Live Better with Willie Jolley: Let Them Eat Cupcakes
Let Them Eat Cupcakes
By Dee Taylor-Jolley
Attending the “Powering Small Business” Breakfast Conversations at the Washington Post last week was refreshing. A representative from the Small Business Administration moderated the panel. She summed up some rather depressing information. Wait! I know I just said it was a refreshing two-hour program! Just give me a minute to get there.
Control Your Destiny
Get comfortable being uncomfortable. That was the mantra! More small businesses are starting up now than ever. And women are starting them more than men! Why? Being employed by others is uncertain! No one is looking out for your best interest but you! Hewlett-Packard announced the prospect of laying off over 27, 000 people over the next two years due to slow sales!
Advocate for Yourself
The panelists discussed jobs, financing and the economy. “You must become an advocate for yourself,” they advised. And please, understand the taxes and the federal regulations that affect your business. Get involved in coalitions that advocate for your business.
Keep Your Head Down
Develop a one-page business plan. Then create a “to do” list. Why a one page business plan? Everything moves quickly in this economy! Tomorrow brings game changers. Be nibble. Ask questions. Focus on meeting the changing needs of your customers … in real time! Keep your head down and build your business!
Let Them Eat Cupcakes - Refreshing!
Sisters Katherine and Sophie, founders of Georgetown Cupcake was the highlight of the conversation! Both sisters had a passion for cooking and making desserts. Their parents did not! Their parents emigrated from Greece. Worked hard to send their girls to prestigious colleges to be become lawyers and doctors. Katherine and Sophie wanted to make cupcakes! Their parents were horrified. Katherine and Sophie quit their jobs. Cashed in their limited 401K monies for one would give them a loan!
They opened Georgetown Cupcake in a small-dilapidated space just off the main strip in Georgetown. There was no money for marketing.
Now just four years later, Katherine and Sophie own the first and only “cupcakery” in Georgetown, where they sell ten thousand cupcakes a day! Ten thousand cupcakes a day. Wow! You can watch them in action in DC Cupcakes, their new TV series on TLC Network. Plus, they are the best-selling authors of The Cupcake Diaries: Recipes and Memories from the Sisters of Georgetown Cupcake. They traded careers in fashion and private equity to pursue something a little sweeter — their passion for artful cupcakes.
Their advice:
- Owning a small business is tough. There is no perfect day. So adjust to constant change.
- Listen to your customers. They will tell you what they want. Give it to them.
- Create an amazing product.
- Review your data to determine how you should grow.
- Your relationships must be strong enough to withstand being in business with family!
- Never give up!
The sweet, refreshing lessons
I gleaned from their conversation (as I ate the red velvet cupcakes they brought):
- Pursue your vision, even if those you love don’t get it.
- Everyday there’s a new challenge. Handle it.
- Focus on your customers’ needs and fill it.
- And let everyone eat more cupcakes!
Dee Taylor-Jolley, President & Training Manager, Willie Jolley Worldwide
Dee Taylor-Jolley is the President of The Jolley Institute, the learning division of Willie Jolley Worldwide, which focuses on presentation skills, leadership development and customer service.
She holds a Masters Degree in Curriculum Design from The Catholic University of America.
