lets talk business

[W.DeBord]

Hum, I had no idea I picked such a common/popular name....Many great points you all have made, a couple things I wasen't aware of. I've been in business before so I figured everything would be pretty much the same. But I used my name before so we didn't have to do any deep name checks.
On the name thing, my family all thought I should use my personal name in my business like dear ole Martha. But, I thought I heard or read somewhere that Wendys' old fashioned hamburgers sues anyone using the name wendy in any business name/title. Has anyone else heard that? And my last name seems out too, I think it's too hard for many people to pronouce.

THANKS for the web site lead! I'll spend sometime there checking things out.

Complications (in my little head) arose, our local bakery is for sale. I did alittle checking. Their dreaming if anyone will come up even 1/2 way to what they want! If I'd have guessed at their annual income I'd have said under 60,000. for sure, their fact sheet looked pretty shocking actually. It's the deadest store, and no one I've ever known likes them or buys from them (retail or wholesale, that I know of).

BUT< BUT I've got my fingers crossed they might sell off some of their equipment cheaply. My complication is I'm not ready to purchase anything.....but a good sale would be nice.

[W.DeBord]

Illegal businesses are like prositutes! I understand your frustrations Panini, it isn't a level playing ground. But that's also something we all learn thru life...isn't there a book about good guys finish last?

The only thing I can see to do to avoid the uneven playing ground with the big guys and the illegals and to not compete. That's why I'm only focusing on detail work, aim for what they don't want or can't do, plus that's what I'm best at. Granted I'll never make a fortune this way, I'd be happy to make what I earned employeed by someone else.

I think your right on Anna! Being happy working how often you like and not lowering your standards is a quality of life I seek.

P.S. I made 2 of the cakes that everyone at the decorators site use (BOY, were they BAD! a straight mix IS better), if that's what your average home decorator is using I wouldn't think twice about your competition Panini. Although I'm not willing to hand out a recipe I'm absoluted delighted to say I've found the perfect white cake and yellow cake recipes from scratch (no mixes or puddings etc...). YEAH!!!! FINALLY!

[panini]

never once did I say these wh---- are competition.

Wendy, I'm hearing you want just to do detail work. Pick and choose. Increase quality of life. C'mon. you know what business is like. Being sucessful is not part time income to make ends meet.
You have the passion to be out on your own. You are thinking way to small, I know you better! You'll be much happier with a place that has a staff, where you will pass on your knowledge. That staff can be just 1 or 15 people. You can find a club that will have you come in once a week to do a cake or two, why take on all the extra baggage.
Whats a fact sheet? Have you talked to these people? What is their asking price? Whats the leasing situation? Investigate everything. 30,000. is a equal to a car note. Find out the landlord. Approach them to see if there might be a bad situation there. Who knows, this place might be 8 months behind. The landlord will sometimes change the locks if he knows someone else is interested. Equipment usually has a lean buy the bank. There are all sorts of creative ways to get yourself into a place. There might even be an out of state investor

[panini]

Gosh. I just reread my last post. What a jerk I am. Wendy you can absolutely reply and tell me to KMA! although I kind of meant everything.
jeff

[W.DeBord]

Actually that bakery owns the building, I shouldn't have mentioned because I really have no serious interest, it's a little day dream (I'd only be interested in buying their equipment CHEAP).

I have some "ideas" so to speak up my sleive for my business. But it might be something worth a copy right....I'm trying to figure out how I can keep a good idea to myself without a bigger fish copying me and stealing my whole concept. When I get it all worked out I'll have to spend money with a good lawyer and see if I can protect my concept. In addition to that I'd like to do wedding cakes. The first idea involves volume and personally I'm rather worried I could be way over my head in knowledge and ability to control the situation.....

No, I'm not entering a business to do it part time....somewhere back there is a comment that it's really not a bad concept being small in reference to Anna's business. Lots of businesses aren't really more profitable because their larger....

[Anna W.]

Well, thanks everybody for not taking my head off. You'd be surprised at what people have the nerve to say to me. The worst was a woman who lived so far away she couldn't even consider me competition. For right now, I like my little business- lets me take great care of my family while bringing a little income into a budget. My 8 year old is talking about me getting a shop when she is old enough to help (and inherit) build the business. Let's see if she keeps the interest...

Wendy- please keep us updated on your progress and what your final plans are. Let me know when you are ready to share that white cake recipe, I've tried dozens and am still looking for the perfect one (although, why would you have white when you can have chocolate...?).

