Entreprenurship in a Cultural Deadzone

I live in a small town. Maybe it's not that small; the 2016 census estimates the population in Ormond Beach, FL is over 40,000. But it feels small. New businesses open often, but they are rarely the type where you can get a drink, something to eat, or be entertained. We have the ocean; we have Tomoka State Park. You can drive along the intercoastal waterway, which turns into a gorgeous canopied road that will take you north into marshes filled with birds and lined with palm trees. It's called the Loop (see above picture). What we don't have is art, culture, entertainment or great food. My fiancé and I drive to Orlando or Winter Park almost every weekend to shop for unique ingredients and get something to eat that isn't from a chain restaurant. Ormond Beach has a problem: I'm taking an entrepreneurial approach to solve it.

In January 2017 I started my first small business (well, second, but the first one never quite took off…) called BAKED by Angie. This may surprise you, but there is nowhere in Ormond Beach to get baked goods other than our local Publix. There's nowhere to get hand-pies bursting with Florida berries or giant loaded pistachio chocolate cookies. I saw a need for a service to provide these products; I knew I couldn't be the only person who was desperate for more options. I started selling at the Ormond Farmers Market.

There have been obstacles; it's hard to sell product with the kind of business I have (it’s called a cottage kitchen). I must physically be present and sell my goods directly to the consumer. I can't sell to restaurants. So, in an entrepreneurial spirit, I organized events at our local brewery and coffee shop: beer and dessert pairings, evening markets, and pop-ups. I used resources to create additional venues to showcase my products.

And finally, my biggest obstacle has been closing the deal with potential customers. My product is quality; there are much more experienced bakers out there, but I can say with confidence that the pastries I produce are the best (and some of the only) in the county. But, the median age in Ormond Beach is 50, and sometimes that demographic can be a hard sell. They don't eat sugar: I developed a sugar-free apple hand-pie. They're on the latest trendy low-carb diet: I've got flourless cookies! What it always comes down to, though, is the price. One cookie is $2; an organic, all-butter, from-scratch pastry is $4. I've been scoffed at; I get eye rolls and grunts of disbelief; I get people who literally shout that my goods are way too expensive, and they walk away. I explain the work, the pride and the lack of sleep that it takes to get my product to the market to sell. I wish I could explain that even at those price points I am barely breaking even (or losing money when the market ends at 1 PM and I still have half my inventory left). No, it isn't about making money. But I don’t have any more money to lose on pastries.

What is the reason for my lack of success? I was trying to solve a problem in Ormond Beach, but maybe my problem wasn't as widespread as I thought. Are people just not interested in baked goods? Should I choose cheaper ingredients even though I feel that the quality is what makes the difference in my goods? Or is it that I "pop-up" randomly? My social media game is strong, but many people still don't use social media. Is it because the market is on Thursday morning when everyone is at work? If I had a permanent physical location, would the young folks who love my product seek me out more often? And finally, do I keep on with this concept or attack another idea I have: opening a brewpub with my professional brewer fiance. Beer and pub food would be a larger target than artisanal organic pastries, right?

We already learned in the first week of class that being an entrepreneur is not the same as owning or running a small business. I was surprised to hear that, but it does make sense. When my advisor listed ENT3003 as a class I could take I immediately knew I wanted to take it. I really had no idea what it would be about or what I would take away from it. I can already tell, though, that it's going to give me an edge with my whatever business venture I decide on. To approach running a small business like an entrepreneur may be what it takes for me to be successful. That could be the difference between mine and many other small businesses (especially food/restaurants) that fail. And I might fail. I already know there is a great possibility of that. But I must try.

Photo Credit: Retrieved from https://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large-5/ormond-scenic-loop-left-andrew-armstrong--mad-lab-images.jpg