From Home Bakery to Heart of the Community: How The Evergreen Has Found a Recipe For Success in Rural Kentucky
Episode Summary: Join us on this inspiring episode of Kitchen Notes as we sit down with Amy Smith, the dynamic owner of The Evergreen Southern Kitchen & Gathering Place, a multifaceted Bakery/Cafe & event venue in Bridgeport, Kentucky. Transitioning from a corporate career to entrepreneurship, Amy shares her journey of creating a thriving business that not only serves delectable treats but also stands as a pillar in the community. Discover how Amy's blend of passion, creativity, and strategic business acumen has transformed The Evergreen into a beloved local destination.This episode was originally recorded in November, 2022Episode Highlights:Amy's Transition from Corporate America: Hear about Amy's shift from a corporate job to running a thriving home bakery, and eventually founding The Evergreen with her familyThe Evergreen's Unique Business Model: Learn about the multifunctional approach of The Evergreen, incorporating a bakery, cafe, gift shop, thriving catering business, and emerging event space that supports local artists. Amy's smart approach to diversifying her business model sets them up for success, despite their "off the beaten path" locationCommunity Engagement and Support: Amy discusses the importance of community in the growth and success of her business, especially in a rural setting where "everyone knows everyone"!Challenges and Triumphs: Explore the challenges of maintaining a business in a rural area, and how Amy and her team have overcome them to create a thriving community hub at The EvergreenStrategic Business Practices: Gain insights into Amy's strategies for diversification and sustainability, particularly through catering & events - smart!Seasonal Business Strategy: Understand Amy's approach to seasonal business operation, including taking a break during the slower months to optimize operational efficiency & care for her teamMarketing and Outreach: Discover how The Evergreen leverages social media & email marketing to reach new customers and engage the communityResources or Links Mentioned:The Evergreen's Website: Visit The Evergreen's website to learn more about their offerings and community events.MailChimp: Amy mentioned using MailChimp for email marketing; find more information at MailChimp.
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39:31
Introducing: Bakery Finance Essentials Live!
On today's episode, I'm excited to announce a new program we are running starting the week of August 5, 2024 - Bakery Finance Essentials LIVE!I've been teaching my flagship bakery finance e-course in one form or another since 2019 ... it's gone through many iterations and revisions, and I'm confident it is the most comprehensive & approachable bakery finance e-course out there today. We re-lauched the latest version of the program last month, and now I'm excited to announce that for the first time EVER, we are running a LIVE cohort of the class!I’ve never run a Live cohort of this course before, and I'm looking forward to the chance to connect with you all on a deeper level, and to be able to give some more hands-on instruction and work with folks more directly than I’m typically able to do in the self-paced, DIY-version of this course.I recognize that some folks want a bit more guidance, and an additional component of accountability, that comes with signing up for a Live program. So - if you know that you work better with that added accountability of a guided, group program - then please consider joining us for this live cohort!To learn more about Bakery Finance Essentials and sign up today, visit:https://www.bakerybusinessacademy.com/finance**We discovered while editing this podcast that the episode mentioned with Amy Smith from The Evergreen has actually NOT yet been published! We are working on getting this "legacy" interview episode from November 2022 published - hopefully with an update from Amy - very soon. We will update this page with more info when that episode goes Live!**
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19:57
Reducing Friction In Your Ordering Process to Grow Your Bakery Sales
Order Up! On today's episode of Kitchen Notes, we're diving deep into your bakery’s ordering process - with a specific focus on reducing friction in the ordering process so you can increase sales. From crafting a user-friendly menu to leveraging modern technology for 24/7 ordering capabilities, we explore strategies & techniques to make buying from your bakery as effortless as possible. Join us as we discuss practical tips and share stories of real-world implementations that have helped us streamline our customer service process and grow sales.Resources and Links Mentioned:Shopify - An e-commerce platform that can help streamline your online ordering systemZapiet - Set up advanced rules and workflows for customer pickup, shipping, or delivery - this is a Shopify app that you'll install on top of your Shopify storeHot Plate - A simple & cost-effective online ordering app that's ideal for cottage bakers or those frequently working pop-up eventsSquare - A cost-effective POS tool with a robust online ordering platform.Listen to More on KPIs: Check out our previous episode focused on tracking key performance indicators, vital for monitoring the effectiveness of your ordering process improvements. Join the Discussion: Join our free Facebook Group for bakery owners to continue the conversation about improving your bakery’s ordering process and share your own experiences or questions!Rate and Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify and leave a rating or review! Your feedback helps us reach more bakery owners like you 🎉Visit Us: For more resources on running a profitable bakery, visit Bakery Business Academy.
