Thanks so much for all the advice/warnings and encouragement, ya'll are great! My website http://www.thesummertimecakery.com and Facebook page (The Summertime Cakery) are up. Please check them out and I'll appreciate any feedback from ya'll.

A

I like the design, but I'm not sure it fits with the name of your business, you may want to introduce some elements and color themes that relate more to summer.

You did an excellent job staging the photos, I recommend including a sampling of pictures or a slideshow on the home page along with some more info about your business (including contact info). For example, I noticed you have a free tasting on May 18th, but only because I clicked the Promotionals page...the tasting info should be prominently displayed on your home page.

You may also want to combine your standard and premium products into one category (selling both at the premium price or higher) since the price difference between them is so small.

Great job!  I love your website - it is amazingly professional, very easy to use and understand and seems to cover all of the necessary information.  Your photos are really professional too.  Best of luck!

ADefinitely an improvement on the design and color theme. You still need some cakes on the front page though. ;)

Your website looks great! a little nit-pick:  The word Promotional is an adjective for the missing/implied word Offer.  Either add Offers or change the word to Promotions.  

 

have a great summer! 

Thanks guys this is really helpful. jason_kraft thank you so much especially about the slideshow (that took a little bit to figure out on the website builder) lorieleann, I did not realize about Promotionals thanks! I will make the tasting more prominent when it gets closer. The reason that I have 2 different flavor categories is that the standard cakes are cheaper to make and I could possibly lower them some more if I get enough orders to buy ingredients in larger amounts. btw the pictures would NOT look near as good as they do if my mom and older sister had not helped me and several times told me a set up looked hideous which was true:P

For those of you who wanted to know how my summer went here it is…

Short answer: GREAT!

Longer answer:

At the end of May right before school ended, I got in contact with the president of the local chamber of commerce. After several e-mails I was able to meet her and got some wonderful help and advice. I was able to work some with the chamber this summer and also provided cupcakes for one of their events in June. I met several great people and got a lot of advice plus several orders from the chamber of commerce members. I kept busy with orders this summer without having the business take over my whole life; I still went on a short vacation, hung out at the pool and had some fun besides making cakes. I have found out that word of mouth or meeting face to face with people is usually my best way to get orders. I also took the advice of several people on here to market as a limited time.

Because I had a well calculated business plan, a timeline for what to do before school was out and business started so that I was ready to go and make the most of the whole summer, correct pricing i.e. knowing all my costs for food, overhead, packaging, monthly expenses, etc., what I would make and not make such as no licensed characters or making less than a dozen cupcakes, I had a great summer and a successful business. I did have to turn down a few orders for various reasons and because I had correct pricing for my product I know it was out of some people’s budgets but, I didn’t try to change my policy just for one more order. At the end of the summer, I have paid myself for my start up expenses and also made money.

Thanks to the advice I got here did make the right decision to not try to hide my age even though I was still a little afraid I might sound like I was using it like a crutch. I tried to tell people more like “you should buy my cake because it’s good, and in case you’re wondering I’m also fifteen” instead of “I’m fifteen so you should buy my cake, and it’s also good”. I think I succeeded at that but I did find out it was a little easier to tell people I was in high school and then if they asked further, which most of them did, tell them my actual age. Thanks for all the awesome advice on this thread and all the other forums! And in case any of you are wondering, I'm planning on doing this again.

That is great!  It is nice to hear about your success!

 

Liz

So great to hear your summer was a success and a blast..  What a good experience for you to be able to work with the chamber of commerce.  Have a great year in school!

 

Jeanne

Congratulations, it's great to hear that it went well.  As you have discovered forward planning can make a huge difference.

AI wish all the adults starting 100 threads waiting to be spoon-fed every single detail from cake recipes to packaging to pricing to local laws would read this thread and take some initiative. A 15 year old managed to figure it out without plastering CC with 50-11 "HELP" threads.

Congratulations on a successful summer OP.

AWOW!!! First off, at 15 I didnt even know what I wanted to do when I "grew up." Heck, I'm 27 and still unsure.

I don't know you, but I'm proud of you. My brother is your age and doesn't even know what a business plan is, he is not stupid just lacks the drive you very clearly have. I'm impressed and even a bit envious of what you have accomplished at your age.

The drive and ability you have proves that you will be very successful at anything you choose to do! Own it.

Wow..the last few days we have had post from 13, 14 and 15 year olds. If I had a good head on my shoulders at that age instead of being boy crazy "I coulda been somebody. I coulda been a contedah" what movie was that from??

 

keep up the good work kiddo and don't quit when it gets hard!!!

A

The movie was On the Waterfront.