Client Success: Carey Clure Sweets and Eats

Carey Clure was practically born in a bakery. Her family owned Sweets and Eats in Mount Shasta, CA until she was seven years old. She remembers breaking eggs and sampling frosting before she could read a recipe. Carey decided to start her own business just as COVID hit and the dream was put on hold.

When things opened again, and people were celebrating in small groups, her cakes were once again in high demand. Carey contacted the Women’s Business Center at JEDI in January of 2021 to evaluate the feasibility of starting a cottage food baking business. She met several times with WBC consultants to discuss business licensing, county health requirements, business planning, pricing, and expense budgeting. She began the process of applying for all the permits three times and nearly gave up. This was a discouraging hurdle, yet she persevered and finally got all her permit approvals. On November 8, 2021, Sweets and Eats Co. was opened for business!

Carey explored financing by attending the Dream Big & Fund It, an online summit that the WBC at JEDI held in the spring of 2022. She then started in the Business Accelerator Program, a 12-week intensive course that gave her tools to really launch her business. Writing a business plan and focusing on her business’s vision was unexpectedly beneficial and rewarding. Carey said that she had thought about those things before but by spending time and putting ideas down on paper, she began honing her vision of success for Sweets & Eats Co.

In July of 2022, Carey was awarded a $5,000 grant through the state-sponsored CA Dream Fund. That boosted her confidence. Due to the unusually hot months in the summer, she had to keep her oven off for more than a month and she missed out on baking cakes for many weddings, and cupcakes for birthday parties. She used the grant to purchase an air conditioner to allow her to bake during the summertime events and increase her income.

Born to bake, the training and support from the WBC at JEDI and the CA Dream Fund grant allows Carey to thrive doing what she loves and generating much-needed income for her and her family. 

"WBC at JEDI helped me pinpoint my vision for my business. Putting it into words helped my dream become a reality."