Tasty Treats for Everyone - Hess Creations

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Stacy Hess, founder of Hess Creations, located in Knoxville, IA, USA.

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

I started this bakery to provide quality, made-to-order treats to share with others. My grandmother ran a bakery and taught me all her recipes. Over the years, I have altered them to make my own. I will say, though, that there are a few recipes that are secret family recipes that will never change. One of my purposes for starting this bakery was to pay for my college. My long-term goal is to make this business a legacy for my family. I would love to see this bakery become a household name and pass it down to my children.

Tell us about yourself

I have been married for 23 years and am a mother of 2. My daughter, who is 22 years old, works with me at our bakery. Both she and I are currently attending flight school to become airline pilots. It’s a very expensive school, and since we love to bake, we started making treats to take to our class. Our classmates and instructor loved them. They asked me why we don’t sell our goodies. It was at that time my daughter and I decided that we would put an ad on Facebook to see if we could sell them. We have several orders come through. From there, we decided to increase our business by building a website and ordering business cards to distribute. Each of my customers has sent me personal emails thanking me for the treats. Seeing them satisfied and enjoying my recipes makes me want to continue making treats. I enjoy making my customers happy.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I think my biggest accomplishment so far has been starting this business from nothing and already having loyal customers that repeat their orders. I started this business just before Christmas, and now a couple of months later, I have accrued regular customers. I cherish my customers and strive to find new creative recipes and treats to offer them.

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

I think the hardest thing so far has been getting started in a declining economy. Being a new business is tough and takes a lot of work. Working as an online business, we rely mainly on word of mouth. That means it can take a while to build a clientele.

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

The first tip I’d give is to be passionate about what you’re trying to do. Since starting a business is time-consuming and, at times, discouraging, it’s important to love what you do to carry you through the hard times. The second tip is to pursue all avenues to get your business out there. Honestly, many of them will fail, but it only takes one successful advertisement to get noticed. Don’t be afraid to use social media, your friends, and even your fellow co-workers to get your business out there. The third tip I’d give is to have a solid plan before putting your business out there. Because it’s new, people will ask a lot of questions, and if you’re not prepared, you’ll look incompetent. But above all, have fun. If you’re confident, you’ll succeed.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Above all, I want people to know that we’re not just another bakery. We take the time to make our treats by hand and special to order. Every order is as fresh as possible when it is delivered to the customer. We ship to all states, but due to the delicate nature of our cupcakes, we don’t ship them at this time.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://hesscreations.me/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Hesscreations.bakery/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hesscreationsbakery/

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.

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