Having your cake and eating it too – Our House Magazine
This article appears in the April issue of Our House Magazine
Looking for an escape from her daily job, one B.C.-based custom cake maker has found the perfect recipe for success.
Working inside a prison can be one of the most stressful jobs out there. And when you spend hours in a bleak environment where no one really wants to be, you need to find an outlet, a way to balance out the negative.
For Cheryl Arsenault, that escape came in the form of a food everyone loves: cake.
The Chilliwack B.C. resident and Corrections Canada employee wanted to find a hobby to fill her time away from work. A friend suggested they try a cake decorating class. It turned out to be a recipe for business success. She started bringing her tasty creations to work, and very quickly began getting requests.
“I went from just taking a couple of classes to a business in a very short period of time,” Arsenault told Our House Magazine.
Mostly through word of mouth, the baker and her business Mad Batters, has kept her busy. From a Super Mario design featuring a bubble gum machine to a Star Wars Stormtrooper mask, the majority of Arsenault’s cakes are for birthdays and anniversaries, but weddings also keep her on her toes.
Though her side business was taking off, it did bring an unexpected problem. Arsenault quickly realized her dining room table was no place for her edible works of art. And she was also going to need some heavy duty equipment if she was going to go to take her creations to the next level. She originally used a spare room in her townhouse, but last year she bought a home. And besides making room for her parents, she needed a home that could accommodate a commercial baking space.
So Arsenault turned her garage into that space, spending a few thousand dollars for things like commercial sinks, tables and an oven. She now spends up to 20 hours a week during the busy season working from home, pointing out the convenience of doing so means she can make her own hours.
“It’s a good business, I really enjoy having it at home!”
Looking to create your own home based business?
Dominion Lending Centres can help! Cheryl Arsenault somewhat stumbled on a side career making custom cakes for special occasions. While Mad Batters keeps her busy, the home-based business owner does have some advice for the novice entrepreneur.
Whether it be cooking or crafting, she suggested you’ll need to have the space in your home, don’t try to start it in your living room. And be prepared to spend a little money, especially if you need equipment. And that’s where Dominion Lending Centres Leasing can help.
The leasing division can fund all types of home businesses and the supplies that are needed to get started.
As Jennifer Okkerse, director of operations for DLC’s leasing division, explained, a $5,000 lease over a four-year term would be about $150 a month. She noted DLC Leasing would help arrange payments with vendors, all while building credit for the business. And if you wanted to expand to a store front operation, you would now be established among lenders for a small business loan. For more information about DLC’s leasing options, visit dominionlending.ca or email credit@dominionlending.ca.
– by Jeremy Deutsch