So I am currently a teacher. I am only in my second year so I am still new to it and am having the normal "first few years" difficulties. But I don't love what I do. When I am asked why I went into teaching... I can't answer. I just went into it because it was the only thing I could think to do. Before I wanted to be a teacher though I wanted to own my own bakery. I have always loved baking. I realized though that it would be a lot of work and I didn't know if I would still love it, or hate it because it was my job. I started getting into decorating about 5 years ago in college. I am now 23 and have become fairly good at decorating. I still have a lot to learn, but I think I am good enough to do it professionaly.

My dilemma is this: I currently hate my job. I don't get excited about teaching at all. I love doing cakes and when I have a weekend full of doing them I am stressed, but happy. I don't ever have anyone say anything bad about my cakes... and I have something go wrong with teaching every day. I guess I just feel like I am better at cakes than at teaching.

Here is my main question: When you own a business do you do more cakes or do you run a business?? I have been researching opening a cake shop but the only thing that bothers me is that I have no idea how to run a business. I want to decorate cakes. I don't want to sit in an office all day doing paperwork.

Any thoughts??

are there not any custom cake shops in your area that you could apply at? there's a big difference between having a job and owning a business.

With a great tool like Cake Boss, the paperwork and taxes etc will be a breeze!

Knowing how to run a business is 10x more important IMO. Try taking a few classes at your local community college that focuses on entrepreneurship or business. Your local small business association can also be a ton of help, the small business association website also has a lot of great resources. If you know any business owners or visit certain establishments a lot, ask to talk with the owner and pick their brain about owning a business and the ups and downs of it. Good luck to you!

Sorry that you hate your job. i know what that feels like. Also, I started on the teacher program. Got my AA and was headed to UTA to get my bachelors in Bilingual early childhood. I figured out really quickly that it was not for me, had nothing to do with the program, am a house wife and wanted to do something with my life and just picked up teaching since it felt like a stable job. I was told repeatedly that the first year is horrible, then the next few years are just bad but then, if you can hang on you will be on auto pilot and the job won't be that bad.

on the cake business, Im with metria. Can you hang on with your day time job and maybe work part-time or weekends at a bakery, one that feels like your style both in decoration and business style? This way you can have a feel for what to expect when being in the business and get a little experience and figure out what you like and dislike about the bakery and make yours your own.

sorry i didnt help much. good luck

exactly why I don't want to own my own bakery. I want to work on the cakes, not manage people and walk-in customers.

I am a full-time caker and was a teacher prior to having my children. I miss teaching. I love the decorating aspect of cakes and being creative but I miss the influence I had on kids. I think they grass is always greener on the other side!

I was headed to my teaching credential but had been in the school system for several years prior as a yard duty and then several years as an aide. Then I got my BS and started subbing, I thought teaching was for me, and it is, but not with the way that California teaching is becoming. It's horrible and stressful. Teachers are not being allowed to just teach anymore. I'm watching long time teacher friends suffering under the stresses every day.

And then I had to take off last year due to health issues. I have since started decorating cakes from home. No more than one or two per week, and all by word of mouth. I don't know about the business side of it, but if I could just do the decorating part I'd be in hog heaven.

I say to follow your heart. What do you have to lose? You can always go back to the teaching path later.

The good news is that you are young enough to re-evaluate where you want to go and change paths if you want. Heck, I can't remember when I'm not doing that. I started back to college when I was over 50 (to be a teacher, ironically!).

To answer one of your questions ..... yes, running a business is 90% running a business and 10% decorating cakes. I think that may apply to most businesses. the mechanic can't work on cars all day .... he has to order supplies, do the daily books, handle taxes, deal witih personnel and grouchy customers, cleaning, deal with walk-in sales reps, and so on and so on.

For those in your position, I recommned the book "The e-myth" by Michael Gerber. While some say it's over simplistic and its common sense, I would agree. But that's also why I think its a good book that needs read by someone contemplating going into business. It nails the common sense concepts in a simple way. I considered myself a somewhat business savvy person and when I read it, it was a lot of "OHHHHHHhhhhhh!'s!" coming out of me.

I read that book the e-myth as mentioned by debi when I was seriously contemplating opening a cakeshop and quitting my job as a nurse. Boy, was it an eye opener! Y husband is very business savvy and is currently going back to school for his business degree so I wanted him to handle the business side of things while I did most of the technical stuff but he was not onboard at all.....it's just not the right time in our lives to be dropping everything and putting everything on the line, not to mention we have 3 very young children and no time. Siiiggghhh! Maybe one day! Anyway READ that book!