More and more every day I see that my fellow girlfriends are using
Facebook as a platform to promote or sell their products. Women in general are becoming entrepreneur and are doing it on their own terms. They are using
Facebook to do this. The times have changed when women used to go to banks to get loans, or just simply use word of mouth. Now with one click on the “Share” tab you can extend yourself and show what you’re selling to thousands. This trend is expanding everyday and women are having more opportunities to actually make a decent living doing something that they love; while able to maintain a home and be a full-time mom. Our “Hobbies” are becoming careers and success stories!
In our society women are doing more than ever in history. We are multi-tasking like never before, we each should have 10 arms for the daily “to-do list” we have. Men are not the hardest workers anymore, thanks to our technology that we have today women are just as hardworking or may I dare say even more! Women are using social outlets such as
Facebook to make a living! We are able to work from home, and be around when our kids and husbands get home. Success is not guaranteed to everyone, but for those who have reached success, your dedication and hard work is paying off.
Like these women I will be talking about in my blog. They each have a unique story to tell, but they each have a happy ending. I will be featuring four women who are housewives/full-time moms and also have regular 9-5 jobs. They decided to start a business with no prior experience or funds to start it up.
Facebook made it possible for them to just “Share” with others. With each click from their family members, their friends, and new people from all over they are experiencing a whole new world!
My first feature is my good friend Anita Rosario. She makes cakes and cupcakes from her own kitchen, not just regular cakes but art that is edible. She created
Annie's Creations , and makes unique desserts for all ages. You’re guaranteed to never have experienced desserts like
Annie's Creations! On one of her breaks, Anita took the time to answer some questions about her new found business and how she used
Facebook to market her products.
Q. Tell me a little bit about Annie’s Creations?
A. Annie's Creations is a small cake business from my home in Bronx, NY, which I began back in June in 2010. I am also self-taught, meaning I did not take any courses in cake decorating, nor did I have someone teach me. Annie's Creations goals are to create cakes for people and help make their birthdays or events super special with something they will not forget.
Q. When I go on your website, how do I place an order?
A. When a potential client enters my website they can see pictures of my creations as well as get an idea of my prices. Once they are interested or have any questions they can just go to the tab "Contact me" and fill in the questionnaire. Once that is submitted I will get an E-mail right away and I will contact them from there.
Q. How long will it take you to respond?
A. Once I receive the E-mail, I will respond right away, either by their E-mail or phone depending which way they preferred me to contact them. I take my orders very seriously; my response to them in the timely manner shows my clients how responsible I am and how important their orders are.
Q. What made you come up with the concept of Annie’s Creations?
A. I have always loved art. I love to see art in pictures; I love to create art in general. I always loved watching the food network since I was very young. Always amazed on how the chef's will put together food and make it so delicious looking. When programs began to show how cakes were made I was in all. Until the summer of 2010, I decided to try it out and do it on my own. I started doing cakes for family and friends for free; it is when everyone will coach me to go into business doing them because I would be successful in it. I later took their advices! And Annie's Creations was created from all the love and support from my family and friends.
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| El Morro Cake |
Q. What made you choose Facebook as your platform to promote your company?
A. I chose Face book because it is a great place to network. Not only because we all have friends that we do not actually see, be it from JHS or HS years or even employment. Face books gives you a great platform to promote a business by sharing your page, others doing the same and interact with your friends daily with updates, pictures and most of all they get to know you as a person as well.
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| Facebook Cake |
Q. It’s a fact that women entrepreneurs are self-funded, and do not rely on bank loans or inventors. Why do you think that it’s vs. men who do the opposite?
A. In my opinion, I believe it is because as women we are taught at a young age to run a household, a family. In most cases the women is the one in charge of the billing of the household. We learn how to do finances, we learn how to keep order, and we learn how to handle any situation that comes our way. Not to knock on men, but the truth is that majority of the men are taught at an early age to be providers and that is all. It is why they are mostly working and have no idea what happens in the household. What it takes to keep it running with love, financially, and keep order.
Q. How many cakes are you averaging a week? A month?
A. Recently, I have been working on cakes every weekend ranging from 1-3 cakes due in one weekend. For example, for the month of October I have a total of 10 cakes for the whole month. There are busy months and there are months that I am booked and have to deny orders.
