Hello all,

Does anyone else out there dread going to their day job and just wish they could make cakes professionally all day? I can't sleep and I really wish I didn't have to spend 9 hours a day at something that I do not love.
Most people ask why I don't make cakes a full time thing... and I am really not sure why not. Maybe I am afraid of failing, but a lot of it is that I lack the start up capital.

Anyone in my boat?

I'm sorry your feeling stuck in your job. I can only imagine how it must feel to go to work eveyday and not enjoy what you do. I think life is too short to not do what you love. But I know that isn't always possible. I hope things work out so that one day you will have the chance to make have your dream job, or dream bakery! Just keep chugging on and eventually things will work out. I know it's easy to sit back and say this to someone else. Just don't give up!Anything is possible!

I think I might just be going through a "mood". Every so often I just feel like I am wasting time. You are right- life is way too short to be stuck in a rut. Thank you for the kind words.

Luthien your cakes are totally awesome! What are the home baking laws like in your state? I think you have plenty of potential of being able to bake full time sometime in the near future!

Hello Luthien3,
Yes, I agree with you 100%. But I know I'd be soooooo much more happier if I was in the cake decorating/baking business.

I have the same concerns as to why I'm not. But, one day it will happen.

I'm in the same boat!

I hear ya! I am definitely in the same boat and I don't even go to work, I am home with my 2 kids under the age of 3. I sell cakes when I can and my husband works full time. We just bought a house and are scraping by to make payments and pay bills. My dream is to own a bakery someday, but we just don't have the money right now. My husband was just reminding me last night that we are still young and it will probably happen someday. I guess I'm just not very patient!

Yuppers! I'm definitely in that boat! I DREAD my job so much that I don't even like going to bed at night because I know I'll have to wake up and go to work.

I'm lucky in that DH is finally supporting me in quitting at the end of the year to go back to school to be a teacher. It's going to be tough, and we'll be scraping by for a couple years until I'm done (have to get a whole new degree)....but we're young! This is the time to be doing it.

I seriously thought about going to culinary school & specializing in pastry arts to build a foundation for a future bakery....but teaching seems to be a more viable option right now, and I know I'll love it! I think I'm keeping cake decorating as my hobby, hoping eventually (when I get much MUCH better) it will make us some vacation money!

Hang in there....your opportunity will come! [/i]

Well, I am an accountant and have hated what I do since I graduated from college. So....On January 27th of this year I walked away from it...high salary and all. I just could not bring myself to continue dreading every single day. Luckily, I have a very supportive husband is buying me time to figure out what I want to do when I grow up...I am 38 and haven't figured that out yet. I really want to start an dessert emporium. I love making desserts and have recently registered my business name but that is about it so far. I have been searching the papers and internet for a job I may enjoy and in the meantime practicing decorating cakes and pastries. I have had a couple little orders here and there but am afraid to take the total leap. My husband wants to set up a secondary kitchen in the basement so that I can get going with my business and have the Heath Departments approval. I am just afraid to invest more money into it considering.....I am currently unemployed...catch 22. All I can say is that not one moment have I regretted walking away from my job. Now when I run out of $$$ I might reconsider that statement but I doubt it. I would rather have less money and be happy.

Just my 2 cents!

Me, too. I haven't even finished the Wilton courses and I'm already dreaming of doing it professionally. You guys are good!!! You should definitely go into business for yourselves. I wish I could give everybody money to start their own business and make investments in you guys!

I've told my boss everytime my cakes are in a conversation that if I could make as much money doing cakes as I do at my job or if I win the lotto, I'll be out of here so fast his head will spin.

Hello again,
I took a look at all of your cakes. Oh my gosh, your cakes are flawless. I love them. I am baking/decorating cakes now and if I had cakes like yours to show I'd probably be making a nice chunk of change. I would think just showing your portfolio would get you business.

Much Luck to you!

Try taking some samples and pictures to catering companies. I did that and got so much business I could hardly handle it. This was for something very specific and it only lasted a few months. But if the law would let me, I would definitly put a kitchen in here. Worked for 35 years as a court reporter and didn't hate it but it was a lot of pressure. If you hate your job and you can leave do it. Life is not a dress rehearsal.

Well- If I had a job outside the home I would get up and leave today if I hated it. But, I can't really walk out on my babies! Don't get me wrong, I love them to death and am so grateful to be able to stay home and raise them. But you can bet in a few years when they are in school and we have a bit more money I will be pushing for my bakery!

I used to be a stock broker .... I hated every minute of it ....I walked away from a 6 figure income to become a stay at home mom 7 yrs ago... I love my life now .. I work a part-time job from home I don't make a fraction of what I used to but I get off in time to pick up my kids and spend the rest of the day with them.

My husband has has mixed feelings about this arrangement. He loves the fact that I'm home with the kids but misses the money terribly. he's been dreaming of the day I can go back to work.... it turns out this year he's been having one crisis after another at work his future in the company is very uncertain ..so now more than ever he wants me to go back to work full time

I'm so upset about this I can't begin to tell you ....at times I feel like I'm being selfish because I'm very fortunate to have been home for 7yrs which is more than most people can say ... to add insult to injury
is that this past year I discovered baking ... I would love to do this full time but right now life is pulling me in a different direction

so I know exactly how you feel!!!!

