New Year, New Stuff!

Well hello 2013, didn't you creep up on us a little bit...?  Still getting used to writing "2012" on my things, and now have to make that 2 turn into a scary looking 3 with a few well-crafted pen strokes.  Remember when time seemed to stand still when we were kids?  What happened to those glory days?

Anyway, HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone!!  We're excited that we can officially begin telling people, "Yes, we started our business last year."  What a nice ring that has instead of, "Oh, we started our business a few months ago, don't laugh, we're serious about making this work."  It sounds so much more professional when you can tell potential clients that you have successfully been in business since 2012 with no major mishaps.

This is all paled in comparison to the amazing news we have for everyone today.  For those of you who are new to the blog, or only read a handful of our posts, this past year has been operated on a shoestring budget.  As of right now our baking bank account has $162 in it.  We are by no means ready to trade on the NYSE. We're growing, though, which is evident in the fact that we even have a separate business bank account.  But this is still a shoestring operation until further notice.  We buy only what we need, everything in bulk at discount stores, and bake only what is absolutely necessary.  We use Facebook and this blog as our only means of advertising, as both are free.  We have wallpapered the Pittsburgh area with our business cards that someone gifted to us.  We have no working dishwasher, and make every order by hand with a small hand mixer and a few well-loved mixing bowls.

Until today.  Today, everything changes.  Today we can officially announce we have enough money to buy the one appliance we have always dreamed of owning, a professional KitchenAid Mixer.

For those of you who think, "Those things are only like $400, why haven't you bought one yet?" let me remind you of our shoestring budget.  While we do have a separate full-time job at a company, those funds are used to pay bills, buy food for us to eat, and pay down those dastardly student loans.  There's little left over at the end of the month for high-end appliances, and all the funds that are left over are saved for the day where we eventually do open our restaurant.  We believe in the theory that we use what we've been blessed with, whether it is a hand mixer with a questionable motor, cupcake tins from the Soviet era, or donated supplies from friends and loved ones.  Opening a business is a marathon, and well-planned finances help you finish the race.

So for the past 6 months we've been saving our coins and small bills in a jar on our dresser.  You know the routine, you get ready for bed, empty your pockets out and find 84 cents you didn't know you had.  Into the jar it went.  It's money we didn't even realize we had, so adding it to the jar was nothing.  Didn't even thing about it.  Every time we had $50 saved up, we would make a trip to the dreaded Giant Eagle (that's another story for another post) and buy a Visa gift card.  Slowly, ever so slowly, we were going to save up for this mixer.

We had help along the way.  Donations from friends who heard about our coined plight.  Gifts from friends and family.  We were once even paid for a job with a $50 gift card (totally unexpected but appreciated).  Slowly the number of gift cards grew.  Slowly we realized this would eventually work.

So as 2013 rings in across the world, we are happy to announce we finally have enough gift cards to buy that dang mixer!  The professional size, of course, we do have an image to keep up.  :-)

Now all we have to decide is what color we want.  Any suggestions?  Our flour/sugar/rice counter containers are red, yellow, and lime green.  Should we go with a color that compliments that like an aqua or pink or orange?  Or do we go with something classic and timeless like ivory or black?  Maybe we should consider which color is the easiest to clean...

Let us know your thoughts about color choices, or any other helpful KitchenAid mixer tips you might have.  And if you order anything from us from this point on, know that we did not mix it by hand!  We will soon be the proud owners of an amazing KitchenAid mixer! :-)

Happy 2013 everyone!

12 Things We Learned in 2012

Man, what a year!  365 days ago PSR was just a twinkle in our owner's eye.  It was a far off dream, lacking in skill, time, money, and hope.  Sure we liked to bake, but to actually sell what we made to people?  Book weddings and stuff like that?  Really?  Sounds unlikely.

And here we sit, 365 (366 for those keeping up with their leap years) days later, in awe at what has happened in this past year.  Are we where we ultimately want to be?  Heck no.  But we are much closer to our end goal than we ever thought we could be last December.

To celebrate the past 365 days of awesomeness that 2012 has brought our baker, we present to you a list simply entitled

12 Things We Learned in 2012

1. It is never too late to try something new.  We say that only being 26, so maybe that sounds a little funny.  But 4 years ago we graduated college with a degree in history and secondary education.  And now we're trying to start a new business.  It's amazing the path our lives take if we simply open ourselves up to possibilities.

2. Baking is not as simple as following a recipe.  There's so much more to it than that.  This is not a simple "Follow steps A-G" business.  This is artwork, this is creation, this is pure joy and love.  If you don't love baking, and you're a baker, your customers will see it in every piece you create.  My pieces may not be 100% perfect, but you can tell I put my heart and soul into each one.

3. Practice makes perfect.  I've had some pretty big mess ups this year.  Some of which people still lovingly accepted.  Some of which I quickly pitched.  But working at something until I get it, it's such an amazing feeling when you can pull off the unthinkable.

4. Powdered sugar has a way of ending up in really strange places.  Always wear an apron and never wear an outfit that you look at and think, "Hmmm, maybe I could go out later tonight in this."

5. Never bake on an empty stomach.  The customer will suffer, as will your waistline.

6. Put yourself out there.  Take risks, be adventurous.  Don't be afraid to say, "Hi my name is Lis and I run a small bakery!"  You never know who might remember that one line later down the road.  We've been selling that line for the past 6 months, and have booked 1 bridal shower, 2 weddings, and several parties.  It feels great to know that my enthusiasm for my business has lead to a steady growth in business.

7. Take your finances seriously.  Don't put your business money in with your actual money.  Open up a separate account, and act all "adult-y" with your funds.  Spreadsheets, finance trackers, find a way that works for you and stick with it.  You will only regret it later if you don't.

8. Find your weakness and educate yourself.  I'm not a business woman, never have been.  So I took tons of classes, read books, and asked for advise from business professionals in the area.  It's amazing what I've learned in the past year about running your own business.  It's hard work, that's for certain.  But if you're passionate about something you love to do, make sure you learn all the ins and outs of it.

9. Always thank those who help.  Starting a business takes a little luck, a lot of planning, and a mountain full of help from friends and family.  When help comes from loved ones (and it will), make sure you acknowledge how much you appreciate their time, services, and support.  I have a stack of cupcake-themed thank you notes that I constantly use to let people know how much I appreciate their support.  You can't open a business by yourself.  Make sure you take time to let those who have helped know how much their helping hand means to you and your business.

10. It's OK to make messes.  Just remember to clean them up.  No matter how tired I am, everything at least gets rinsed out before I go to bed.  Waking up to dirty but rinsed mixing bowls is much better than waking up to dirty mixing bowls with dried on batter.  The bed can wait 5 more agonizing minutes.  The dishes cannot.

11. Be open to new opportunities.  This is a hard one for us to remember sometimes, because we have a dream idea in our head about how our business should look 5 years from now.  It's good to set a plan, but keep yourself open to new opportunities.  We never know where it might lead.  Personally, I started out as a teacher, but allowed myself to slowly be lead to baking.  Who knows where I might be if I hadn't allowed myself the chance to try something new.

12. Have fun or get out of the kitchen.  Baking is an absolute joy for me, and I wouldn't have it any other way.  If the time ever comes where I think, "This isn't any fun for me" I need to either readjust or hang my apron up.  Good baking comes from the heart, not from a recipe card, and I need to remember to have fun each and every day I step into the kitchen.

There you have it, 12 lessons from 2012.  Keep following our bakery in 2013, we have some amazing things planned for you!!

Happy New Year, readers!

Lis