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

Karen, appreciate you joining us today. Often outsiders look at a successful business and think it became a success overnight. Even media and especially movies love to gloss over nitty, gritty details that went into that middle phase of your business – after you started but before you got to where you are today. In our experience, overnight success is usually the result of years of hard work laying the foundation for success, but unfortunately, it’s exactly this part of the story that most of the media ignores. Can you talk to us about your scaling up story – what are some of the nitty, gritty details folks should know about?

In the initial stages as a hobby baker, I ventured into experimenting with countless recipes sourced from the internet and various cookbooks within my reach. Over time, I got curious about the science behind baking – understanding why each ingredient mattered and how they worked together. This journey led me to a deeper understanding of how I can alter recipes into recreating them to better fit my personal preference. I eagerly enrolled in classes that would let me grow as a baker, artist, and later as a business owner. Making the transition from a hobby baker to a business owner meant that I had to take some legal steps. I researched a lot about what I needed to do. One of the first things was choosing a unique business name. I wanted a name that wouldn’t restrict me from adding new products to the menu, but I also wanted the name to be clear on what it was that I provided. After months of trying to come up with names, my husband one day just blurted out, “How about KayeSimplyBakes?”, and that’s how it started.
Next, it was time to go beyond the ballpark estimates and to quantify the intricacies of running my business. This meant keeping track of every expense, from utilities, supplies, marketing materials, and ingredients – even down to a teaspoon of salt! Spreadsheets after spreadsheets, I came up with accurate numbers on how much a basic vanilla cake design would cost and how much that same recipe would yield and cost when converted to a cupcake or cake pops. I did this for every flavor and cake size I offered. Saying this was a tedius process is an understatement but it surely is a MUST when running a business.

In the process of getting my license, I learned that there were limitations to what I could and could not sell so I had to re-evaluate what it is I wanted to focus on and even recreate some recipes to make sure that the ingredients and methods used were complaint with the state and city codes. After learning and implementing all the requirements needed in my kitchen, storage area, and in creating my desserts, I finally submitted the paperwork and made KayeSimplyBakes an official business.

With official recognition, orders continued to increase, but I wanted to reach an even greater audience, so I began working on my social media content. But admittedly it is not my forte. So, I shifted my attention to creating a website. In 2020, I made it my ultimate goal to not only start creating a website but to actually publish it. After months of creating content for each of the pages and learning about SEO, branding, and legalities, I finally hit the publish button. It took some time to increase my online ranking, but when it did, I felt a dramatic difference in my business. It’s very rewarding to see that my perseverance in learning something new has made such a positive impact on me and my business, as I now am fulfilling multiple orders during the week and even booking months in advance.

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.

I’m Karen Cacho from KayeSimplybakes. I specialize in creating custom cakes, cake pops, and cupcakes for all the wonderful moments in life. I’m a firm believer that we need to celebrate all the little things in life, no matter how big or small, so I give each order my full attention, time and love in creating something memorable and unique for the special occasion. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to collaborate with brands such as Hines, Jo Malone, La Mer, Infantino, San Diego Moms, Law Firms and Agencies across the country, and various local community groups.

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

One of the wonderful aspects of starting a home bakery business is the relatively modest investment required to start. It is definitely feasible to use the ingredients and tools we already have at home. At most, the financial outlay may be a few hundred dollars towards purchasing different sized pans, a stand mixer, a turntable, and some cake tools that you may or may not already have. Instead, I feel that the bulk of the investment for a baker is in the form of time and the dedication required to acquire new skills and craft original recipes. Buying all the fancy new tools is tempting but is not always necessary. By holding back from purchasing the next shiny tool, I was able to be more creative and learn more about the edible medium I was working with. For instance, I do not own a mold for every fondant detail I make. Instead, I’ve developed the skill to use the tools I already have and give them multiple purposes. For example, a heart cutter can be altered to be used as little wings on a bumblebee or as leaves on a eucalyptus branch. In my initial years, I used a hand mixer to create my desserts. It was only a little later in my journey that my stand mixer was purchased with the earnings accrued from my business. With much discipline and motivation, I am proud to acknowledge that the majority of my equipment upgrades over the years have been financed by the returns generated by my business.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

In times when things get tough, I always remind myself that I am tougher, and with my faith and the help of my supportive family and friends behind me, there is nothing I can’t overcome. The year 2020 was a defining chapter for my business as celebrations were not being celebrated the same way anymore. It was a year that tested my ingenuity and resolve. I recognized the need for creative transformation for my business to stay afloat. I asked myself, “how can I help my customers celebrate the little things in life and feel comfortable doing so?”. First, I added a section on my website that would reassure my customers that I am a licensed and registered business following all food and handling procedures and protective measures when preparing their desserts. I also noticed the popularity of drive-thru parties increasing, so I re-introduced my individually wrapped cake pops as perfect party favors or as pieces of cake for each of their guests to enjoy. Even the holidays became a little quieter, but to keep the excitement and enthusiasm of the holidays, I offered specials on my cake bites so they could be given as additional presents to the kids. I also volunteered in donating cake pops to our local front liners not only as a gesture of appreciation but also as a source of encouragement for their exceptional dedication in their vital roles during the pandemic. The heartfelt reactions and gratitude that I received were very heartwarming and humbling to me as I believed I served as a little reminder to celebrate the simple blessings in life.

Contact Info:

• Website: kayesimplybakes.com
• Instagram: kayesimplybakes
• Facebook: kayesimplybakes
• Pinterest: KayeSimplyBakes,
• Other: Google: KayeSimplyBakes