October 7, 2009
| Category: Success Stories
| Tags: Small Business Success Stories
Go With What You Know: Finding Success by Capitalizing on Your Passion
Are you looking for the perfect small business that will be both fulfilling and a money maker? If so, you may need to look no further than your hobbies. For many small business owners, following their passions has been not just a good life plan, but a good business plan as well. Erin McKenna of the popular New York bakery BabyCakes NYC is one such success story.
McKenna grew up with an insatiable sweet tooth. When she was diagnosed with an allergy to both wheat and dairy products, she thought she would have to give up this passion for sweets. After all, all of her favorite treats contained one or both avoided ingredients. This led McKenna to begin experimenting in the kitchen. After several years, she had developed a long list of delicious recipes that were free of animal products and other common allergens. Her baked goods were so in demand among friends and acquaintances that she had no choice but to start a small food and drinks business—a bakery offering her vegan treats to the general public.
Erin had accidentally hit on the first step to small business success: finding your niche. New York City, like many other large cities, has a large population of people who choose to eat a restricted diet, such as vegans, as well as people who are forced by food allergies into a limited range of foods. Because the most commonly forbidden foods are included in most ‘treats’, not being able to eat them either by choice or by health reasons can lead to an overwhelmingly boring diet. BabyCakes NYC was the first bakery in this booming area to offer food items that catered to the most common food restrictions, and was thus an instant success.
Another successful business plan for Erin McKenna and her business was staying outside of the bakery box. Instead of having a store with cutesy decorations typical of a bakery, BabyCakes NYC is a chic place to hang out. In fact, it has even become somewhat of a night spot in the area, especially among people who do not drink. Because the bakery was already quite different in offerings from most bakeries, the owner was free to try new decorating and branding strategies that were very different from the norm—and very popular among her unconventional clientele.
Another key to Erin McKenna’s success was word of mouth advertising. People in the vegan community are eager to share new places that cater to their needs with other vegans. Similarly, many food allergy patients belong to communities and support groups that cater to people with their needs, and thus have opportunity to share with each other about businesses such as BabyCakes NYC.
Just a few years later, Erin’s niche bakery has been the springboard to success, financial stability, and even fame. With a popular book of vegan baking recipes as well as a list of national television appearances, McKenna can officially call herself a small business success. Another store is opening soon in Los Angeles, giving McKenna the opportunity to test out her unconventional strategy on a whole new target market.
