Today we’d like to introduce you to Anita Orozco.
Anita, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
The idea of learning an artful craft mesmerized me from a very early age. Seeing a 3ft handcrafted chocolate house in a small town candy store at age 5 initiated my intrigue of the sugar arts. Being finely crafted with chocolate windows, rocking chairs and even baskets of tomatoes in it’s kitchen. I was in total awe as it towered over me.
Throughout my childhood, I was drawn to all things crafty and artistic. Winning art awards, dance competitions and more. Then one day as a young pregnant wife I found myself staring at beautiful sugar cookies. I simply stated to the manager, “I’d love to learn how to make those”. He said, “You can, we’re actually hiring.” Working at that sweet bakery I learned a lot about quality ingredients, customer loyalty, and many of the decorating skills that I still used today.
When the economy was in crisis it impressed upon me the need to never rely on others for your income. That building skills that you can do for others is everything. So I began focusing on jobs that would help me acquire the skills to become self-employed. This part of my journey lasted about 4 years. Then I began to realize my skills had reached a level where I needed to start building my business concept. So I launched my website, created my menus, and began spreading the word.
During this time I fulfilled orders while I was employed. Working for other bakery I continued growing my skills from cookies to wedding cakes and taking on more orders for my personal business. I slowly cut my employee schedule down and used the other days to build my business. This was a critical element to making that leap to self-employment smooth. Being confident in your abilities and your product is critical for success in overcoming the fear of that leap. Now I take great joy in getting to create edible art that people enjoy. No one frowns while they’re eating amazing cake!
Has it been a smooth road?
Now having worked for myself for many years, I look back at some of the ups and downs. Some of the biggest struggles in this transition would have to be the initial networking and mastering the side skills that come with the job of owning a business. Things like web design, graphic design and photography are some of the skills that I had to dive into and learn for myself. Social media is the latest on my list of things I’m trying to master.
All of the above go together hand in hand to help achieve the branding that you want to present. There have been some hard learning curves but the days of wondering if I should find another job have been very few if any. I am so grateful for the support and opportunities that I’ve had. There are many bright sugar-filled days ahead.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Bimini Sweets Bakery creates a number of sweet things such as:
•Custom Cakes
•Iced sugar cookies
•French macarons
•Cake gems
•Cupcakes
We are most sought-after for our custom cakes. Truth be told I was not much of a cake person myself in the beginning. So my cake recipes are a little different from the mainstream. I find that it appeals to more individuals just like myself who are tired of dry dense cake. They also appreciate that we use real butter and cream cheese in our buttercream. The higher quality definitely sets us apart from most bakeries.
Not only is everything handcrafted but it is also hand delivered. We are thrilled to offer free local delivery to our customers. With such busy lifestyles, this is a truly appreciated convenience.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Dallas is a phenomenal place to be a baker. There is such diversity in style and taste. If I were to give anyone a piece of advice when beginning a craft like ours, I would tell them to take great photos and video. Pictures of great product and fun lifestyles are highly sought after. So pairing with other professionals such as event venues and photographers can help launch your business tremendously.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.biminisweets.com
- Phone: 214-962-6790
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @biminisweets
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/biminisweets/
Image Credit:
Sarah Shelton, Sky’s the Limit Production – www.skysproduction.com (Instagram @skysproduction), Lina – www.fotolinas.com (Instagram @fotolinas1)
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