Respect My Hustle - Candid Talk From A Small Business Owner

Like a lot of working mothers, I wear many hats.  One of the hats I wear is that of a small business owner.  I have owned and operated a small, home-based bakery since 2009.  Somehow along the way, I managed to turn my love for baking into a side hustle that brings in extra income to my family.

The business wasn’t anything I planned, and it really all started by chance.  My sister used to bake and decorate cakes back in the day, and she did my son’s first birthday cake.  She had a scheduling conflict when his second birthday rolled around, so I had to go to a local bakery to get him a birthday cake.  I paid close to $100 for a full sheet cake.  When I went to pick it up for his party, I was very disappointed.  First of all, it looked NOTHING like the picture I chose from a cake catalog when I placed the order.  Secondly, the taste of the cake left a LOT to be desired.  I thought to myself, “Shoot, I can do better than this.”

A few weeks after the birthday party, I signed up for my first cake decorating class.  I took a few more classes over the years, and I’ve been making my son’s birthday cakes every since.  After doing cakes for some friends and neighbors, word got out, and my business, Yummy To Your Tummy Desserts, was born.

I absolutely love baking and creating cakes for people.  I love people’s reactions when I deliver their cakes.  I love hearing all the oohs, ahhs, and mmms when people take a bite of my desserts.  The goal is to one day turn this side hustle into a full-time thing.  I have to chuckle to myself when I think about how much baking I do.  If you had asked me when I was growing up what I wanted to do, being a baker wasn’t even a consideration, but it’s now a very big part of everything I do.

Strawberry daiquiri cheesecake cupcakes

My bakery has really blossomed over these last few years.  While I get a lot help from my husband and from some friends from time to time, my business is pretty much a one woman show.  I take the orders.  I make the desserts.  I deliver the desserts.  I collect money.  I secure contracts for big orders and wedding cakes.  I handle the books.  I buy supplies and ingredients.  I pay the bills and expenses.  I don’t just run the business.  I AM the business.  I’ve grown a lot and learned a lot trying to manage the bakery while still being a wife and mother and working a full-time job.

My very first wedding cake (June 2007)

My favorite wedding cake creation (August 2012)

Running the bakery takes a lot of time and work, but I love it.  I’ll continue to run my business as long as I’m able.  The biggest frustration I have faced since starting my business comes from dealing with folks who don’t respect what I do and don’t take my business seriously.  Let me run down a list of the usual suspects.

The “Can I pay you next week?” folks.  Seriously, people?  Really?  So, you go through the process of placing an order.  I tell you ahead of time how much your order will be.  It’s delivery day, and you break me off with “Can I pay you next week?”  In a word … NO!!!  When you are in the check-out line at the grocery store or when your waiter comes to the table with your bill after a meal, do you hit them off with “Can I pay you next week?”  The cashier and the waiter are expecting payment before you leave their establishment, so why are you expecting any differently from me?  I’m running a business.  Respect my hustle.  No money?  Guess what?  No Yummy.

The “Can I get a hook up?” folks.  There is always somebody who asks me for a discount.  Always.  They either ask for the discount directly or they try using a code word … “donation”.  What I have found over the years is that the folks who tend to ask for a discount are people who don’t normally or regularly support my business in the first place.  Or … they are the folks who only call when they need a favor.  I always answer the “can I get a hook up” folks with a question.  When you go to work every day, do you donate your time in exchange for discounted or no pay?  No?  Okay then.  I’m running a business.  Respect my hustle. 

The “Why does this cost so much?” folks.  We all know that old saying … you get what you pay for.  Well, the same is true for my business.  Sometimes, a person who asks this question finds a picture of a decorated cake they want and then gets upset when I quote them a price.  The cake they have selected is usually very detailed and would be time-consuming to create.  If you bring me a picture of a Taj Mahal cake, why would you expect me to quote you a log cabin price?  Sometimes the person who asks this question calls and requests a long list of the desserts they want and then they complain about the price I quote.  I saw this meme a few months ago.  It ain’t nothing but the truth.

Quality doesn’t come cheap, and my goal is to create quality products for my customers.  I’m running a business.  Respect my hustle.

The “But you don’t have a store location …” folks.  These are the folks who question whether or not my business is legitimate because I don’t have a store front location and try to justify in their minds why I’m not selling my products at cheap prices.  True enough … I don’t have a store front, but people run successful businesses from their homes every day.  As a business owner, I have expenses and bills.  I file and pay taxes.  My business is insured.  I advertise.  All of that costs money.  Ask the Yummy regulars whether or not my bakery is legit.  You didn’t know?  You better ask somebody (lol).  I’m running a business.  Respect my hustle. 

Putting in work

I put my heart and soul in my small business.  The work is rewarding, and I love what I do.  Yummy is like my baby.  I’ve birthed it.  I’ve nurtured it.  I’ve stayed up late working hard to make sure it has what it needs.  And just like a mama bear is protective of her cub, I'm all about making sure Yummy grows and prospers.  So please, ma'am or sir.  Respect my hustle.