3 Ways I've Leveled Up in Palm Beach

It’s already been a year! Time flies in South Florida — in the best way possible.

We often miss the rolling, tree-covered hills, lush forest scenery, and Southern hospitality of rural Georgia, but we can truly say we love our lives in Palm Beach.

When it came to re-establishing Jorie Cakes, I’m encouraged to say that it was a smooth and quick process. I’m no stranger to the re-opening gig, this being my fourth time to start from ground zero in a new city.

This city, though, comes with an entirely different market than any of my Midwestern or Southern roots. Palm Beach is flashy, extravagant, and full of over-the-top parties. It took a few months to learn the customers here, but after some trial and error, here are the three most impactful changes I’ve made to my business over the past year:

ONE - Pretty Packaging

Everything here is elevated. To be in the game, you have to wow from the very beginning, starting with your packaging. I let my bulk inventory of plain white cardboard cake boxes run out, then I invested in taller and glossier cake boxes with a window to show off the amazing art inside. I found a set of pink cupcake boxes with handles to use at markets for customers to purchase one, two, or four cupcakes — in style. All of these extra expenses weren’t necessary for my previous regions, but now, they’re almost crucial to stand out in a sea of options down here.

TWO - Found a Community

Early on, I found and joined the Small Business Babes. It was kind of an accident that I came across their Instagram, but I praise God for giving me a community of like-minded, entrepreneurial women. I participate in their monthly socials, donate baked goods when I can, and have been a regular vendor at their monthly markets. Not only have I made valuable business connections, but it really feels like I’ve made friends.

Through the Babes, I was able to partner with Ricci Williams of Watching Women Win (@watchingwomenwin on IG) to host a Cake and Confidence Workshop. We had ten ladies come to learn how to decorate cakes, and are already looking at future dates for the next series.

THREE - Expanded My Offerings

Speaking of Markets, each one gave me a unique chance to try a new menu item. People don’t necessarily come for a slice of cake or a cupcake, but they do come for a quick, grab-and-go type item. Chocolate covered Oreos, individual cake cups, packaged brownies, and simple chocolate chip cookie packs were some of my best sellers.

My next battle was finding a way to still engage with my Ohio and Georgia customers — I miss you guys! While I can’t ship anything with buttercream (hello, South Florida sun), I’ve found that I CAN ship some of the items above, like brownie slabs and sugar cookies.

I’ll be launching a “Shipping Menu” soon — so keep an eye out if you’re in need of a unique, custom gift, or even just a treat for yourself.

My last addition are custom cake-related items. These I can always ship! Cake toppers, cocktail swizzle sticks, cupcake picks, you name it — I can customize and send it up to you.

If you’re local, I hope to see you at the fall markets. If you’re too far away to come to a market, let me know if I can ever help you celebrate with treats or custom items. After all, my core principle is that Life Deserves to be Celebrated, and my favorite way to do that is with something sweet!

xoxo

jorie