Interview with Sweet Naomi Cookies on Cookies as Business

 Cookiepreneur Interview with Amanda from Sweet Naomis Cookies

How many ways can you have a cookie business?  Let us count them!  Here's the third installment of Cookiepreneur Interviews.  Let's hear about Amanda's cookie business!

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How long have you been in business?   Is it part-time or full-time? 

Unofficially started in 2013 and finally got all my paperwork in order to be 'legit' in 2014.  Technically, I'm part-time but it really depends on the week/season.  :)  I suppose the best answer to this is that I try to be part-time.  

Tell us about the Health Department laws in your area?  Do you have to use a commercial kitchen or is there a Cottage Food law?

For sugar cookies, a state inspected kitchen is required or you can operate under the Cottage Food laws (with restrictions).  That is my understanding anyway!  I use my home kitchen which is state inspected.

If you use your home kitchen, please tell us about that.  What did you need to do to get it approved?  How do you manage your kitchen when it involves both business and family?

I use my home kitchen and getting it approved involved getting a zoning permit from my county then getting an inspection from the VA Dept of Agriculture and Consumer Services. 

How I manage our kitchen for both the business and family....hmm, is that a trick question?  ;) Honestly, there's no good answer to this.  Just really late nights and lots of coffee.   

Do you ship cookies?  If so, please tell us about that.

Yes!  I started selling on Etsy, so I started out shipping most of my orders.  Only once I started getting more local orders did I realize how much more work shipping entails (because decorated cookies aren't labor intensive enough....ha)!  We've tried different ways of shipping and found that using copious amounts of bubble wrap and shipping them upright (not flat) works best.  I don't always do that though as I've found that it sometimes depends on the cookie shape and amount I'm shipping.

Does your business include anything else other than taking custom decorated cookie orders?

Just decorated cookies for us, for now.   

What is your most enjoyable business task?

Decorating!  

Does anyone help you with your cookie business or are you a one-woman-show?

I definitely have help, I couldn't possibly do it myself.  My husband does deliveries and helps make the dough and baking and my oldest son helps with packaging. 

If you could delegate one task, what would it be?

Clean up!  I didn't even have to think about that one...  :)

Best tip for those starting their cookie business?

Make sure your business works for you and not against you.  If you do quality work, you will get busy fast so don't be afraid to invest in whatever will make the business more efficient.  

How did you get the word out about your business in the beginning?  How do you do it now?

Honestly, I've never done much with marketing.  Starting on Etsy helped me get initial orders in but after about a year I took my listings down as now most of my orders are local through my website, referrals, and repeat customers. 

Have you raised your prices since beginning?

Yes.  And this is an area that I'm still adjusting to see what works best. 

Any tips for efficiency – in making dough, decorating, shipping, invoicing….anything!

I don't, actually.  I wish I did, I could use it!  My best tip for efficiency is to keep your inner perfectionist to a bare minimum.  Remember that most (not all!) customers aren't going to scrutinize and judge the cookies the way you do.

Do you have minimums on number of cookies per order, number of designs, number of icing colors?

Yes, sort of, and yes!  12 cookies is my minimum, I don't mind different designs so long as they use the same colors, and I try to keep it at 2 colors (plus white) per dozen.  If I get an inquiry for something that I know will be a lot of colors, I'll either up the minimum cookie order or charge extra.

What are your cookie dreams?  If you could, would you hire employees, buy a larger mixer, move into a larger space, etc?

My cookie dream is to decorate cookies in a super cute, sunny kitchen with cookies already baked, icing bagged/bottled in perfect consistencies (and they never separate!!), they magically bag and ship themselves, and my kids clean up the mess.   It's nice to cookie dream.  :)    

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Thanks so much for sharing Amanda!  I hope this post has encouraged you or given you some new things to think about regarding your business or soon-to-be-business!

You can find her on facebook, instagram, and her website.

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Interview with Sammie B's Sweets on Cookies as Business

  Cookiepreneur Interview with Sam from Sammie B's Sweets

She's got some great advice for us - those new to the cookie business and those not so new!

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How long have you been in business?   Is it part-time or full-time?

I got my official business license in April of 2012, and I do this part time. I have 3 kids with very different schedules, so it's important to me to be able to work around their schedules and have the flexibility of staying at home with my kids as needed.

Tell us about the Health Department laws in your area?  Do you have to use a commercial kitchen or is there a Cottage Food law? 
TN has a cottage food law, but the requirements vary by county, so you need to check with the local health department for specifics. Fortunately my county is pretty laid back! Here are some examples of the rules:
    - I am only allowed to make foods that do not require refrigeration. 

    - I am not allowed to prepare any other foods in the kitchen at the same time as a commercial order.

