Elisa Marie Lords with Elisa Marie Baking

The Forrager Podcast for Cottage Food Businesses

Elisa Marie Lords lives in Placentia, CA and sells southern-inspired baked goods with her cottage food business, Elisa Marie Baking.

Elisa spent many years as a professional pastry chef, and when the pandemic hit in 2020, she finally took the leap into starting her own bakery from home.

Although her sales were slow at first, she didn’t give up and now sells hundreds of products per week via local markets and wholesale locations.

In this episode, she shares how she built up a community of customers and business partners that have helped sustain her growing home bakery.

What You’ll Learn

• How to deal with early business challenges and slow starts
• The importance of self-education when starting your own bakery
• How to foster a strong community and network that helps support your business
• The significance of perseverance and passion in turning a hobby into a profitable business
• Which social media techniques will build your brand identity and expand your reach
• Why participating in fair competitions can help validate your product quality and boost confidence
• The benefits of embracing your role as the face of your brand
• How a multi-channel sales strategy will make your business more sustainable
• The value of preparation and organization in managing a high-volume product output from home
• How to overcome personal obstacles, like imposter syndrome, when growing your business
• The importance of having a clear vision for your business and making decisions that align with it
• How strategic pricing can attract customers without compromising the quality or profitability of your product
• How to increase the chances of lucky breaks in business

Resources

Elisa Marie Baking website (Instagram | Youtube | Facebook | TikTok)

The Business of Baking by Michelle Green

California Cottage Food Law

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Get full show notes and transcript here: https://forrager.com/podcast/115