I got a call from a lady who is starting a home baking business. She wanted me to give her tips on starting her business, and what pitfalls to avoid. Guess where she's located?
Yep. Cincinnati. Call me! I'll give you tips on how to set up and run a successful business as my direct competition.
Which is probably why I'm flirting with the idea of selling my business. Because there is a million of us home type people in this area and I get next to no business anymore. Unless I just really suck and refuse to admit it to myself. In which case my business advice would do her more harm than good.
Going in search of a glass of wine.
I am happy to offer help to people in my local area for a small (large) consulting fee.
You could probably make a decent living just offering turnkey solutions for new business owners.
"I'd be glad to tell you my very best advice on how to be successful in this business! It's this: Never give away all of your best tips to your competitors. I wish you luck."
People just don't think.
Although in some industries where there are a lot of small businesses, there's a kind of sense of community or fellowship, and business owners do help each other out. But I think that's in kind of niche markets where any expansion of the industry is likely to result in *everyone* getting more business. Not in well-established, easily-understood-by-the-public businesses like bakeries.
Don't you give up your cake business!! What I've seen of your cakes is awesome.
You have real talent. The economy is sucky and I'm sure once things get back on
an even keel your business will pick up again.
I'm still going over the nerve or insanity of the lulu who called you!! GEEEEZ 
But I think that's in kind of niche markets where any expansion of the industry is likely to result in *everyone* getting more business. Not in well-established, easily-understood-by-the-public businesses like bakeries.
There are plenty of niche markets within the broader bakery market as a whole - specialty custom orders, events and weddings, cupcakes, high-volume/low-cost, breads, gluten-free, vegan, sugar-free, convenience, ethnic specialties, etc.
You are about 45 minutes away from me, and you are right there are a lot of us home-bakers. I do get about 2 or so cakes a week, but it's no where near the amount of doing this full time like I would like. So I have to continue to work at another job.
I would just bombard with advertising. Put your cards up at stores. Drop off samples at senior centers, doctor offices, etc. It's going to take lots of foot work. You have a big advantage over us cottage-food bakers, you can sell perishable items. Use that as an advertising tool too and make perishable items for people to sample that no one else can sell legally.
that phone call would probably annoy me too...some people just don't think about how things sound before they say them...I looked at your cakes and I think they are great! I would just keep trying to think outside of the box to get orders. Can you offer something along with your cake orders to make yourself stand out? For example half a dozen cookies? Sometimes things that cost us little to produce make the difference in a customer. Also it is possible to tap into a hidden market? Coffee shops that could sell your baked goods? Specialty botiques that you could sell cupcakes out of or something? We have a lady in our town that sells her home made fudge out of botiques in the area and they do well. I would exhaust every opportunity before you close because you definitely have the skill!
That really sucks. Please don't give up! Even if someone else in cincy starts a home-business, I'm sure they're nowhere as good as you!
I'm in cincy but I only bake for friends/family so no threat here! I love my 9-5 job and caking is purely a hobby for me.
Drink a glass of wine, look at some of the favorite cakes you've made and remind yourself how fabulous you are.
Wow...that seems pretty nervy.
I doubt her talent can compare to yours, so she's probably no competition.....unless she planned to undercut you price wise or something.
Trying to do this from home as a business is tough, but everyone's gotta figure it out. I'm in Cincinnati too, and it NEVER occurred to me to do anything like that. I felt like a spy calling local bakeries for price points! LOL
Hey, maybe you could teach others how to set up/run successful home based cake businesses!! You could write a book....give seminars.... Do you need something else on your plate? 
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