Life & Work with Krystal of Metro Atlanta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Krystal.

Hi Krystal, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My story may seem a little bland. I began baking as a hobby; I baked all the time for family and colleagues. One afternoon at work, one of my colleagues pulled me aside and suggested that I make a business from my baking. At first I laughed it off, but shortly after that conversation, I began to receive requests and to my surprise referrals. I decided then that I would perfect my craft and begin my official business as a baker. I primarily participated as a vendor at several markets and that was the source of the majority of my business. I also have a daughter and some of her extracurricular activities were on the weekends so I had to pivot and create my website. Unfortunately, I haven’t participated in many markets and miss the thrill of meeting new people and receiving immediate feedback on my baked goods.

I currently conduct the majority of my business online and I provide baked goods for corporate events, parties, funerals and pretty much all occasions.

Winter Plum Cakery is a name I selected to represent myself and my daughter. We were both born in the winter and one of our favorite fruits is the plum. I recently celebrated a milestone of receiving my Trademark for Winter Plum Cakery!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
At first it was smooth. I was in the honeymoon phase of my business. All I had to do was bake and show up to events with my baked goods. Creating my LLC and official stuff took time, but it was relatively simple steps. As I participated in more markets, I learned the importance of marketing and appealing to customers. I had to learned how package my baked good in a manner that was professional and to be consistent with my packaging. I started out using the cute boxes on Amazon, thinking I was being trendy and that would attract more customers. It did, but I wasn’t easily recognizable via my packaging. Those experiences taught me my style and now I have consistent packaging. Trademarking my name was also a bit of a struggle. The first name of my bakery didn’t get approved and I had to rebrand and start over. It was difficult because I was at the place in my business where customers recognized. I kept my color scheme and fonts and Winter Plum Cakery was the final name that got approved.

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
For bakers that are just starting out, I would encourage them to know their why and expand at your own pace. Customers love an authentic story, once they feel like they know piece of you, it is easier for people to want to support you. I would suggest baking sure your business is official and properly documented prior to do doing anything. There are so many free resources to help new bakers get started. Create your business plan, stick to it and modify as needed.

Pricing:

• Artisan Pound Cakes $55+
• Artisan Cookies $27+

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.winterplumcakery.com
• Instagram: @winterplumcakery

Image Credits
Brenda Nicole Moore
Bloom and Flourish