Comments | blue_fjords: So if I baked some cupcakes...

blue_fjords

So if I baked some cupcakes...

Feb 03, 2011 21:37

Peeps, I need some help. I've been talking to my brother and my co-workers and they've been encouraging me to start a cupcake business. Like a kind of business, b/c I wouldn't have a store or health inspections. (I would fail health inspections, as I live w/ two dogs and a cat. We're a hairy house.) So it would be a kind of catering/drop off ( Read more... )

dastardly ideas, cupcakes, pics, doggies

Comments 52

paragraphs February 4 2011, 02:43:01 UTC

I am going to have to ponder the name. Awesomecakes makes me grin lol. But not voting yet. As for vegan cupcake-age, absolutely that would be a great niche as in the last six months, the daughter has ordered some twice. They were amazing and delicious but yours are better. There is a definite interest in vegan ones here, so I bet there is way more there.

Dogs? well... a friend who owns a dog cookie business does have lots of dogs...granted, she has a kitchen setup just for her business, but I am not sure how necessary that is. Spiderine is starting a bread business and got at least one sale so far via craigslist...I am sure you could be a success! Plus, they are WICKED GOOD! How about Blue's Wicked Good Vegan Cupcakes? LOL.

blue_fjords February 4 2011, 03:31:56 UTC

This makes me happy, b/c I have never ordered food from a bakery. The only time I get stuff from a bakery is when I'm traveling. Otherwise, I go home and I make it. B/c why pay for it when I think I can make it better? So I'm glad that's my hubris talking and other people do actually buy baked goods.

And craigslist -- I didn't even think of that! Good idea!

paragraphs February 4 2011, 03:43:45 UTC

but see, there are TONS of people like me who do not enjoy cooking, whine about spending time in the kitchen, and would rather pay for someone else to make the awesomeness. You (and Mander!) love being in the kitchen. I just do it because I have to. There is a reason Kelly can cook so many different things at 18, and being a guy! He cooks WAY more things than his friends do. He's known for it. LOL. :) (See, he likes cooking....)

Yup! Craigslist indeed, and isn't there something like Etsy for those too? The people we use here are website-only, no store. I think that work out well for you.

HOw many vegan cupcake recipes do you have? Of course you know my favorite.... :) :) :) :)

blue_fjords February 4 2011, 03:58:48 UTC

I think M had looked into etsy for me and seen something about the qualifications for selling food stuffs that we would fail due to doghair. But I'll consider it again. I don't want to do something where I ship them around the country, b/c it's too expensive to be feasible, and still keep up my standards of quality.

As for recipes I have my cookbook and whatever from there that I've modified.

(No red velvet this weekend, but I think I shall make pumpkin chocolate chip.)

pocky_slash February 4 2011, 02:47:23 UTC

My aunt is big into baking and cake-decorating and candy making and she's slowly starting to turn it into a business as well. She started off by just making things for her co-workers and friends and my mother's friends. She would charge for supplies and a particular amount for her time, etc, as well (I don't know what off the top of my head), and ended up getting more clients when people who went to the parties she catered would inquire and she'd give them a card. I mean, she and my mom and my mom's friend are all big into PTA-type stuff and word travels fast in those types of communities, but I guess this is all to say that there's definitely a market for it and it probably won't be hard to get your foot in if you start out with word of mouth and keep at it XD

blue_fjords February 4 2011, 03:34:11 UTC

Oh, this is encouraging! I don't have kids, but all my coworkers are vegan, so I bet they could spread the word in vegan circles. And I need to print up cards. Heh, as soon as I get a name.

pocky_slash February 4 2011, 03:40:12 UTC

My other suggestion, based on her experiences, now that I think about it, is to take pictures of EVERYTHING and nice ones if you can, so you can build up a portfolio. Since you won't have a shop where people can come by, this way you can say, "Look, this is what I've done in the past, here's some of the themes I've done for x type of event, what would you like?" It's also helpful for when people say, "Well, I'm having a baby shower, but I don't know what I want, exactly." Give them some photos to look at and they're likely to see something they like, which will give you a little more direction XD

blue_fjords February 4 2011, 03:53:29 UTC

And now I have a good camera! I have lots of cupcake pics on my old camera. :( I need to replenish the stock. W/ ones like these:

( ... )

Thread 6

misswinterhill February 4 2011, 02:54:11 UTC

I think something that indicates quickly to a potential buyer that the cupcakes are vegan? I do like "Awesomecakes!" though.

thaddeusfavour February 4 2011, 02:57:11 UTC

Not a bad idea, but what popped into my head was "GreenCakes!" DON'T USE THAT ONE! LOL!)

blue_fjords February 4 2011, 02:59:50 UTC

Hee, my coworkers thought putting "vegan" in the title would be a turn-off. Though how else are people going to know they're vegan, I ask? "Awesome Vegancakes!"

thaddeusfavour February 4 2011, 03:06:30 UTC

LOL! Mr. Thad just joked about Soylent GreenCakes

Thread 5

(The comment has been removed)

blue_fjords February 4 2011, 03:36:47 UTC

They led a coordinated assault on the kitty's litter box this morning. The sweetness is a total ruse!!

thaddeusfavour February 4 2011, 03:03:27 UTC

I really like Famous Blue Cupcake. It's kind of like Famous Amos! It just sounds like a name that would catch on. I like Awesomecakes, but think it might be too cute to be taken seriously. Sweetcakes doesn't really stand out, and the ones with the two names don't carry the same meaning, since you're Blue!

The logo could be a large blue cupcake and I think it'd look great. You could add a tagline below. Something like, Vegan Cupcakes, or Vegan Bakery. Then maybe, "Eat a cupcake; save a cow!"

In other words, I strongly lobby for the first name. :D

Let me know if you need help with the logo and stuff. Hey! and I could make fun stuff like those recipe cards only for appts. and stuff, since you don't want to give away your recipes!

thaddeusfavour February 4 2011, 03:13:56 UTC

Thought I'd add that Mr. Thad likes Famous Blue Cupcake also. He says he'd probably avoid a bakery that advertised as vegan, cruelty free, etc. Not, mind you, that he's an advocate of cruelty to animals, but there's a certain fringe element that has made folks cautious of those buzz words. Plus, we ate something that was advertised as "organic" once and it tasted like oily cardboard dipped in poo. (It was supposed to taste like chocolate. Not so much.) Not the same thing, but if we make the association, so will other folk.

This way, you can advertise in the vegan community with the "Vegan Bakery" tag, but you don't have to use that all the time.

blue_fjords February 4 2011, 03:51:23 UTC

Yeah, my fear was that people automatically associated vegan food w/ healthy crap they didn't like. It can be really good! Just obviously not all the time.

blue_fjords February 4 2011, 03:49:53 UTC

Wow, you have taglines!! Eat a cupcake, save a cow! Hee. And I would totally need a logo! Your recipe cards were awesomesauce on toast. My idea of a signature cupcake would be an almond cake w/ blueberry mousse, in a blue paper liner. But I haven't made that kind before! I need to make them, and take pics of them, and show them to you.

Thread 5