I’ve always loved baking with my mom and grandma. We used to have cookie baking parties and we would bake cookies and have everyone decorate them. What started as a hobby led me to making treats for events for my family and friends. My family and friends kept telling me I should sell my creations. Then I realized that I could turn my hobby into a business and do what I love.

I wanted to become an entrepreneur because of my family. They all own their own business or do their own thing. I always saw that and was inspired by it because I wanted to be my own boss and set my own hours rather than working a 9 to 5 and being unhappy.

Originally, RaesSweetz was a different name and I tried to get it started up. This is what I mean when I say don’t be afraid to fail because originally, I wanted to create customizable items. We did cups and other products, but we found that the profit wasn’t worth how much we were spending to create the products. When I started high school, we transitioned it into treats then we added cookies. Now we have these packages where you can get a cake, cupcakes, and you can add more things. We started offering DIY cake decorating boxes in December of 2023, we mainly did it because my family expanded so much and one house isn’t big enough for us anymore. So instead of me and my mom baking over 200 cookies, we made these kits that are sugar cookies with icing and sprinkles in it and then we handed those out at Christmas and then I was able to sell some as well.

Starting out was the hardest part because I didn’t know where to start but with guidance from my family and friends and with them helping me out with orders, I was able to overcome that. Another challenge for me was balancing school and my business. There were times when orders would pile up during exam weeks and I felt overwhelmed, but I learned to manage my time better. I set a strict schedule of baking on weekends, and I started prepping ingredients in advance, which saved me a lot of time.

It has been challenging at times. Sometimes people will belittle me because of my age. Even though it’s challenging, I tell them that me and my business are somewhat separate because although RaesSweetz is my business, I won’t put my personal needs over my business and the profit I make goes back into my business.

I would say to start small and test out your ideas. Don’t get set in what you want necessarily but look for what customers would want from you. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and don’t forget to track your expenses because if you don’t, you could easily overspend. Most importantly, believe in yourself. Sometimes you may fail, but it’s all about trial and error, and you will get better over time, so don’t be so quick to give up.

Building this business has affected my plans because if I want to continue building my business here, I can’t necessarily go far for college. I’m looking into expanding my business in the next few years offering a build your own cake cart. That would be for events, and we would bring everything: cakes, little pans of cakes, frosting and toppings. Then, we would frost the cakes for customers, and they could tell us what toppings they wanted. I’m also aiming to start selling at local farmers’ markets, events and possibly supply a cafe. Ultimately my long-term goal is to transition this into a full-time business after graduation.