The Cake Business Club

What if the business you’re working SO hard to build isn’t actually the business you want? 🤔

I think it’s very easy to absorb other people’s definitions of success without even realising we’re doing it.

A fully booked diary. £1,000+ cakes. £5k months. More followers. More enquiries. More, more, MORE.

And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with wanting any of those things. There’s nothing wrong with wanting more. But there’s also nothing wrong with NOT wanting more.

Maybe success for you is making fewer cakes and earning the same amount. Maybe it’s being able to say no to the orders you don’t want. Maybe it’s finishing work in time to pick your kids up from school, taking a week off without checking your emails, or simply earning enough from your cake business to give you the life you want.

There isn’t a right answer.

My mantra has always been that I work to live. I don’t live to work.

I want my business to give me freedom, flexibility and the ability to spend my time doing the things I want to do when I want to do them.

That’s MY version of success. And yours doesn’t have to look anything like mine.

So, strip away what other people tell you success looks like, what other cake makers are doing and what business coaches might tell you that you should want. (P.S. And as a coach, I will NEVER tell you what your version of success should look like. I’ll just help you build a business that gets you there.)

If nobody else could see what was happening inside your business, what would YOU actually want from it?

I’d genuinely love to hear your answer in the comments👇🏻.
Or DM me if you’d rather share it privately. 💌

Plot twist… this Reel might actually get labelled as AI because I’ve used some AI-generated images in it. 😂

But that kind of proves the point.

There’s a HUGE difference between using AI to create an image of a cake that never existed and using AI tools to edit, tidy up or remove the background from a photo of a cake you genuinely made.

But how do customers distinguish between that when the same AI label could potentially apply to both?

And I think this is where the conversation gets really interesting for cake businesses.

Because our customers need to be able to trust that what we show them is a genuine representation of what we can actually create.

For me, the question isn’t necessarily whether AI has been used.

It’s whether AI has changed the TRUTH of what the customer is seeing.

Removing a plug socket from the background?
Replacing the background completely?
Fixing a dent in your buttercream?
Adding flowers that weren’t there?
Making the cake taller?
Creating the whole cake with AI?
Where do YOU draw the line?

Because AI isn’t going anywhere, and personally I don’t think the answer is necessarily to stop using it.

But I do think we need to talk about how we use it responsibly, particularly in an industry where the cake images we share online are effectively our portfolio.

So, tell me in the comments…
When does AI become misleading for you? 👇🏻

More orders = a more successful cake business… right?

Not necessarily.

One of the easiest traps to fall into when your business is growing is continuing to say YES because the orders are there.

But demand and capacity are two completely different things.

Just because 30 people want to buy from you this week doesn't mean your business can make 30 orders this week.

And knowing your capacity isn't about limiting your ambition.
It's about understanding what you can realistically produce with the time, people, equipment, space and systems you have RIGHT NOW - while still making a profit and delivering the standard your customers are paying for.

Because growth sometimes means taking more orders.

But sometimes growth means hiring someone.

Investing in equipment.

Changing your systems.

Increasing your prices.

Or even saying “I'm fully booked.”

More isn't always better.

Sustainable growth is being able to deliver what you sell without your business - or you - buckling under the weight of it.

That's Part 2 of what I think cake makers can learn from the Terry Bakes situation. I’ve linked Part 1 to this Reel.

And whatever your opinion on what's happened with Terry, I think there are some really valuable conversations for us to have about how we build healthier cake businesses because of it.

There’s a LOT being said about the Terry Bakes situation right now.

I think there are some genuinely important lessons we can take from it as cake business owners.

And this is the first one.

Money coming into your business isn’t automatically money you have available to spend.

This is particularly important in the cake industry because we routinely take payments weeks - sometimes MONTHS - before we actually fulfil the order.

A healthy bank balance can feel reassuring. But how much of that money already has a job?

How much still needs to cover ingredients, materials, packaging, overheads and ultimately the product your customer has paid you for?

Taking the order is only the beginning of your responsibility to that customer.

And this isn’t about judging someone else’s business from the outside. It’s about looking at our own and asking:

If my sales suddenly stopped tomorrow, could I afford to fulfil the orders I’ve already been paid for?

That's a question I think every cake business owner should know the answer to.

Come back tomorrow for Part 2 👀

I’m not just a cake business coach and my clients are not just numbers to me.

I’m a lovely, genuine person and I always do my very best to get to know the people who work with me so I can support them as much as I can.

And that often goes further than just business support. Because I truly care about the cake designers I work with not just their businesses.

These are just some of the things I’ve done this week to offer support, kindness and friendship to my clients – both current and past.

If you want to be part of an amazing cake business community with me as your professional cake business cheerleader – the doors to ‘The Club’ open again next month.

Pop yourself on the waitlist from the link in my bio.

Because you don’t need to build a cake business alone – it’s so much easier with others around you who are also trying to build their businesses. And so much easier when you have a cake business coach like me by your side too.

Your future self will thank you for it.

But don’t just take my word for it. This is what Club member Sam has to say:

“I spent a good year following Kate on Instagram before signing up to The Club, but I wished I’d joined sooner!

Her drive and knowledge has helped myself and fellow bakers move our businesses in the right direction by giving us the confidence to price correctly and step out of our comfort zone!

I have learnt so much in such a short space of time and Kate’s support gave me the confidence to show my face on my business social accounts, resulting in a much higher reach!

The members within the group are also super supportive and helpful when you need advice.”

Join Sam and all of my other members from the waitlist link in my bio! 🥳

There comes a point in almost every cake business where you realise being busy isn't the same as being successful.

More enquiries.
More cakes.
More hours.

It's easy to believe that's the answer.

But after coaching hundreds of cake makers, I've found that's rarely the real problem.

More often, it's a pricing problem.

Or a profitability problem.

Or a confidence problem that's stopping you charging what your work is actually worth.

I don't want you building a business where every weekend is spent baking, every holiday involves checking your phone, and every month ends with you wondering where the money has gone.

I want you to build a profitable cake business that gives you choices.

The freedom to take a day off without panicking.
The freedom to pay yourself properly.
The freedom to enjoy the business you've worked so hard to create.

That's exactly why I created my free Cake Pricing Calculator.

It helps you understand whether your prices are actually covering your costs and making the profit you deserve.

Comment PRICE below and I'll send it straight over 👇🏻

👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

1. You've reheated the same coffee four times.
2. You're sweating more than the buttercream.
3. You can't remember when you last ate.
3. You're so desolate for a wee, you're not sure you'll make it to the loo.
5. You're decorating on autopilot.

Go and sit down for five minutes.

Thank you; please 🙏🏻

I don't know who needs to hear this... but not everything has to be done *right now.*

As cake makers, we're brilliant at piling the pressure on ourselves.

"I should update my website."

"I need to post more on Instagram."

"My cake room needs reorganising."

"I really ought to sort my bookkeeping."

And somehow we're trying to fit all of that in while making wedding cakes, birthday cakes, answering enquiries, surviving the summer heat and (if you've got kids) entertaining them too.

So here's your permission slip...

If it isn't going to make this week's cakes better or help this week's customers...

It can probably wait until September!

This season is about getting through it - NOT achieving perfection.

September will still be there.

Your website will still be there.

That drawer full of random cake toppers will definitely still be there. 😅

For now? Focus on what actually matters.

What's become September's problem in your business? Let me know below.

I have a feeling I'm not the only one putting a few jobs on pause! 😂