The Sweet Creations Difference - Sweet Creations Bakery
Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Sana Aziz, president of Sweet Creations Bakery, located in Midlothian, VA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Sweet Creations Bakery is a retail bakery that makes cupcakes, cookies, pies, and other pastries. We specialize in making custom cakes, cupcakes, and cookies. Allowing the customers to be the guide, we make their ideas come to life. We make desserts for weddings, birthdays, graduation favors, or other occasions. Our customers are local families, schools, and businesses. No matter the celebration, we make a dessert designed and prepared especially for them.
Tell us about yourself
Sweet Creations is a bakery that has been over 30 years in the making. Since the young age of 5 years old, I began baking for my family often, with a secondhand Easy-Bake Oven. At the age of 14, I began attending a Techincal and Vocational High School and then attended. Johnson & Wales University, College of Culinary Arts. I earned my degrees in Baking & Pastry Arts and in Food Service Management. After graduating, I spent the next 20 years working in restaurants, grocery stores, colleges and universities, retail bakeries, and as a personal chef. Each job taught me more about the food service business and a lot more about myself. After leaving my last job as an Executive Pastry Chef to spend more time with my family, I started a home-based bakery where I took custom orders as well as worked at farmers' markets. I also taught after-school enrichment classes at some of the local schools. After three years with the business, I moved into my current location, where I have been for the last eight years. What really motivates and makes me happy is the response I receive from my customers and watching their families and businesses grow. In some families, I have done cakes or desserts for their wedding cake, baby shower, baby's first birthdays, and on. What I really love in the day-to-day business is having the frequent customers come in and in their name and what their favorite desserts are.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment was transitioning from a home-based bakery to a brick-and-mortar location. Going from using only about 250 square feet and myself as the only employee to over 4,000 square feet and seven-plus employees was a real leap of faith. Just as in life, the thing didn’t always go according to plan, but they did eventually happen, and I was really proud
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
The hardest thing about being a business owner is that you are not just the owner and Pastry chef but sometimes the cashier, the dishwasher, and every other position in the bakery. At the end of the day, if something doesn’t get done or someone doesn’t show up, that’s when you are the one that has to make it happen.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- A love for baking is not enough. You need to really know the business what it takes. Make sure you do the research on what you're trying to start before you jump in with both feet.
- It takes time. Be patient, and don't expect everything to happen overnight. There will be setbacks, and that is just part of the process. Remember, plans are just guides. If something doesn't go according to that plan, make a new one. Be flexible. Not just with your time but with your expectations as well.
- Build relationships. With your customers, vendors, other business owners, and your community. It can make a big difference in your whole experience and bottom line.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
I started this business because I have always loved baking and seeing people smile. Don’t let anyone tell you that you do what you love. You don’t even have to work. I work because I get to do what I love. (Be willing to put the work in)
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.sweetcreationsva.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesweetestbakery/
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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