I have declared January “Mom Month” for my blog so I will be doing some fun things this month including “Mom-preneur” interviews, give-aways & more.  Each week I will feature a local Mom-preneur.  If you are a local Mom-preneur in the Southern Colorado region and would like to be featured on my blog, please email me and I will send you an application.
Today’s Mom-preneur feature will be about a local cake-maker, Callie Helm.  She works magic with fondet!  Since we all know that I am not the best at cake making, she will be making my baby’s birthday cake & my daughter’s baptism cake this month. Yay for not having to fail miserably (yeah, the Lego cake…..not so cute!)

What is the name of your business?

The Cake Box

How did you come up with that name?
Originally I came up with Colorado Cake Box, but decided to simplify
it to The Cake Box.  I wanted something cute and simple for my
customers to remember.  Short and sweet and hard to beat! 😉

How long have you been doing this?
I have been baking and decorating cakes for about 10 years, since my
oldest was a baby.  Mostly just for family birthdays and occasions  It
was something I enjoyed doing, and then earlier this year I discovered
fondant!  I made my first fondant cake for my sons 2nd birthday in
February 2009.  Now, I LOVE doing it!  I began receiving a lot of
positive feedback from a cake blog I started
(coloradocakebox.blogspot.com), and thought, “hey!  I can probably
sell these!”  I began marketing on-line and started a website, and the
orders started piling in!  It has been less than 6 months, and even I
am surprised at how quickly it has grown!

Please explain a little bit about your product/business and how you
developed the concept behind it:
I believe every cake is a work of art, and every occasion is worth
celebrating!  Food and art are two of my favorite things, and the idea
of mixing the two together was very exciting for me!  I wanted to
create a service where I could work with my clients from start to
finish and design the custom cake of their dreams.  Typcial grocery
stores and bakeries don’t offer custom fondant cakes.  With shows like
The Cake Boss, and Ace of Cakes, custom fondant cakes have become very
popular and trendy.  It seemed like the perfect time to launch my
business!

What makes your product/business so unique?
There are a small handful of bakeries in Colorado Springs that offer
custom fondant cakes.  Most cater to wedding cakes.  My service offers
custom fondant cakes for any occasion, and in almost every theme.  I
custom mold characters out of fondant, including animals, people,
babies, etc.  These are unique custom touches that customers crave and
appreciate.  My service is also unique in that I can make 3D cakes,
including cars, animals, etc.  Every cake truly becomes a work of art,
and customers love that element.  I also bake all my cakes and make my
fondant from scratch, so customers know they are getting quality
ingredients in every bite.

Do you have a store-front/ website/ etsy?
http://www.coloradocakebox.com

What is the hardest part or have been some of your struggles starting
your own business?
This is a one man show for me, so the hardest part has been keeping up
with the orders!  I am not always the most organized person,
especially being a stay at home mom to three kiddo’s!  It has been an
adjustment keeping track of orders, customers, dates, payments, etc.
There have been many late nights for me, and many “growing pains”, but
along with the struggles and the days where I feel want to give up on
it, come the joy and satisfaction of following my dreams and knowing
that I am using my talents to bless the lives of others.

How do you balance your business and your family?
I couldn’t do it without my very supportive and loving husband.  He is
my rock.  He has supported me and pushed me from day one.  Thankfully,
most of my orders are for the weekend, when he is home.  He takes care
of the kids and their needs while I bake and decorate.  It is a
blessing doing it from home, because if I need to take a break to tend
to my family I can.  I work according to my schedule, which makes it
manageable.   For example, I am not accepting orders for the week of
Thanksgiving because we will have family in town.  It is nice to make
those changes when I want to.

What are some of your short and long term goals with your business?
I have recently branched out in to teaching cake decorating classes
from home.  I was surprised at the demand for them!  If it proves to
be successful and worthwhile I may continue with a more permanent
schedule.  For now, I am happy where I am at.  My youngest is only 2,
and I love having time to spend with him each day.  When he starts
school in a couple years, I may consider growing my business to a
store front, and hiring help, so I can take on more orders.  That is
what I love about what I am doing.  The sky is the limit, and I can
choose how high I want to fly. 🙂

Thanks Callie!

For all our blog readers, Callie is offering a 20% active duty military discount, and if you mention “France Photography” she’ll give a 15% discount on any order!

Check out these killer cakes that she has created: