Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Darlene Dorge, owner of Fruit-D-Cakes, located in Traverse Bay, Manitoba, Canada.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I am the owner and founder of Fruit-D-Cakes. It's a successful bakeshop nestled in the cabin country of Lake Winnipeg. From a very young age, I remember combining ingredients in my mother's kitchen. It wasn't that I loved to cook necessarily, but rather, I loved to create! Over the years, it evolved into beautiful elaborate cakes. It became evident that this was something that I could turn into a business. With my love for decorating cakes and my experience and skills in the Sales and Marketing industry, I set out on a mission to carve out a niche business providing a boutique experience and product to a community that appreciated and wanted the product I had to offer.

Our customers are people that live in the community year-round along with those that vacation and spend their summers in the picturesque landscape of central Manitoba. Our patrons enjoy quality products and services, and I aim to provide just that! I created this business as a way to share what I love to do with the people around me by creating beautiful designer cakes and fresh desserts to order. Fruit-D-Cakes also creates artisan breads and just about any baked good you may be interested in. I live in a community that loves to support locals and actively seeks out the opportunity to prop up local businesses. My business would not be a success without the support of my community. So I take that gratitude and use it as a guiding force in the customer service I provide and the products I make.

Tell us about yourself

Cake decorating initially started out as a hobby. I was working in Marketing at the time and really feeling zero joy in what I was doing. There was no fulfillment in work, and the daily tasks were tedious at the best of times. I desperately needed a change and to be able to work on my terms, doing something that made a difference to people in a positive way. That sentiment is what motivates me every day to forge ahead and continue on this path of entrepreneurship.

Building this business has allowed me to find true work/life balance even though I feel busier than ever, wearing all the hats a business owner tends to wear. The work itself provides such fulfillment that it never feels like work, and I am always happy to be doing what I love.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

The biggest accomplishment through this whole journey is seeing something from the point of conception all the way through to fruition, that feeling of "I DID IT!". There are so many times as a business owner that you doubt yourself and your decisions, but to see it all come together is a feeling that is truly gratifying.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

The hardest thing about being a business owner is wearing all the hats. You are the CEO and the dishwasher and everything in between. You have your hands in every aspect of operations. While I wouldn't have it any other way, it does require a lot of motivation and discipline to push forward every day, but the payoff makes it all worthwhile. So the hardest thing about being a business owner is literally the thing to garner the best results.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Listen to your instincts, trust yourself enough to know that no matter what happens, good or bad, you will survive, learn and grow.
  2. Don't let self-doubt or the fear of "what if?" hold you back.
  3. Do your research, and don't stop! Keep up on the trends in your industry; never stop educating yourself about the different components of your business, whether it be sales, marketing, procedural development, all of it! It's important never to stop innovating and pushing yourself to improve professionally and personally.

I know you asked for three tips, but I'm going to give you a bonus tip... 4. Just go for it!! You'll never regret trying, but you'll always regret not going for it!

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Don't forget to celebrate your successes. No matter how small, they're all milestones on the journey, and by marking them, you set a bar for yourself for future achievements. Enjoy the moment and how far you have come!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.fruitdcakes.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fruitdcakes
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fruitdcakes/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darlene-dorge-9058b41a/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.