Need help with cake business?

Question

i am a cake decorator and everyone tells me i should open my own shop. now most cake shops sell and are known for wedding cakes, i hate doing them and do not want to sell them. i would like to have mainly specialty birthday cakes and other celebration cakes.it would be like when you think of grocery store bakerys and you can pick up a cake for your kids birthday... of course it would be a bit nicer than most grocery stores and have more to chose from. i would sell cupcakes and dessert trays along with other sweets in addition to the cakes. customers could preorder there cakes so they would have exactly want they want but also we would carry cakes for walkin customers. does this sound like a stupid idea or would you be more willing to shop here for your next party rather than your local grocery store.i am told that i am very good and have many customers that will not go anywere else for there cakes also does anyone have any good names for this cake shop i would love to own one day

Answer 1

This is a great idea.  It would be great to specialize in one area which would be speciality cakes.  Children birthday parties are a big business.  Be sure to offer many different flavors and also offer cakes like Moms used to make.  I would love to be able to go by a bakery when I needed a dessert and pick up a red velvet or italian cream cake that tasted homemade.  

What about this for a name?  

A Piece of Cake

You could also sell slices of the cakes.  

Good luck and if you open up let me know.

Answer 2

I think it's a great idea!  I for one won't buy grocery store cakes.  I just don't like them and think that Birthdays and Anniversaries and such are special and deserve special cakes, not ones that are thought about at the last minute and picked up with the milk and bread.  That's just my opinion though and I DO know that's not how it is for a lot of the grocery store cakes, but that's what I think of when I think of cakes from the grocery store.

I would much rather go to either a bakery or to an ice cream shop if it's for an ice cream cake.  I say go for it!  Especially since you already have a client base, the best advertising is word of mouth and being you have customers that already only come to you, once you open a shop, they're going to tell their friends to go to you, and then they'll tell their friends and so on!  

For names, I would make sure first that no one in your area has the name, which I'm sure you'll find out when you go to register your business and you can tell just by looking in the yellow pages.  Here's some ideas though:

La Dolce Vita - The Sweet Life in Italian

Sweet Confections

Celebrations!

Celebration Sweets

Divine Designed

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice!

The Sweet Petite!

Special Occasion Sweets

Celebration Cakes and More

Happy Everything Cakes

Decorated Delights

Make a Wish Cakes and More

Sweet Treats

The Icing Bag

Good luck with your new business!

Answer 3

No, this does not sound like a stupid idea - this is how many businesses get their start.  If I did not already decorate cakes myself, I would shop there as I cannot stand 'store bought' cakes - they are too dry and the frosting is too sweet and tastes like shortening.  

Some good names:

YOUR NAME's Cakes and Sweets - short, sweet and to the point

If your city has a nicname - City's nicname Cakes.  An example is Baltamore's Charm City Cakes that is seen Food Network's Ace of Cakes

WA