Blog and Spotlight

How to Price Your Work

Anna Weisend
08 Jul 2020

“What should I charge for my cake/cookie/cupcake/cakepop/chocolate/lollipop/pie/candy/snack?”…is the still the most popular question received by most instructors. The answer is something closely related to this…”That depends.” It depends on where you live: Different parts of the country have different standards of living and therefore prices are different. It depends on what type of product you offer: Are you making a cake with a cake mix with shortening buttercream or a chiffon cake with a European buttercream? One costs more than the other. It depends on the service you offer: Are you pumping out a standard product or are you...

Investment

Use It or Lose It

Anna Weisend
17 Jul 2019

Use it or lose it In the business of sugar, it doesn’t matter how brilliant your ideas are if you don’t execute them well. Craftsmanship makes all the difference. Just check out “Nailed It” as proof. Just because you know how to do something doesn’t mean you are particularly good at. Just because you used to be good at something doesn’t mean you still are. Many times as sugar artists, we get caught up in trends or fall in love with a technique and some of our skills go temporarily by the wayside. When we take it back up, sometimes...

ideas

Play With Your Food- The Benefits of Tinkering

Anna Weisend
08 May 2019

When was the last time you just played? Research has already shown that tinkering aids a child's education by offering benefits such as hands-on learning, skill development, critical thinking skills, team development, learning how to fail, and that there are endless possibilities. Research has also shown that life long learning is profitable for adults. It offers a better chance at career success, helps maintain brain health, it can help stay current and connected, it can help stave off depression and increase happiness, and it can be a source of fulfillment. So, if tinkering is good for education and lifelong education...

business

Sugar Pro or Hobby?

Anna Weisend
10 Apr 2019

Cakes, cookies, candy… OH MY! Sugar work is fascinating. It is a great creative outlet and a fabulous way to make new friends. After all, most people are not going to turn away a tasty treat. Many people in this business were drawn in from other areas of life. There are artists, engineers, accountants, IT people, and even lawyers (a shocking amount of lawyers- what is up with that?). They start playing around in the kitchen and BOOM! they are sucked in by the deliciousness of it all and leave their professions to follow their passion. While all that sounds...

business

Taking Care of Business with Cydni Mitchell

Anna Weisend
13 Mar 2019

Many creatives are very good at what they do. In pastry and sugar art world there is a great pool of individuals who make sure that their products both look and taste amazing. Yet these same creatives struggle to turn it into a profitable business. This can be for many reasons. Many are so dedicated in the perfecting of their craft that it is hard to put the time into learning business techniques as well. Marketing strategies change very quickly in our technological world and can be hard to stay on top of. Sometimes, it is just not knowing where...