By Andy Sevilla
Planning, strategies, advertising, contests – these must-dos are part of starting a business, and a local stay-at-home mom is just one trying to get her head around all of it. Moving from the corporate world to baked goods, Cynthia De Los Santos is trying to turn a sweet hobby into a full-fledged business.
Almost seven months ago, De Los Santos began making cakes and cupcakes out of her Kyle home for several events. Her baking hobby took on the name of Sweet Cynsations.
Part of her strategy was an online Facebook contest, with which she tried to lure prospective customers to try her treats. She said prizes included a dozen cupcakes or a six-inch cake.
Kyle Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Officer Julie Snyder said many area businesses are now marketing themselves on social media. She said Tiaras, a clothing boutique on FM 1626 in Kyle, does almost daily posts.
Snyder said that having people “like, comment and/or share” your business’ Facebook posts opens the business up to prospective customers and clients.
“Especially in Kyle, I noticed, they’re very social network connected,” Snyder said.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) suggests newcomers like De Los Santos, or anyone looking to start a business, get to know the market.
“To run a successful business, you need to learn about your customers, your competitors and your industry,” SBA states on their website. “Market research is the process of analyzing data to help you understand which products and services are in demand, and how to be competitive.”
For De Los Santos, making spare money while being a stay-at-home mom is a way to help provide for her family.
De Los Santos quit her customer service job a little over two years ago to spend more quality time with her three kids and husband. She said her evening shift would keep her from dinners and family time.
De Los Santos had an interest in baking cakes, but didn’t have the means to take classes. So, she taught herself to bake – with a lot of help from the internet website Youtube.
Last December, her mother was getting married and asked De Los Santos to make the cake. She took the challenge and created a nice cake to complement her mother’s special night, she said.
After that success, and much thought, De Los Santos said she took her hobby to the public. Earlier this year she began making cakes for all occasions, including birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, baby showers, business lunches and many other special occasions.
De Los Santos said her clientele has grown and repeat customers are not unusual.
The SBA says understanding the market can help reduce business risk, spot current and upcoming problems in the industry and identify sales opportunities.
That’s one reason De Los Santos said she will continue baking as a hobby and test the waters to see if developing a baking business is in her future.
“Before I begin that amazing adventure, I wanted to test it out for a year and see where it takes me,” she said. “Obviously these first seven months have flown by, and I have definitely expanded a lot more than I thought.” Snyder’s advice: “Use as many resources as possible. If they’re looking at lending, if they’re looking at financial services, not only does our community have a lot of those resources, but our state does as well.”
De Los Santos said if her orders and clientele continue as they have, she’d look into developing a business, moving into a shop and continue growing through referrals.
“As of now this is a hobby that’s allowing me to help pay bills,” she said. “I definitely do hope to eventually expand.”
10 steps to starting a business
1. Write a Business Plan
2. Get Business Assistance and Training
3. Choose a Business Location
4. Finance Your Business
5. Determine the Legal Structure of Your Business
6. Register a Business Name (“Doing Business As”)
7. Get a Tax Identification Number
8. Register for State and Local Taxes
9. Obtain Business Licenses and Permits
10. Understand Employer Responsibilities
Source: The U.S. Small Business Administration10 Steps to starting a business
