Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather O’Donnell.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
In truth, I never set out to start a business. It all started in the waiting room of my pediatrician’s office. My son wanted to bring in a very special treat for the summer birthday celebration in his kindergarten class. He spotted bumble bee cake pops in one of the magazines that were laying around and insisted I make them for the event. I must admit I was somewhat intrigued, and I stashed the magazine in my bag and set out to make it happen. The cake pops generated a lot of interest and I was frequently asked to make them for friends and neighbors, so I decided to venture into a cottage business, curious to know where it would take me, the business flourished and quickly outgrew my home. I then joined the Crop Circle Kitchen in Jamaica Plain (now known as Commonwealth Kitchen) which is a culinary business incubator. This offered an intermediate step in the process which allowed me to expand production in a commercial kitchen setting, and also to learn a great deal about the food industry and business in general. This step was crucial to my continued growth and success; and it allowed me to assess the viability of the business before making the financial commitment to a brick and mortar shop. After 3 years at the CCK, I “graduated” upon securing our location in Lower Mills. I felt confident and ready. It was a smooth transition as I had been preparing for some time, and we had a wonderful welcome in our new location. We have enjoyed continued growth and great success and we are grateful to all of our customers who have made it so.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
As is anything in life, starting a business is a process; actually a series of processes. Some of these processes are more challenging than others. I’m generally someone who is highly organized and prepared. I research thoroughly and plan well. However, nothing could have prepared me for dealing with all the City entities–Building Dept., Inspectional Services, etc. Dealing with these various department challenged me to an extreme extent and had me discouraged to the point of considering giving up. However, I persevered and at the end of it all, I had learned a tremendous amount about the process which would prepare me greatly should I expand to another location(s). Life is and always will be a learning experience and I continue to learn new things daily, particularly as it pertains to my business. Some things have been learned the hard way, but due to my preparedness and the great people that have been involved in the process with me, things have gone quite smoothly. Another key has been keeping expectations reasonable. I expect bumps in the road, so when they occur, it’s not a major surprise. We just deal with them as they come and carry on.
Cake Pops Boston – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Cake Pops Boston is a confectionery boutique specializing in cake pops. Cake pops are unique and delicious little treats served on a stick that can be customized to flavor, color or theme. Perfect for parties and celebrations of all types, cake pops also make an ideal complement to dessert buffets or sweets tables and can also be used as escort cards or favors and more. We have a bakery case full of cake pops for purchase daily; and we are now offering many other adorable and delicious confectionery treats as well as yummy candies and sweets from all over the world. We make all our own cakes and buttercreams on site using locally sourced quality ingredients and we have developed a wide range of both classic and unique flavors.
Over the years, we have made a huge number of custom cake pops in every design imaginable and probably some that are unimaginable. Some have been works of art! However, taste is as important to us as design and we go to great lengths to avoid using fondant, gum paste and other materials which diminish the enjoyment of eating our product. We strive to make every custom cake pop beautiful, delicious and easy to eat and I take tremendous pride in taking creativity to the limit without compromising taste.
Another source of pride is our space itself. Wanting to avoid the traditional bakery or candy store models, my vision was an elegant, vintage European boutique-inspired space that was visually interesting and appealing but also very warm and inviting. A tasteful but non-pretentious happy place…pleasing in every way. I wanted the space/design to be part of the overall experience. And of course we needed a full, efficient and functional commercial kitchen. This was quite a challenge for a 575 square foot former barber shop wedged in between a restaurant and a tavern. There was no better woman for the task than Beth Bourque of Beth Bourque Design Studio to bring my vision into reality and exceed every goal. There is not a customer who comes through the door who does comment on the décor in some way. You can see their faces light up as they walk in the door and that gives me great pleasure to see.
Lastly, I will say that we have always maintained a proper, consistent, conscientious and reliable business practice. We take our commitments to quality, safety and cleanliness very seriously. In addition, we take our commitments to all of our customers very seriously. We have never let a customer down. And we strive to make every order perfect. We have a Giving Back program through which we make donations to organizations which serve those in need within the community. Of this, I am quite proud!
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I am a health care professional by education and career and only newly a businesswoman, but this much I know….In this greatest of all capitalistic societies, success is clearly defined in numbers. Numbers of dollars in sales and profits. And while, I do see the numbers as a measure of our success, for me it is so much more. On a fundamental level success is defined in the strength of the product to drive demand and generate sales and in our ability to fulfill and even drive demand. It is also defined by our ability to attract and maintain customers and to create an inventory of candy product that sells well. It is also defined by the degree of growth we achieve each year. Ultimately and simply put, it is defined by our ability to meet all monthly expenses and still have some money in the account at the end of the month! However, I require something more in order to truly feel successful. It is important to me to create a product that our customers truly enjoy and not simply one that sells. It is important to me that our customers feel warm and welcome in our shop and that the experience is personal and they don’t feel like they’ve been churned through. It is important to me that we are seen as a legitimate and reliable business and a responsible member of the community. It is important to me that we do not step on anyone in order to achieve success or continued success. It is important to me that we as a business meet all of our obligations, financial and otherwise, so yes, success will ultimately be defined in numbers/dollars because this is what keeps us in business, but I personally require all I’ve discussed above to feel successful.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2267 Dorchester Avenue
Dorchester, MA 02124 - Website: www.cakepopsboston.com
- Phone: 6173229690
- Email: info@cakepopsboston.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cakepopsboston/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cake-pops-boston-121981361210972/
Image Credit:
Jessica Delaney Photography
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