April 20, 2015
Goodbye Corporate, Hello Cupcakes: Entrepreneur’s Life is as Sweet as It Looks
How much did you raise the capital to transition into owning your business?
With incorporating the business, trademarking and attorney fees, insurances, state and local certifications the initial startup required a lot of capital, personal assets and savings. Working in the financial industry and having a background in finance, the key to starting a business is to do the research, find out an estimation of the costs involved in your industry.
What makes your cupcakes stand out?
In culinary school I learned that people eat with their eyes, and as a lover of all things decadent, it was very important for me to create a cupcake that not only looks amazing but tastes delicious. Also all of our cupcakes are customized based on our client’s specifications hence our tagline: Couture to your door!
How did you obtain celebrity clients?
After graduation, I started as a personal chef for Meeka Claxton and her family. From there, I transitioned into making cupcakes, and I began creating customized desserts for their Pynk Magazine private dinners. Â After my first event, through hard work and networking I continued to meet and receive celebrity referral business, the rest was history.
As a fairly new entrepreneur and dedicated mom, Chef Trina says some of her biggest fears while transitioning out of her 9-to-5, were maintaining financial security and discovering her personal sweet spot within the baking business.
“I knew God blessed me with the talent to cook and bake (especially since most chefs cook or bake— they rarely do both) and it was very important for me to find my own lane—my niche—and just drive in this industry. Everything else would fall in place,” she adds. “I remember reading something one day that said Nike doesn’t worry about what Rebook is doing … That really helped me overcome the fear of finding my place in this market. The more people that sought after my brand for the taste and customization I knew I Â made the right choice.
If you want to get to know Chef Trina or find out more information on getting her delectable custom creations, visit Trés Chic Cupcakes.