A Sugamamas Cupcake!

What better way to cheer you up on a chilly winter morning than with cupcakes?!

Zoe Ventress runs Sugamamas Cupcakes Ltd, hand baking cupcakes to order for delivery. From delicious Mocha cupcakes (for grown-ups!) to the Cupcake of the Month – lemon sponge with lemon buttercream, Sugamamas certainly have a great range to choose from.

As a truly family business, chief baker Zoe runs Sugamamas with her business and life partner Ricardo, who has the jammy job of being Cake Taste Tester, occasionally helped by their little boy, Kieran!

Zoe’s plans for the future involve developing and expanding the business through Cupcake Parties, establishing a Sugamamas Coffee Shop – and of course a lot more cake!

See what cupcakes are on offer at www.sugamamascupcakes.co.uk or call 07580 205267.

What does your company do?
Sugamamas bake homemade cupcakes, giant cupcakes and celebration cakes for any occasion, all cakes are baked to order so they are completely fresh.

What makes your business different?
We will be donating a percentage of our profits to a local charity, final details are still to be confirmed, but we want to give something back to the local charities as they don’t always necessarily get the help that the bigger charities receive. Details will be confirmed soon and uploaded onto the website.

You will always deal with me or Ricardo directly and this is something I never want to change. In 2011 we’ll also be available for Cupcake Parties!

The Chief Baker and the Cake Taste Tester

What inspired you to start this business?
Since having my little boy, we are unable to go out and socialise as much as we used to so I found a hobby which was cake baking. I started taking my cakes to friends and work colleagues who kept telling me how yummy they were and telling me I should sell them, so in a spontaneous moment I set up Sugamamas and I love it!

How are you funding your business?
The business is being funded with my own funds from working full time, it’s difficult but it will be worth it.

Do you have any staff or partners in your business?
My business partner Ricardo is also my ‘life’ partner (as cheesy as it sounds), Ricardo does not get involved with the baking, however he is my rock & support, and of course my Cake Taste Tester, I trust him to give me honest opinions. He is someone I can run ideas past and he also helps progress the ideas forward.

Where do you see your business in 3 years?
… I see Sugamamas Cupcakes Coffee House – The dream!

What characteristics do you have that will help you make your business a success?
Passion and dedication, I’m finally doing something I enjoy doing! I get great satisfaction when people enjoy my cakes, I get to be creative. I am an easy going, friendly person and with Sugamamas being such a customer focussed business it’s perfect for me.

www.sugamamascupcakes.co.uk has lots more examples of their wonderful cupcakes

What are you most keen to learn that will help you grow your business?
I am under no illusion that there is much more to learn, I will be going on various workshops to learn advanced sugar craft skills, learn how to make detailed flowers and more.

Are there any brands, companies or personalities that you most admire or aspire to?
LOLA’S Kitchen is absolutely amazing, I love the way they present everything and of course they have a cupcake coffee bar which is my dream.

What do you think is the biggest challenge facing your company?
I think one of the biggest challenges for me if the fact I am a mum who works full time, therefore the challenge will be finding the fine balance between the different roles, my job and Sugamamas. Our little boy always comes first and at the moment I still need to work to do my bit in supporting our family and funding Sugamamas Cupcakes.

Is being a business owner how you expected it to be, or have you had any surprises along the way?
I have to say I am one of these people who looks into absolutely everything before going ahead. I have always been this way, my friends sometimes call me ‘Monica from Friends’ as I am such a perfectionist (I am unsure whether this is a compliment!) so at the moment everything is what I expected, there is still time for this to change and I am sure I will get a few surprises along the journey.

There is so much support out there for new businesses and the internet has so much information, I am sure I will find the support I need.

A special delivery from Sugamamas Cupcakes!

What is your main goal for your company?
My main goals are to keep the personal touch and for Sugamamas to become a recognised brand, I always want to ensure that every customer is over the moon so that they hopefully refer us and become repeat customers. Our goal will also be to support charity events where we can to help raise funds.

Do you have any advice for people thinking of starting their own business?
If it is something you want to do and you have researched well, then go for it. There is a great support network out there so use it. If you are going to go for it I really do wish you the best of luck.

 In addition, Peter’s wife, Lizzie and brother, Chris, are shareholder/directors who are frequently used as sanity checkers. On and off we have also employed nieces, nephews, step siblings, ex wives, anybody who is stupid enough to mention they have a few hours spare time. This is much to the annoyance of my young brother and sister (15 and 12 respectively) who find themselves sorting our stationery in their school holidays.

For us it really works. Not just because we passionately care about Duport and its superb team of dedicated employees but because it is so very important to us that this company succeeds. For us, in the family, there’s no such thing as set working hours, overtime, holidays and maternity leave, there are no HR and Health & Safety regulations. I must add this is our choice. We are not driven by bonus, targets or salary just those simple words “well done”. We are the dream employees, in principle anyway!

However, there is a price to pay when working with family and caring so much comes at significant cost. The roller coaster of emotions is amplified and as hard as you try to rationalise things, everything is personal. Most importantly you must be certain that your personalities and relationships and skills are strong enough to survive the endless challenges.

Here’s my top tips for working with family:

1. Effective communication is essential; listen to each other and no interrupting. We are getting better at this and have found more success in meetings when we remember this.
2. Respect each other as you would any business associate.  Over familiarity is great for cutting to the chase but can be equally unproductive.  
3. Get input from every member of the team and celebrate your successes together. It’s essential that every employee of the company is just as valued as the family members.
4. Understand the mix of personalities and make this work to your advantage. Tom and I can be a bit gung ho, whereas Peter likes details and analysis. In isolation these approaches have problems (we have proven this!) but together we seem to strike the right balance.
5. Share your worries and ask for help.
6. Leave office chat for the working day. It is inevitable that you will talk outside of work but this will alienate partners who are not involved.
7. Do other things together not just business stuff because family is more important. Ironically we have had some of our best big ideas during social occasions. 

How do you ensure that your family business relationships stay intact?