When to Hire?

In the fall of 2009 business was booming.  I was working in my home morning to night, non stop. Like tending to a newborn: 4 hours of sleep was glorious, looking "presentable" was relative and I seemed to constantly have a smear of something (buttercream) on my face. Then all the sudden I looked ahead to a "6 wedding cake week" and decided THAT is when I would finally hire someone to help me, and pull me out of the madness. I finally had enough  revenue to afford help, right?!
I hired a very enthusiastic gal that was going to pastry school, but never worked in a real kitchen. The enormous week began and I was excited to finally work with someone that had an real interest in cake! That quickly wore off when I found myself stopping what I was doing to teach her what I expected and how to do it. I wasn't able to work at my normal pace and now there was a time clock clicking away with so much still to do! By the end of the week I had an excited employee-in-training and a mountain of work ahead of me. What went wrong, there were two of us?!
Well, it wasn't her.... it was my flawed idea that I could hire someone to immediately jump in at my side. Its not possible(ever)! Save yourself mountains of stress, sleepless nights and possible negative repercussions for your business (and/or morale) by hiring someone BEFORE your busy season hits. Not only do they need to be fully trained for battle, but you need to know their strengths and have a system of communication and expectations already in place (more on this later).
By some miracle all the projects were finished and delivered.  I did have to refund $75 :( because of a design portion I delegated unsuccessfully to another newbie I pulled in at the 11th hour. However, I completed two cakes that turned out so amazing I used them in my promotional materials and it was also the first time I heard the phrase "better than the picture" from a a client.  
All in all I survived .....to work another week.

The Spark

When I left full time employment, it was more for my new little baby than for baking. They both (baby and baking) gave me the courage to change who I was and pursue my new identity.

The first couple weeks as the "new me" was scary, and I didn't have a clue who I was professionally or if this baking thing would work at all.  If I gave up I could tell people "I decided to just stay home with Amelia and be a mommy" and no one would judge.  Except, it wouldn't be true.... and I don't give up easy.

Weeks went by and I kept coming back to the question "what are you passionate about?" but unlike most people I have always known the answer: Brides!  I grew up the daughter of the founder of Disney's Fairytale Weddings, and as a little girl *helped* with some of the most gorgeous weddings in the country!  I loved brides my entire life, deeply.

One day something sparked in me and I confessed to my husband "I think I want to make wedding cakes for a living." I finally put it out there!  ...Silence... Stunned, he carefully replied "well, Jen, I think you have to make one cake before deciding that" He was right, so that's what I did. In November of 2008 I made my first wedding cake, took one million photos, and put it on my brand new website.  Two weeks later, I got my first wedding cake order. 

The Sugar Suite's First Wedding Cake

The Beginning

Let's start at the beginning.

I spent my entire pregnancy indulging my new baking hobby. Then it happened.

What would make a mostly sane woman decide to sacrifice her entire future, family and financial security for a dream? Love. I fell in love and my entire world began to revolve around a dream. The dream grew into a white hot desire to build something, something great, something of my own.

So, with absolutely no training, no experience and no money I embarked on one of the greatest adventures of my life. Armed with the internet as my professor and my little baby girl in her bouncy seat I jumped in ......the deep end.