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If Pewaukee entrepreneur Rebecca Scarberry can get you taste one of her handmade caramels, she knows she will make a sale. They are that good. A winning product is one ingredient of Scarberry’s successful business, Becky’s Blissful Bakery, another is the valuable business assistance she has received from the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Network (WEN).
Unemployed and newly divorced, Scarberry contacted WEN partner Russ Roberts, Small Business Center manager for the Waukesha County Technical College, when she decided to start her business in 2007. Roberts put her in touch with WEN Southeast Regional Director David Linz who helped Scarberry secure a $3,000 Early Planning Grant, one of three business assistance grants administered by WEN.
“David informed me about the grant and the application,” says Scarberry. “Because I was awarded the grant, I was able to go through the process of creating a business plan, communicating my vision for the business, who my customers are, the demographics, employees.”
The grant funds enabled Scarberry to hire business consultant Don Hill to assist her in drafting her business plan.
Becky’s Blissful Bakery caramels are unique in that they do not contain corn syrup, found in most other caramels on the market today. Instead Scarberry uses brown rice syrup in her organic, gluten-free product, which comes in five varieties: original, vanilla and dark chocolate, dark chocolate with pecans, dark chocolate with sea salt and original sea salt. Scarberry has also added caramel sugar cookies and an exquisite caramel sauce to her sales list.
Scarberry currently has one full-time employee at her kitchen in Pewaukee and hires others periodically to assist with sales at four area Farmers’ Markets. Becky’s caramels are also available online, by special order and through area food stores, including Sendik’s Fine Foods, Good Harvest Market, Larry’s Market in Brown Deer and several other gourmet and organic grocery stores.
“My focus is wholesale accounts,” notes Scarberry, who hopes to someday see her caramels on store shelves nationwide, though she already ships online orders throughout the U.S.
As her business grows and she picks up more wholesale accounts, Scarberry is again thankful for the well-thought-out business plan she created. “I’m hoping in the next year or so, I will need a business loan. With the business plan and all these wholesale accounts, I can get a business loan to grow the business.”
For more information check out Scarberry’s Web site at www.beckysblissfulbakery.com
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