Q. What is so special about Annie’s Creations?
A. I have to say that many different things set me apart from others. At Annie's Creations the clients will get to communicate with me personally, I will help them the best I can to get exactly what they want, I am very flexible as well. And most importantly my prices, clients will get an amazing cake for a great price. I have had clients who priced around for the same cake and have come back to me because of my price. People could say well you get what you pay for in a negative way meaning if you pay for something at a cheap cost you will get a cheap looking cake and possibly not taste good either, but at Annie's Creations I make sure that the client gets what they pay for a very tasteful cake and designed to their liking.
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| Skateboard Cake |
Q. Using Facebook to promote and sell your cakes, would you advise other women entrepreneurs to do the same?
A. I would totally advise other women to do the same, by creating a business page on Facebook. They would see the benefits right away, building a network from all over the world.
Q. What are the pros and cons of using Facebook to sell Annie’s Creations?
A. The pros using Facebook to sell would be that you can reconnect with so many people, and connect with new ones from all over the world. As well as becoming an inspiration for others.
Helping your business grow bigger and bigger. You can have contest providing potential customers with discounts and even freebies. The cons would have to be there are people out there that can steal your ideas and your pictures and claim it is theirs. Other than that I do not have many cons on using Facebook for my business.
Q. With all the competition out there, how do manage to stay successful and unique?
A. I welcome the competition; it’s what keeps me wanting to be unique. I stay successful through my personality, my honesty; my organization makes me very dependable. My clients know who they working with because I let my personality show with every consultation. I want my clients to feel comfortable with me and trust me with their order. And be able to approach me with any of their concerns. Having many of my clients who continue to come back to place orders and refer me to other people help me see how successful I have become.
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| Baby Shower Cake |
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| Dr. Seuss Cake |
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| Ann Taylor Cake |
Q. Do you have any favorite cakes that you have made? If so, why?
A. I have many favorite cakes actually, not to say that I don’t like my other creations but I think as a cake decorator we all have our favorites. Mines would be the “Tinkerbell Cake” I had so much fun doing that cake….came out very cute and playful. Another cake I would have to say was my “Jack Daniels/Poker Cake” because the bottle came out so realistic. My cake of the “El Morro” this is because not only did I feel so proud to be able to represent a major part of my island of Puerto Rico but I was able to bring a little of Puerto Rico for the client. Just to mention one more favorite cake it would be my “Skateboard Cake” it was so cool to make something look so realistic with the wheels and all… but again I have fun working on all my cakes and enjoy their outcome.
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Tinkerbell
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Jack Daniels/Poker Cake
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Q. What do your friends and family have to say for your new business and success?
A. My friends and family have been extremely supportive with my new business and of my success. I have had them even help me with some of my cakes. I thank them all for all their love and support because if it was not for them advising me to make this hobby into a business Annie’s Creations would have not existed.
Q. The expression “Have a dollar and a dream”, what does that statement mean to you?
A. You do not have to be a leader or a millionaire, just be a person capable to put some goals in front of you and successfully go for it. Once you have the talent you have the most important thing. Then you can do the research and go from there….Research and talents are free!
Q. How do you manage being a full-time mom, and wife? Now that you have this new business?
A. Managing all these jobs is extremely hard at times. But as a typical mother you learn how to manage your time. My kids at times help me with cakes, even though they love eating the fondant more than helping but it’s a time we have together that we can bond. They love to say “I helped mom with that cake”. As for my husband, who is extremely supportive helps a lot. He at times helps me with cakes as well, and always helps me with ideas, and is extremely proud of my success.
Q. What is your busiest season?
A. The busiest season is honestly around the summers and during the holidays.
Q. Where do you see Annie’s Creations five years from now?
A. Five years from now Annie’s Creations will be a full time running bakery located in New York.
Q. Do you think women can have it all?
A. Honestly, I do not think that women have it all. In my opinion we as women have come a long way. But it is still a man’s world that we live in. Society still has a conception that men are stronger, and have all the work ethics, because it has been like that for decades. Today women have slowly changed this by becoming the president of a big company, successfully starting their own business, also be able to prove that we are strong, maybe not physically against a man but strong in the mind, our will to succeed and we do whatever it takes to complete our goals.
Annie's Cake Creations
For more info and to place orders please contact Anita Rosario
Email: AnnieRosario@gmail.com
Tel: 347-856-8102
