Read Online Financing Our Foodshed by Carol Peppe Hewitt - Free Book Online
Authors: Carol Peppe Hewitt
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faced every morning.
Luckily, I was able to hire someone one day a week, and with help from friends and family — after only six months of operation the bakery was paying for itself! That’s almost unheard of in food service.
By the early fall, though, I could tell that I had a choice: take the bakery to the next level (a storefront), or back out.
Baking brought peace to my heart, and the many relationships I developed nurtured and enlivened me. I enjoyed the possibilities of owning my own business, of dreaming and then making that dream a reality. I knew I could do it, but thetruth was that I hadn’t done any art all year, hadn’t been in the outdoors, and hadn’t seen my sweetheart.
(Her sweetheart had recently become her fiancé, and at the time was living several hours away.)
As much as the bakery had become part of me, these factors were bigger. After months of wrestling with the question, I decided to return to pursuits that were closer to my heart. I felt great responsibility toward my customers, who now depended on me for goodies and who had been so outspoken with their gratitude. But the greater responsibility was to myself, my health, and my upcoming marriage.
Closing the bakery held much relief for me, but also a great amount of sorrow. It didn’t feel right to turn away from a thriving business and disappoint my loyal customers. I recognize that I have a gift with baking, and felt guilty for not putting it to use. It was like looking through a door and seeing a great feast with laughing friends and lots of sunshine...yet knowing that walking through that door would actually be a mistake.
My advice to someone starting a business is to do your footwork first. The bakery was a spontaneous decision, and I was researching permits and recipes, creating websites and deciding on my mission and vision, all while trying to make it to market on Saturday and start accounts with local restaurants. My motivation came from an empty niche, and also external suggestions. For me, I learned that the drive needs to come from within. A business requires a lot of energy, thought, passion, and sacrifice. Understanding this before you get started will help in managing it down the road.
That is so true. After running a small business for nearly 30 years, I find it still requires all that — every day. I would add “patience” and “determination” to her list as well. It also helps to have a partner putting the same level of effort into the venture that you are.
I asked Abi if she would share some of what she had learned from owning and running Abilicious Bakery that might be helpful for other entrepreneurs getting started. Her poignant response points to both the challenges we face and the long-term gains we hope to achieve as we grow the good food movement.
Opening and operating the bakery is, for me, synonymous with going to graduate school. In a very short time, I had to become adequately versed in marketing, food management, public presence, customer service, bookkeeping, permits, and more. I can’t even begin to say all that I learned, because the list would range from such hard skills to very abstract conclusions about my Self and the greater community. The best adjective would have to be “empowering.”
After stepping up to the plate, I realized I had more than straight pitches — there were surprise fastballs and curveballs aplenty! But, solid mentoring, continual self-motivation, and productive relaxation gave me the ability to deal with these issues in ways that improved my business. Even when I felt incredibly overwhelmed and frantic, I could step back and realize that I was running a flourishing business, and I was doing it myself. There is nothing to replace that.
In the future, I will be able to apply that knowledge to different
Luckily, I was able to hire someone one day a week, and with help from friends and family — after only six months of operation the bakery was paying for itself! That’s almost unheard of in food service.
By the early fall, though, I could tell that I had a choice: take the bakery to the next level (a storefront), or back out.
Baking brought peace to my heart, and the many relationships I developed nurtured and enlivened me. I enjoyed the possibilities of owning my own business, of dreaming and then making that dream a reality. I knew I could do it, but thetruth was that I hadn’t done any art all year, hadn’t been in the outdoors, and hadn’t seen my sweetheart.
(Her sweetheart had recently become her fiancé, and at the time was living several hours away.)
As much as the bakery had become part of me, these factors were bigger. After months of wrestling with the question, I decided to return to pursuits that were closer to my heart. I felt great responsibility toward my customers, who now depended on me for goodies and who had been so outspoken with their gratitude. But the greater responsibility was to myself, my health, and my upcoming marriage.
Closing the bakery held much relief for me, but also a great amount of sorrow. It didn’t feel right to turn away from a thriving business and disappoint my loyal customers. I recognize that I have a gift with baking, and felt guilty for not putting it to use. It was like looking through a door and seeing a great feast with laughing friends and lots of sunshine...yet knowing that walking through that door would actually be a mistake.
My advice to someone starting a business is to do your footwork first. The bakery was a spontaneous decision, and I was researching permits and recipes, creating websites and deciding on my mission and vision, all while trying to make it to market on Saturday and start accounts with local restaurants. My motivation came from an empty niche, and also external suggestions. For me, I learned that the drive needs to come from within. A business requires a lot of energy, thought, passion, and sacrifice. Understanding this before you get started will help in managing it down the road.
That is so true. After running a small business for nearly 30 years, I find it still requires all that — every day. I would add “patience” and “determination” to her list as well. It also helps to have a partner putting the same level of effort into the venture that you are.
I asked Abi if she would share some of what she had learned from owning and running Abilicious Bakery that might be helpful for other entrepreneurs getting started. Her poignant response points to both the challenges we face and the long-term gains we hope to achieve as we grow the good food movement.
Opening and operating the bakery is, for me, synonymous with going to graduate school. In a very short time, I had to become adequately versed in marketing, food management, public presence, customer service, bookkeeping, permits, and more. I can’t even begin to say all that I learned, because the list would range from such hard skills to very abstract conclusions about my Self and the greater community. The best adjective would have to be “empowering.”
After stepping up to the plate, I realized I had more than straight pitches — there were surprise fastballs and curveballs aplenty! But, solid mentoring, continual self-motivation, and productive relaxation gave me the ability to deal with these issues in ways that improved my business. Even when I felt incredibly overwhelmed and frantic, I could step back and realize that I was running a flourishing business, and I was doing it myself. There is nothing to replace that.
In the future, I will be able to apply that knowledge to different
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