Amanda Chatwood-Price, also known as the Shaggy Turtle on deviantART, has recently started her own bakery called Cupcake Ninja.  She's got some great advice for progeeks looking to launch their own passion-driven businesses.

1. When did you decide to turn baking and cake
decorating from a hobby into a career?

I had been playing
with the idea of starting a business for a couple of years now, but
always told myself that it probably wouldn't work out and I wouldn't be
able to devote the time and energy needed to pull it off.

Fate
started slapping me in the face, telling me I need to start taking
action in starting my own business. For example, all at once people
started telling me I needed to start my own business. Also, a former
boss of mine told me I shouldn't let all my talent go to waste. What
really clinched it for me was when a friend of mine was telling me about
her frustrations in not being able to find a job in the photography
field. She explained she really enjoyed photography and that she was
thinking about starting out on her own. I told her (in my sage advice
giving voice) that she should at least try, and wouldn't it be better to
try and fail then never try at all then always wonder 'what if?' After
I finished speaking I realized I was being a hypocrite. So I decided
to take my own advice. Sometimes the most obvious things aren't so
obvious and Fate needs to give you a kick in the right direction.

I worked as a cake decorator at
a local supermarket bakery for seven years, starting out as part-time
then advancing to a full-time coordinator position. When I started
working there I had no idea how to decorate a cake professionally. I
had an interest in it and had dabbled at cake decorating at home, but
never took any official classes in it. As time went by I learned both by
watching others and experimenting on my own, eventually producing cakes
that the company used as examples for other cake decorates to follow.
From my time working there I learned that you should always try your
best at something, devote the time and energy needed to learn all you
can and use it to your advantage.

As with most job situations I
had both positive and negative experiences. From my positive
experiences I gained confidence in my ability to effectively communicate
with customers to determine what they desired and produce a product
that resulted in a positive outcome, giving them reason to come back
again the next time. I also learned the importance of time management
and organization, realizing that being organized can save a lot of time,
energy, and money.

From my negative experiences I learned how
to make the best of a situation. For example, if a customer is unhappy
with their product I will have first hand knowledge of how to make sure
the customer satisfied in the end. Also, if/when my business grows to
the point that I'll need to hire employees I'll know how to give
positive reinforcement rather than negative.

One factor that made me seriously consider
starting a business was when circumstances at my previous job
deteriorated to the point I was forced to leave in order to save my
sanity. In being unemployed and looking for a job the possibility
became more real, not just a day-dream I entertained myself with. Also,
people started asking me to make them cakes and cupcakes. When
everyone you know tells you to start your own business you eventually
start to listen to them.

I would say the biggest challenge is money, or
rather my lack of it. I am starting my business out small and hopefully
it will grow from there. It really helps to stay informed, keep close
watch of what I am spending on materials and labor and how that
translates into profit.

There is also the challenge of keeping
myself focused. I find myself getting excited about new ideas and the
different things I can make to the point where I have to tell myself to
slow down and tackle one thing at a time. I keep a notebook so when I
get an exciting new idea I can write it down and go back to it later.

I started posting on deviantART as a
means to throw my work 'out there' and see how it compared to other
people's similar work. Sometimes its good to be your harshest critic,
but it helps to have other people's opinions as well. I am very glad in
my decision to post on deviantART because it allowed me to gain
confidence in my work. In receiving positive feedback from other
members and recognition from the site with three 'Daily Deviations'* I
was encouraged to work harder and more seriously at my hobby.

A
couple years ago I started up my own blog site, using it as a place I
could keep a running record of the cakes/cupcakes I made and what I
learned from each experience. It also allows me to see the evolution of
my work and where I need to focus energy on improvement. I enjoy
receiving feedback from others, taking their advice and applying it to
future ideas and projects. I would say having a fanbase definitely
influenced my decision.

To promote my business I have made business
cards, printed up menus and passed them out, left my business cards at
local restaurants, made cupcakes and gave them to friends and family to
take to work or give to their friends, and I have given extra business
cards and menus to customers to give to their friends. I will be
passing out baseball themed cupcakes at local little league baseball
games this summer as well. I recently made a fan page on Facebook for
my business under the name Cupcake Ninja as another place to post my
business card, menu, and pictures of cupcakes.

One
of the reasons I chose Cupcake Ninja is because I was given the nickname
Cake Ninja by someone a while ago, and I have been using it since then.
When I started focusing more on making cupcakes I added the name
Cupcake Ninja to my blog address. When I was trying to come up with a
name for my business I had a couple different options picked out, but
nothing that seemed to be the right fit. I kept coming back to the name
Cupcake Ninja so I stuck with it.

I think the name makes me
stand out from other similar businesses since it is more original.
Hopefully the name will stick in people's minds and when they need to
order cupcakes they'll be able to easily remember it and contact me.

As
far as targeting a different demographic, I don't have a specific one
in mind, I just want to sell cupcakes to whoever enjoys eating them, but
perhaps younger adults will appreciate the spin on the influence of
Japanese pop culture in America. I do offer a Pocky and Ninja Blackout
cupcake as a nod to my business name.

I would like to
encourage people to not be afraid of starting their own business and at
the same time give some advice. If you're thinking of taking your hobby
and turning it into a career you should realize that you can make it
work if you're really serious about it. However, you need to be smart
about your decisions. Here are some things to think about:

Most
importantly, make sure there is a market for your product. Is there a
need for what you want to produce? If so, how can you make your product
more desirable than similar products?

Is your hobby something
you are very passionate about? If you make it your career you'll be
doing it full-time, sometimes working at it for far longer than you wish
to, maybe to the point where you might never want to look at your hobby
again. Will you be able to stick with it?

Next, think about
the risks involved. Do you have other means of income that will cover
your start-up costs? Something to fall back on when times are tough?
Will your profit exceed the cost of materials and labor?

Also,
know that you always have to improve and implement new ideas. Don't be
afraid of change.  Just because something always worked for you or
someone else in the past doesn't mean it's the best way to do something.
The marketplace is dynamic, and you need to be dynamic too. If you
have customers telling you they like your product but they think you
could improve it by tweaking it in some way, don't take offense and
dismiss their idea; make it work to your advantage!

The idea of
starting your own business is very scary in some ways, but don't let it
discourage you. I think the greatest reward will be in doing something
that you enjoy and be able to make money doing it. Do your research,
stay focused, and be positive!

Thank you for the interview.  We wish you the best of luck for the future.

For more information about Cupcake Ninja, see Amanda's website and blog.

- Tamara Hecht