TGCCF (thank goodness its cupcake Friday)

Hello LCF cupcake fans!

I have to say I am pretty glad it is Friday now, and a Bank Hol WE! I think I am in need of a well-earned bit of R&R before the big LCF launch on Monday 7th September. Everything seems to be in place, I guess I'm going to have to order one or two last minute things whilst I'm away but that is the genuis of the internet :-) I've been preparing a couple of last minute cupcake packages for my brothers-in-law but from 7th September NO MORE FREEBIES ha ha. Gotta start making a living somehow! I seem to have rallied support all over the UK and have to thank my very supportive family and friends for that - let's see how it goes. Finally got my business insurance sorted out, cannot believe a £300 difference between two quotes!

I was at the post office yesterday and have even managed to get one of the clerks on-side, he remembered my logo and asked how it was going. He's also my spy... he loves to tell me the goss on the competition which I think is just hilarious (I just hope he's not a double-agent and doesn't kick my cupcake packages around when I leave the PO).

I should also point out that LCF "tweets" and you can find me at 'cupofcakegirl'. I have no idea why certain people like to follow my tweets (I'm talking about the computer software engineers) but the more the merrier and whatever it takes to spread Little Cake Factory's cupcake awareness.

Anyhow, better go get DD up as need to take B-i-L's cupcakes to be mailed off soon.

Have a great bank holiday everyone and watch out there's a blogger about next week,

Little Cake Factory girl

Birthday success!

Yipppeee, yet another successful postal delivery of 12 cupcakes! It's my sister-in-law's birthday tomorrow and I was going to surprise her by mailing cupcakes however I thought it would be best to warn her of their imminent arrival in case she wondered who was sending her boxed edibles... Apparently the cakes have already arrived and are looking pretty good so another satisfied "cupcake guinea pig" or CGP as I should start to call them.

I forgot to mention that I saw some cupcakes in Starbucks the other day. Can't they just stick to making COFFEE? I'm miffed because they do look rather nice, if a little too "perfect". Can't remember the price but I do remember it was more than my own proposed costs and they looked a bit teenier. Oh well, all's well in cupcake competition love and war, it just makes the rest of us try that bit harder.

BTW - the ginger cupcakes from the other day are still going strong three days on - I seem to have found the ingredient that keeps things from going stale too early. Even DD enjoyed hers. She also enjoyed an "In need of chocolate" whopper cupcake that I made with the leftover mix from the gift package. It looked more like a muffin (ridiculous)...

Do you think Dragon's Den would get behind me on my innovative "cupcake packaging" method? I know how I do it all has to be done by hand but if someone could just manufacture the thing that I make then it would surely revolutionise cupcake postage! Yes, there's an element of joke in that and it would do me out of business eventually I guess but seriously, why has no one thought to do this?!

I have got to remember to take MORE PHOTOS of the things that I make.

Later,

littlecakefactorygirl

Ginger cupcakes are goooood

Yummy! I've been experimenting and am trying to figure out whether ginger cupcakes should make it onto my standard menu. If anyone has any thoughts then please let me know (orders@littlecakefactory.co.uk). Do I keep "Born in the USA" (aka Red Velvet) on the list or do I ginger flavour instead?

I've also been reminding myself why I gave up web design. After three days of hair-tearing out at my computer I have finally sorted out an order form for my website. I know it isn't the end of the world but I'd like to give my users as many contact ordering options as possible. Some people hate emailing/phoning and if I take out the er, "interaction" then they can just pop an electrical order (?!) over to me. I am currently forcing my poor husband and family to test it out for me. I think they're on the verge of striking against my business anyway as I am also force-feeding them cupcakes... I think they're being too polite to tell me to stop the calorie overload.

Anyway, onto market research woo hoo. I am armed with my potential client list, red pen, coffee and sleeping DD so might as well stop procrastinating. Having realised that I am away the week after next I guess I better get a wriggle on as I'd like to hit the cupcake trail as soon as I return from holiday.

I've also got Karen Tack's book on cupcakes and am in two minds as to whether getting it was a good idea. Not because it is a bad book - but because it merely serves to remind me just how amazing the cupcake business is in the USA - her creations are completely mind-blowing. Who on earth would think of making a pea and carrot cupcake, (not flavour but decorated!) amazing.

I'm also loving "Ace of Cakes" on GoodFood (Sky) and it teaches me to actually have FUN with this business when the serious stuff is all good and done. Yes they make the most spectacular cakes but they also know how to work incredibly hard as a team and at the end of the day they aren't afraid to be seen enjoying what they do. It is giving me real inspiration!

Anyway - must do some fun Googling.

Bye for now

Cupcakes withstand a trip to Chertsey!

Well today I took 18 cupcakes in the car with me and drove to my friend's office in Chertsey. I packaged them up for a birthday treat and my friend volunteered to be a guinea pig for the "order". I was relieved that they made it in-tact, despite huge piles of butterfrost icing and sprinkles :-)

The initial feedback was that most of them had disappeared and that my friend was having to er, with-hold a cupcake for her boyfriend to try ha ha. I guess that is a good sign?!

This afternoon I am having lots of fun working on my website. I'm pretty pleased with my photos, they've come out quite well albeit I had to take them rather hastily before the sun went down last night - I was trying to get them in a good light! I was a bit unsure of whether to add my own photo to the website but I want to show my customers that Little Cake Factory is actually run by a real human being and to show cakes being made in an actual kitchen (as opposed to being passed around a giant conveyor belt in a warehouse somewhere).

Anyway - still loads to do but I'm having fun with it all. Such hard work!

Till another day.

Not long to go until Little Cake Factory is unleashed!

Hello cupcake-seekers and welcome to Little Cake Factory's blog. We are very excited about the imminent launch of Little Cake Factory, September 2009. Please check back soon as I'll be posting details of our cupcakes, how to order and upcoming cupcake promotions.

We start in September by offering all new customers 10% off their first cupcake order when they quote our special offer code - to be released shortly.

Meanwhile, I have a whole load of cupcake-flavour sampling to do!

See you soon,

littlecakefactorygirl