[panini]

Anna,
I have a very handsome 10 yr. old who knows how to run the register, bake cookies, mop floors, clean glass etc. Very smart, 1 of40 out of hundreds accepted to a local prepatory school.
What do ya think?
Only problem he is never allowed to enter this business.

[Anna W.]

Panini- your son seems to be just what we are looking for (none of our friends have sons-estrogen as far as the eye can see). Not to one up you but my daughter is in a public school system where she is in a gifted program and is in the top 15 out of 500 students (brag, brag, brag, ok- I am trying to one up you) . Why can't your son being in this business? My daughter has started her own portfolio- Wants to make enough money by the time she goes to college so that she can be any thing she wants and doesn't have to worry about the cash...told you she was smart !

[panini]

Anna,
My son would be in public school but unfortunately we reside in a older part of a small city that is growing and the newer sections have all the good schools. We're a little old fashioned and chose to also incorporate theology into the mix untill he is old enough to make that choice. He attends a Cistersian school where they still stand when a teacher or monk enters the room.
The hours and the lack of respect for the profession have put me in a mind set, not to let him in the business. It a great opportunity for him and his friends to earn cash in the summer, but I'm hoping he heads into a less grueling field. A self starter and a self sufficient girl friend would be ideal for him. He has got all his schooling $. So he will have some disposable $ for dinners and movies.

[angrychef]

Spoons, how did your Fluid Flex trials come out?

Wendy, I'm glad you finally arrived at the cake recipes you were looking for. I prefer a yellow sponge over a white one any day. It should be soft and moist, even when chilled. I've tried really horrible white cakes from mixes and bakeries.

Hey Panini, my older brother was a Cistercian monk for 5 years before he decided the cloister just wasn't meant to be. I used to drop off apple strudel when our family came to visit him ---and all the monks would be so happy because they had a sweet tooth.

[panini]

Angrychef,
Yes we have becime very popular amongst the monks, they certainly have a sweet tooth. It seems very hard to me, thats why I have so much respect for them. They are so focused on teaching all the young men, its incredible. Nick's forum master is in his 60's and will have this group till they graduate in 2009. Thsi will be the 3rd group of boys for him.

[Anna W.]

Can someone clue me in on what fluid flex is?

Spoons- I like the Wooley recipe for hazelnut. I have hot hands also but have not ruled out buttercream. Not many people around here using the IMBC and the icing alone brings me customers.

[momoreg]

Fluid Flex is liquid shortening. Cakes made with it tend to be more stable, with a longer shelf life. But it's shortening, and doesn't have any flavor.

[W.DeBord]

As far as cakes go, thru my experimenting I realized that the mix cakes have less flex structure/body to them then any scratch cakes. It's weird because I always thought they were so moist, and more flexable. I don't think that anymore. P.S. I learned that whole eggs don't add moisture to white cakes, they change the texture into a more corse open grain.

After this experinece I'm not going to play with fluid flex. The real butter flavor is just too good to loose. If I want shortening, oil works better.

Have any of you tried the white cake mix version where you add the extra cup each of flour and sugar....? I hated that one! It looked promising at first, but then it cooled off to be dry with a rather open big crumb (not fine at all). The added extract made it so fake and gross, yuk! I also tried the cake doctors white cake that uses whole eggs instead of just whites and melted butter. It looked more home made using whole eggs and butter, but was too dry with a weird crumb.

When it came to mixes I still think you have to add a pudding, that one factor changed the whole texture (none of the other changes did). But I couldn't ever get away from the artifical taste. Using butter or sour cream....nothing helped the texture more then the pudding.

When it came to scratch cakes, chiffons were really my favorite all around cakes, then butter cakes. I came to appreciate that the scratch cakes improved over a couple days in flavor actually. I thought I hadn't given them enough chance previously.....and discovered I shouldn't refridgerate what doesn't need to be. They aged nicely out of the cooler.

I used my husband as my guinnea pig, taste tester. With-out telling him my choices he picked all the same frostings and cakes as I with one exception, the white cake. He picked a doctored white mix over my scratch white. So I still have to taste test this further with other people. His said was he was used to the cake mix flavor, and thought he might be matching which cake tasted closest to that. Instead of being completely unprejudiced.

I know that sounds strange but I wonder how many brides will be similar? Mixes are just so accepted and widely used, is that the flavor we know as 'cake'?

He also didn't like any frostings that didn't contain xxxsugar. Again, I better taste test this with others.

[angrychef]

I've found that if using a liquid shortening, the recipe should be high in eggs and use real vanilla extract so it tastes good. Another good choice would be to use a combination of butter and oil for taste and softness.