Staying Warm In The Cold

Love @ First Bite Is On A Real Kick

Monica Sanders is the owner of Love @ First Bite. A gourmet cupcake bake shop. They are trying to expand their business through a Kickstarter campaign. It's a very popular way some people have taken their business to the next level. I had a chance to ask her several questions about what it takes to make her business grow.

Link to their Facebook Page

Monica Sanders 

Tell me about Love @ First Bite. 

Love @ First Bite Desserts is a gourmet cupcake bake shop that also does a full range of desserts, special occasion cakes, wedding cakes, cake pops, and candy. We create all of our desserts from scratch using my own recipes. (NO box mixes used here. We use a REAL butter butter cream that is made fresh daily. (NO pre-made frosting or decorator's butter cream made with shortening, in fact we don't even have shortening on the premises.)  I take great pride in her creations and is very passionate about creating a delicious taste experience for her customers. 

When did you open?

Love @ First Bite has been open since August of 2011. I met my husband Shane in Colombia when I was 19yrs old. Shane was serving in the military while stationed there.  At the time I was homeless. When I moved to the United States I did not speak English or drive.  While raising my four children I would bake and create recipes.  Friends and family loved the desserts I would make and baking her desserts made me very happy.  I was encouraged to start selling the creations.  

I first started selling her baked goods at Farmer's Markets. Business was so successful I decided it was time to open my own bakery and then Love @ First Bite was born. Since that day the bakery has been growing steadily.  In 2013 I added a new addition to my product line by hiring Karen McLaughlin. Until the hiring of Karen we did not do custom designed decorated cakes or wedding cakes. Karen has 20 years of experience in baking and cake decorating.  Then the bakery kept growing, so to take care of the demand I added another addition, Love @ First Bite's Mobile Cupcake shop. With the truck we plan to have a weekly route in different parts of town and do special events. Our current location, which was great for the bakery when it was first opened, has now become too small. Now the next step in our growth is to move to a larger location that is located in a busier area. So last week we received the keys to the bakery's new location at 14401 E. Sprague.

Tell me about your Kickstarter Campaign?

Since the location for our bakery has been secured the next step is remodeling the space and moving our equipment in. Love @ First Bite launched a Kickstarter campaign to help with some of the new equipment and the hood system needed for our move. The quicker the bakery can get the new location ready the better. It is a challenge when you need to remodel and deal with the different building codes.  We had so many customers tell us they wanted to be apart of helping us move, that I decided to start the Kickstarter campaign so our customers could take part in this next step of the bakery.

Our Kickstarter project is for $15,000.  Kickstarter is a all or nothing crowd funding.  If we do not meet our goal we do not get any money.  If people choose to back our project in return they get some goodies and locals will be able to attend a special grand opening party once our bakery is finished. I have done as well without having to seek bank financing or investors. So Kickstarter is exactly what I was looking for.  Although I had reservations about putting myself out there to ask for help, I feel that this would allow our loyal customers to help get involved in what is going on in the growth of my business without losing control of her company or carry the load of a large over head. No matter the outcome, I'm confident and determined to take her business to the next step before this Summer.

What's your advice for people who want to start their own business?

For anyone looking to start a business you should follow your heart and do what you love. Owning your own business is a lot of work and if you do not love what you are doing you will not succeed. Also, count the cost, do not get in over your head. How it is so sad when you do what you love but have to close your business because your goals were not financially possible. Spending more than what you make will kill your business and cause problems that will most likely spill into your personal life. Be smart, save, no what you want and what it will take to get there. And most importantly, if you want it be willing to work hard enough to achieve your goal. Success does not just fall in your lap you have to go get it.