    - No pets are allowed in the dwelling.
    - I do not have to have an inspection, but my product labeling must reflect that. I have to have every packaged and labeled item say in a large font, "This product was made in a private home not inspected." If I want to be able to remove this from my labeling, I must have a health department inspection the same as a restaurant would have, and they have the same requirements for the most part. 

If you use your home kitchen, please tell us about that.  What did you need to do to get it approved?  How do you manage your kitchen when it involves both business and family? 
I'm in a unique position, as I actually have a secondary residential kitchen in a separate location. It is in the same county, so the same cottage food law requirements apply as it would in my own home. My brother had built a private studio apartment with a full kitchen, but has since married and built a new home on the same property. As his kitchen was sitting unused, he offered it to me for my business purposes. It's great, because it gives me a separate place to do my work without complicating family meal times and space. However, I can also take my children with me as needed, and they can play in the living room and have their own area away from my cookie work. The kitchen gets no other use other than my cookies and teaching classes. It's perfect for me!

Do you ship cookies?  If so, please tell us about that. 
I only ship when requested, but as most of my business is word of mouth, it is local. My shipping orders are typically customers that have since moved, or friends and family out of state. I do not use etsy, or anything of the sort. As far as how my packaging goes, it depends entirely upon the order. When I know the cookies are for a party and need to be plattered, I typically heat seal each cookie in individual bags, then attach those to firm cardboard. I then wrap each sheet of cardboard in bubble wrap, and then package them in a box for shipping. For these orders, I do not upcharge, I simply charge exactly what USPS charges me. When I know it is a gift, the cookies are layered between bubble wrap in a nice cookie box with a window, and then the entire box is tied with a ribbon and label. That gets wrapped in bubble wrap and fit into a flat rate box. I typically charge $5 for gift packaging.

Does your business include anything else other than taking custom decorated cookie orders?

I actually teach cookie classes every other month. I have done both beginner decorating classes and advanced techniques. 

My beginner's class is a lot of fun! We go over EVERYTHING. We mix dough, roll and cut cookies, and bake a tray in class. We make our royal icing from beginning to end, including coloring, and I share lots of tips and tricks that make it easier! I've learned what streamlines the whole process through the years of trial and error, so I love teaching people the easiest way to do things. We take a break and enjoy some light refreshments, and then everyone gets a dozen cookies to decorate and take home. We go over the very basics - outlining and flooding- to begin with. We move on to creative texture by piping in sections, and then we have fun with wet-on-wet designs. It's about a 3 hour class, and we always have a good time.

For the advanced class, I prepped the cookies and flooded bases where needed. We went over airbrushing, stenciling, the wood paneled look, hand-painting, using luster dusts, and so much more! It was all about the details and textures. 

What is your most enjoyable business task? 
I love the design side of cookie decorating! While my favorite part is always seeing a customer's reaction to a custom order, the most enjoyable part is coming up with something designed exactly for them. Most of my orders are unique, and centered around someone's personality. I've been fortunate that with most of my business coming from word of mouth and internet recommendations that many people come to me knowing design is my strong suit. I don't do many character cookies or have people bring me specific designs. They usually approach me with a color scheme and details about the person, and let me come up with whatever I want (pending their approval, of course). :)

Does anyone help you with your cookie business or are you a one-woman-show? 
I am a one woman show (with the support of my husband). I would love to have someone help one day when I go full time, but for now, this business is my creative getaway. With 3 kids 6 & under, it is a way to have a much needed creative outlet and help support my family at the same time!

If you could delegate one task, what would it be? 
Washing those dishes, yo! I only have one mixing bowl for my Kitchenaid mixer, so I have to constantly wash in between each stage of cookieing!

Best tip for those starting their cookie business? 
Practice, practice, practice! And check your legalities on the front end. Some places aren't as strict, but I know people personally who have been fined for not following the legal processes in their area. It's more trouble that its worth. Also, do NOT underprice your product. You shouldn't charge less simply because you're new! Your time and your product are valuable. It's much easier to lower your prices if needed than it is to raise them.

How did you get the word out about your business in the beginning?  How do you do it now? 
As I am a small business, I rely completely on Facebook and word of mouth. Since this is a part time venture for me until I can go full time when my kids are older, I don't HAVE to have any orders. I am fortunate that my customers are loyal and supportive, and help spread the word. 

Have you raised your prices since beginning? 
I have, but not in a public format. I'd say 95% of my orders are quoted since they are all custom. I have a base price guide that I let people see to give them a rough idea of what price range they will end up in, but I do not have a specific cookie price. I value my time more than I did a few years ago when my schedule was less hectic, and my quoted prices do reflect that change. 

