We were lucky to catch up with Kimberly Timmons recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kimberly , thanks for joining us today. So, let’s start with trends – what are some of the largest or more impactful trends you are seeing in the industry?

I started my small at home bakery in the midst of the pandemic after getting laid off from my corporate non profit position. It wasn’t the best time to look for a new position in the non profit sector, but at the same time a huge risk starting a business in the middle of social distancing.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, I see more and more people in my community starting their own businesses and breaking away from the traditional work force.

With that, there creates more “competition” in the cottage kitchen baking industry. Only I don’t ever see this as competition! I like to cheer on and support my “competitors” and find ways we can help each other and collaborate.

Recently I was diagnosed with breast cancer, and found myself having to turn away orders from my favorite customers. However, I immediately reached out to some of my local “competitors” to see if they would be open to taking all of my referrals. I even had to ask someone to take a last minute order I couldn’t fill. And everyone has stepped up!

In our local community, we have tried to create a network of support versus an atmosphere of competition!

Kimberly , 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?

When starting Flamingo Road Cookie Company, I immediately started creating a brand that people would recognize. Complete with the logo, the colors, the product, and our personalities!

We started our small, and always evolving and growing. Over the last four years we have created a following that has supported us through this adventure!

We started offering cookie decorating classes two years ago after much request. These have become super popular in our local community. We host them at local restaurants, bars, breweries and wineries. We like to make this a fun and entertaining experience! An opportunity to forget the outside world, have a few laughs and leave with some delicious decorated cookies. Our classes have had as many as 50 people in attendance!

Can you talk to us about manufacturing? How’d you figure it all out? We’d love to hear the story.

When I lost my “dream” job, I didn’t know what I was going to do. So I just started making things. Gift baskets, plant pots, etched glass, you name it I tried making it! Then my daughters sent me a tik tok about hot cocoa bombs. They asked me to make them some. I was clueless. So I tried to buy some from someone local and could never make it happen. I turned to amazon and ordered the molds, little did I know that one experiment would turn into a full fledge home bakery business!

Hot cocoa bombs were a cold weather seasonal item, so we had find something to do in the warm weather months, and started with decorated sugar cookies, then cookie classes and our latest most popular has been our gourmet bakery style cookies.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I learned a lot about social media marketing in my previous career. You have to be consistent. Use multiple social media platforms. Make sure to keep your personal and your business pages separate.

Make daily posts. Even if you have to reuse content.

Share your posts on every local group you can find.

Don’t be afraid to share other businesses info on your page. If another “competitor” has an event on a day so have nothing going on, I will share their info on my page and encourage people to attend and support.

Keep your content positive! I don’t bash other businesses or put anything negative, on my business page.

Keep your posts short and sweet. Some people will read a long post, but most problem won’t!

Don’t be afraid to pay for boosting or advertising. Just make sure to double check your audience and your settings. You don’t want to advertise your local event nationwide. (Been there done that!)

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flamingoroadcookiecompany?igsh=MWRjajY3dWVnOWh3Zg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/qhNFjZpBCtDn9e99/?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Image Credits
Lana Foley Photography