We were lucky to catch up with Shannon Hovden recently and have shared our conversation below.
Shannon, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today It’s easy to look at a business or industry as an outsider and assume it’s super profitable – but we’ve seen over and over again in our conversation with folks that most industries have factors that make profitability a challenge. What’s biggest challenge to profitability in your industry?
The rising costs of ingredients and supplies. As a small business owner, I am constantly searching for the best deals and negotiating with suppliers to keep costs down. However, certain ingredients and supplies have limited availability or are subject to sudden price increases. This puts pressure on my profit margins and requires constant adaptation and creativity to maintain quality while keeping prices accessible for customers. Overall, navigating economic challenges requires flexibility, resilience, and strong communication and relationships with suppliers and customers.
Shannon, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
After a year of being a stay at home mom, I opened my business in 2014. Fueled by my love for creating pretty baked goods and a lack of custom cake resources in my town, I saw a need and filled it. My background in interior design gave me a creative edge as I began creating beautiful and intricate cakes that quickly gained popularity. 10 years later, I am still passionate about providing unique and delicious desserts for my customers and consistently strive to improve my skills.
How did you build your audience on social media?
When starting my business Facebook page, I shared frequently on my local marketplace group to increase visibility and attract clients. I also offered giveaways on my page to organically grow my following without relying on excessive marketing. This strategy proved successful in driving business to my page and attracting new customers, the best thing is I still have most of my clients that I originally started with!
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
After being in business for 3-4 years, my page was under attack by a customer who miscommunicated their details, causing the item not to be delivered as desired. I offered an apology, a discounted item, and to rectify the issue, but they chose instead to leave negative reviews on Google. Unfortunately, this had an impact on my business, and I had to work hard to rebuild my reputation & taught me to be more thorough, and to understand I can’t control things not in my control- I tried to fix everything and it wasn’t good enough.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Shannonscustomcakery
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/shannonscustomcakery/
Image Credits
These are all my pictures Shannon hovden