I will say that I am okay losing a customer if my price is too high. I've done quite a bit of market research, and I do not want to market myself as a budget cookie decorator. I work hard to provide custom products full of thought and precision, and my customer base and pricing reflect that. I always treat each potential client professionally and respectfully, but I won't lower my prices just to get an order.

Any tips for efficiency – in making dough, decorating, shipping, invoicing….anything! 
Planning helps! If you have a complicated design, dissect each step in the design before you begin. Make sure you know if you have a base color that needs to dry before the next step, and have your colors ready to go.

Also, regarding royal icing consistency, I ALWAYS start with a piping consistency in my entire batch of icing. I scoop out about a cup (or more if needed), and put that into a sealed ziploc bag. Then I thin the rest of the icing down to flood consistency. That way I'm not thinning each color, and I always have a piping consistency ready to go! I'd much rather blend one color twice than thin every single color I have down.

Do you have minimums on number of cookies per order, number of designs, number of icing colors?
I have a minimum $50 order. There are no minimums on anything design or quantity related, but the more designs, the higher the price.

What are your cookie dreams?  If you could, would you hire employees, buy a larger mixer, move into a larger space, etc? 
I'd love to have a full time business some day and build a separate cookie kitchen on my own property. I hope that when all of my kids are in school 5 days a week, that I will be able to support my family financially more.

Anything else you’d like to add?
When it comes to business, follow your instinct! If you feel you can't properly complete an order to a customer's satisfaction, or that you're too booked, don't be afraid to say no. And be honest! I have told people why specific suggested designs didn't work, or that I wasn't able to accommodate certain days or certain prices. Sometimes people get upset, but most of the time, they appreciate being treated respectfully and understand that you're the professional. I would far rather someone tell me they couldn't do something the way I wanted and suggest an alternative than to take my money and provide me with a disappointing product. Your attitude and honestly will help make loyal customers.

Also, it doesn't hurt to have a good relationship with competing cookiers. When I was pregnant and dealing with some issues, it was invaluable to have a cookie friend in town that I could recommend to take care of my clients when I was unable. We constantly are sending each other orders and clients, and we both help whenever we can. She has saved me many times, and I do what I can to help her whenever she needs it! 

Happy cookie-ing, y'all! 
Dotty, thanks so much for letting me answer these! I hope it's helpful to some hopeful small business cookie folk.

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That was great!  So much great information there!  Thanks Sam!

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Interview with Clough'D 9 on Cookies as Business

 Cookiepreneur Interview with Amy from Clough'D 9 Cookies

I'm so excited for the first cookiepreneur interview!  I'll be asking them about running a cookie business.  It will be great to hear about a variety businesses.  They may all be in the cookie biz but just like decorating a single design, there are many ways to do it.

My friend Amy is with us today talking about the business side of decorated cookies!  She and I met in 2012 when we traveled together to the first Cookie Con.  I loved hanging out with her!  I've learned so much from her since then and even more through this interview. You're going to love her insight on the business of cookies......

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How long have you been in business?   Is it part-time or full-time?

Officially, I’ve been in business for over two years.  I left my teaching career to do cookies full-time. 

Tell us about the Health Department laws in your area?  Do you have to use a commercial kitchen or is there a Cottage Food law?

When I started with cookies, Maryland didn’t have a Cottage Law on the books.  My husband and I were already doing a lot of research about how I could legally do cookies.  Maryland passed the Cottage Law while we were still trying to figure things out.  Unfortunately, Maryland’s Cottage Law, as it was originally written, was quite restrictive (could bake in-home, but only selling at public events and farmer’s markets, no online selling, no shipping).  We knew that I needed to be working in a commercial kitchen to be able to sell person to person.  Commercial kitchen space was not available to me locally, and my husband was not keen on my spending nighttime hours in a kitchen away from home.  So we built a kitchen!

If you use a commercial kitchen, please tell us about it.

My husband and I built a free-standing commercial kitchen in our backyard.  We were only the second individuals in our county to have done this, so there was a definite learning curve for us and our local health and zoning departments.  The kitchen is a 16’x16’ building that meets the commercial kitchen codes set forth by the state of Maryland.  Fortunately, I was permitted to forgo the hood and grease traps since I only do cookies and had no need for that equipment.  But I had to invest in the NSF refrigerator, NSF convection oven, Kitchen-Aid, stainless steel tables, three sinks (three-basin dishwashing sink, hand sink, and mop sink)- all the things you would see in a regular commercial kitchen.  My commute to work is a mere 35 feet. 

If you use your home kitchen, please tell us about that.  What did you need to do to get it approved?  How do you manage your kitchen when it involves both business and family?

I love having my cookie space separate from my family space.  Before the cookie kitchen was finished, I was juggling baking in my home kitchen.  It was hard!  The hardest part might have been the kids running past me as I was trying to pipe straight lines.     