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24:22
Mid-Year Recap (Part 2): Finance Deep Dive from Our Bakery to Yours
On today's episode, we dive into a detailed financial review of the first half of 2024. We'll discusses investments, revenue growth, budget considerations, and specific financial metrics that we're keeping on eye on as we grow our bakery. This financial check-up aims to provide listeners with insights on managing their bakery's finances and adapting strategies for continued growth in the second half of the year.If you run a bakery business, this episode is packed with practical tips and "lessons learned" from our bakery to yours.Key Points Discussed:Revenue Growth: Our total gross revenue increased by 12.5% with a notable rise in both the number of customers and total ordersOnline and In-Store Sales: Online orders grew by 8.25%, while in-store orders saw a significant rise of 16.5%. We discussed how we're using this information to further refine our sales strategy for online & in-store sales, so we can continue to grow and improveAverage Cart Value: A drop in average cart value from $23.77 to $22.15, with a dip noted more significantly in-store than online - we discussed what these trends mean in the broader hospitality industry, and adjustments we're making to ensure continued revenue growth, despite customer spending behavior dipping.Preorder Revenue: Preorders saw an overall increase of 9.3%. We discussed why this was, and what we're doing to continue to grow this revenue stream and continue to maximize pre-order and holiday sales at our shopBudget Management: We reviewed a detailed breakdown of budget allocations for cost of goods, labor, and overhead, along with the our bakery's strategic financial management approaches.To take a peek at the spreadsheet mentioned in the episode, please visit the podcast episode page on the Bakery Business Academy website, linked here:https://www.bakerybusinessacademy.com/podcast/mid-year-recap-part-2-finance-deep-dive-from-our-bakery-to-yours
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20:03
Mid-Year Recap: Hits, Misses, Trends, & Triumphs from Our Bakery to Yours (Part 1)
On today's episode, we're digging into "Part 1" of a new two-episode series where we look back at the first six months of 2024 - sharing key business updates, financial insights, and unique investments that have shaped the success of our year so far! Join us as we discuss the projects we've worked on, investments we've made this year, and trends that have influenced not just our bakery but could inspire your own culinary ventures as well. This episode is packed with valuable takeaways for any bakery owner - especially those of you in the retail space or selling DTC!On Today's Episode, We're Talking About...Investments and Updates: The major investments we made in improving & growing our bakery this year, including the hiring of a local muralist to update our interior, new equipment purchases, and moreFinancial Insights: A high-level overview of our financial performance for Q1 & Q2 - more to come in "Part 2" of this series!Seasonal Trends and Adjustments: Insights into how seasonal trends affect our business and the strategic adjustments we're makingExpansion and Equipment: We're looking forward to adding new revenue streams to the business - we made some strategic equipment investments as we prepare for this growthFuture Plans: A sneak peek into what we expect for the second half of the year and how we’re planning to tackle upcoming challengesLinks & Resources:Bakery Business Academy Facebook Group - Connect, Network, & Grow!Our biggest sale of the year is happening this month - it's Christmas In July! Click here to learn about the products, resources, online courses, and more that will be available for this 5-day sale event 🎉Looking Forward: Don't miss out on Part 2 where we'll break down the numbers and delve deeper into the financial aspects of running a successful bakery!
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