if you would be your costumer.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

Starting a business is never easy. You have to really believe in your self that are capable before you jump in it and willing to make big changes and get out of your comfort zone, to take the risk and be conscious that you can loose wherever you put in it. When I started, I didn’t have funds to open a huge upfront store, nor even to buy big equipment but I was determined to start so I took some savings and invested in some basic tools, materials and a $6 usd mixer that now I keep in a drawer as a reminder that with perseverance everything it’s possible.
When the firsts couple of orders came I reinvest 100% of the income; bought more tools, more materials so I could take more orders, and after couple of months that the orders became more consistent I made my budget and invested in better equipment. I opened a free social media profile and started to promote my business.

Contact Info:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/naneartisan/

Image Credits
Nane artisan