Do you ship cookies?  If so, please tell us about that.

I ship cookies via USPS Priority Mail.  It makes me nervous every time I ship because I am so afraid of the cookies ending up in crumbs when they reach the client.  As I tell my customers, I just hope that the postal carriers handle my packages with as much care and love as I put into making them.  I have had the best shipping success with standing individually packaged cookies upright in rows inside a bakery box cushioned with bubble wrap and tissue paper.  This bakery box is placed inside a shipping box with additional cushioning materials.  I print my postage from home via the USPS website and it is less expensive.  

Does your business include anything else other than taking custom decorated cookie orders?

I only do custom cookies.  Frankly, I don’t have time for anything else!

What is your most enjoyable business task?

My most enjoyable business task is when the customer gives me free reign over the design and I get to be as creative as I want.  I also really like coming up with tutorials for my blog.  I am always trying something new!

Does anyone help you with your cookie business or are you a one-woman-show?

I am a one-woman show.  Sometimes, I am able to bribe my children to wash dishes (with a cookie of course!).  Due to the current laws in my county, my home-based business can only be one employee- me.  Truthfully, I don’t make enough money to be able to pay a helper. 

If you could delegate one task, what would it be?

Managing invoices and receipts.  I hate it with the fire of a thousand suns. 

Best tip for those starting their cookie business?

* Time management is huge.  Don’t take on a big order until you know you can handle it.

* Don’t think that you have to buy all the latest cookie gadgets.  Become a master at the techniques at your disposal before investing in others.  Re-use cutters, and make do with what you have.  Remember that your goal is to make money. 

How did you get the word out about your business in the beginning?  How do you do it now?

I have been extremely lucky in that my first customers were other teachers in my school.  Word of mouth is very powerful!  I use Facebook and Instagram to highlight recent work, and my blog to showcase tutorials and my husband’s thoughts as the Cookie Widower.

Have you raised your prices since beginning?

Yes, to offset the cost of ingredients, building loan, and insurance.  

Any tips for efficiency – in making dough, decorating, shipping, invoicing….anything!

* If you use a KopyKake or Pico Projector, save your sketches!  It’s a pain to have to re-sketch or re-print the same design.  File them!

* Learn how many cookies you can get out of one batch of dough.  It’s so frustrating to be cutting out shapes and run out of dough.    

* Come up with an organizing scheme for keeping track of orders and stick with it.  I use iCal on all my electronic devices to keep track of dates and details of orders.

Do you have minimums on number of cookies per order, number of designs, number of icing colors?

My minimum is typically one dozen, but sometimes I will do a 6-piece set if I know I will already have dough and icing ready.  For one dozen, I typically do 3-4 designs.  I am not concerned with the number of icing colors because my personal tastes are usually the cause of having multiple colors.  I would much rather have more icing bags to wash than not be completely satisfied with the order.  

 What are your cookie dreams?  If you could, would you hire employees, buy a larger mixer, move into a larger space, etc?

I have zero intentions of going bigger.  I love my little set-up, and it works for my family. 

 Anything else you’d like to add?

* Pricing is the one part of my cookie business that I struggle with every day.  I know my prices are cheap compared to many other cookiers online.  The area in which is I live is very rural and my prices reflect what my community can tolerate.  I know I can get more money on shipped orders, but that involves packaging, going to the post office, paypal payments and fees, etc.  It’s a lot of hassle.  There’s something to be said for meeting someone locally and getting paid, cash in hand.  If I raise my prices too much, I risk alienating my local client base and will be forced to rely on shipped orders more.  I don’t want to do that.    

* Don’t be discouraged by all the fancy-schmancy cookie designs that you see online.  As a business, your goal is to be able to fulfill the customer’s requests.  Chances are, they are not asking for a 7” abstract cookie design that takes 12 hours to create for their child’s birthday.  Be true to your design and your style.  With that said, use down-time to stretch your creative legs.  Got a bit of extra dough?  Make an extra cookie to put aside for later.  When those creative bugs bite, you’ll have some cookies to play with.   

* Learn the proper etiquette of the cookie world.  Ask the cookier before replicating their original designs.  In my opinion, you don’t need to ask if the cookier did a tutorial on the design.  In all cases, do the whole “inspired by…” and tag the original cookier.  It’s just nice, and it’s the right thing to do!

* I realize that holidays are prime cookie time.  However, if you take on too many cookie orders, you will be absolutely miserable when the holiday actually comes.  It’s not worth making someone else’s holiday special at the cost of your own family’s holiday. 

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Thank you so much Amy!

You can find Amy on her website, instagram, and on facebook.

Please answer my poll on the left sidebar. I'm curious!

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