Ugh, I'm in that same boat too! I quit my full time job partly because I didn't see a future for myself in that career, but mostly so I could stay home with my 2 kids: 3.5 and 1 years old. Needless to say we're scraping by. I make cakes out of my house and would give anything to be able to live off the (little) money I make from them. I'm so ready to dive right in - do a culinary arts course, a Wilton course, work in a bakery, whatever! But then what about the kids...? I feel like I need to do SOMETHING to make a little more money, and I'd really prefer for it to be working towards doing cakes full time when the kids are in school.

Is it even possible to live off your cakes??

luthien3, it's possible! Quick story, I went to college got my degree so my parents would be happy. I got hired by an insurance company to be a Property Damage Adjuster. Worked there for a couple years and made pretty darn good money. I hated my cubicle. I hated anything and everything to do with insurance. Incredibly stressful job. I would wake up in the middle of the night and jot down notes on my files.

I had a good friend at work that knew I wanted to be a floral designer some day. I walked into my cubicle one day and there was a list of all the floral designing schools in the area with contact names and numbers. A PostIt said, "Follow your dreams." I squirrelled away all my money in the next six months to pay for school and pay bills. The thought of owning that cubicle for the rest of my working days was too depressing. EVERYONE thought I was nuts. *laff* Here I was making great money and I was going to trade it in for $8.00/hr. Needless to say, I had to work at a floral shop and have a second job so I could do what I loved. The owner of the floral shop knew what I was doing and eventually gave me a big enough raise so I could quit my second job. I don't regret it to this day. You just gotta take that leap.

Goodluck!

bikegal

Hey iceberg, we have a lot in common! I'm an accountant too....in Jersey. Where in Jersey are you? We could scheme together, lol!

as everyone else...same boat here!!! FT job is awful, make pretty good $$ for my area...but I have decided to take the leap and my husband and I working towards me having a home based bakery business!! but I will have to stay at my current job for at least the next year to pay off the loan for the business and few other bills!! so now that I have an end to this job in my sights.....I'm not as depressed coming to work!!

But I don't think I will EVER regret leaving this job & the money!!! and I don't think I will ever make as much money doing cakes as I do now....but as some others have pointed out.....my happiness is worth so much more!! And my husband as realized....if I'm happy....then he's happy (no more nagging about how much I hate my job!!!!).

I think the most improtant thing to do is have a plan and goal and go with it!!! It may take some time & scrafice, but in the end....you can't put a price on being happy!!!

Wow, ironically, I am struggling with the same exact dilemna. I have been teaching for 7 years. Although there are things I like about it, it has been an incredible source of stress and anxiety.

I started my cake business, and it has really taken off. I have so many phone calls, and so many wedding cakes, that I can't even handle it all with my teaching schedule.

I am heavily praying about it and what I should do. I am giving up a steady paycheck, but I just wonder how far I could go if only I have the time. I think I could get this to be ultra successful. I am going to talk to a successful cake designer from my area about her experiences to help me make my decision.

I'll take any advice I could get.

I would like to have my business off the ground in two years. I'm currently doing a few cakes on the side and enjoy it!! My youngest will graduate from high school in two years and by that time, I hope to have enough "business" to justify adding the garage/kitchen to the house. I am starting from scratch with trying to get into local restaurants, talking with some caterers, that type of marketing. My networking seems to be paying off! I've had several people from seminars that I've attended to refer me to others that need a custom baker. In three weeks, I should have my business plan finished and plan to truly market myself then.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do. I enjoy my current position and it has allowed me to work towards my ultimate position - me, THE BOSS!!
(sorry this is so long)
Leslie

pink bunny, excellent advice!!

I am staying at home right now with my little one until she is ready for preschool.

Anyway, I graduated and have my degree and want to work in what I graudated on but also would like to do cakes as a second part-time job.

However, here in Florida that is very difficult if you want to work from home and I would rather do that than to have to rent a place to do my cakes. Since it is part time, the revenue would probably not cover the rent for the place and utilities and stuff.

Oh, well, I am for now content to do cakes for family and friends but the business part will probably have to wait a while.

I wouldn't mind working for someone else, though.

... stepping in youre boat. Due to some problems on work, I am definitely daydreaming about starting a cake business. But my cake's aren't as good yet, I don't have a (dutch) licence, and since cakes aren't that familiar over here - I don't expect much customers
But hey - I can't give up dreaming or waiting on the day we finally win the lottery! And in combination with visiting this site - I'm still having a great day

sgmaluv,
Southern Ocean County, Exit 63. I haven't found an accountant yet who likes their job. Too much stress and overtime. I think that decorating cakes is a great way to relieve some of the stress. Also cakes and desserts make people happy, accountants never do...they are usually the bearer of bad news. I just want to make people happy!!!!

iceberg,

I'm in Morris County, exit 160-something (Can you tell how much I drive GSP?)....then west about 5-10 miles.

I actually DO know some accountants who like their jobs. Personally, I think they're CRAZY. But I'm an internal auditor - everybody hates us...especially when someone gets fired over our audit reports. That's never any fun.

Oh well.....I CAN make it till the end of the year! I think I can...I think I can. Maybe when I quit I'll make a "Little Engine That Could" cake!!!!

I just gave my notice the other day my vacation starts on May 22 and Im finished. I was just waiting for my bonus at work . I'LL be doing cakes just got an order for 2 wedding cakes from 1 person for the reception and home a 5 tier and a 3 tier. I'v been doing a few birthday cakes every week and have other wedding cake orders.