Selling baking supplies might not seem like a completely unique business idea to many U.S. consumers. But in parts of the world, those supplies can be more difficult to come by. A U.S. expat learned this lesson the hard way when she moved to Germany years ago. But she took the opportunity to turn the problem into a business, now known as Keyk. Read about the company and what sets it apart in this week’s Small Business Spotlight.
What the Business Does
Provides supplies and resources for bakers.
Founder Sepi Gazeri told Small Business Trends, “Based out of Germany, Keyk offers over 800 baking products including cake pans, food coloring, cookie cutters, fondant and aprons. The portfolio includes leading industry brands including Wilton, Silikomart and RainbowDust. In combination with instructional YouTube videos and over a hundred recipes, the company is a great source for products and inspiration for baking fans.”
Business Niche
Providing helpful instructions along with actual products.
Gazeri says, “We produce great instructional YouTube videos, offering tons of recipes and step-by-step guides to creating trendy cakes.”
How the Business Got Started
Because of the founder entering a new market.
Before moving to Germany from the U.S., Gazeri used to love going to Michael’s to purchase Wilton products.
She says, “Living in Germany made it more challenging to find great Wilton products and other fun baking supplies. That was the main inspiration. The rest is history. Kind of.”
Biggest Win
Seeing customers’ creations.
Gazeri explains, “When our customers purchase products and recreate our recipes, that’s a pretty rewarding experience.”
Biggest Risk
Focusing on American style products in Europe.
Gazeri says, “The biggest risk in our business is also our asset. We’re different from our competitors in that we focus more on American cake styles than traditional German pastries.”
How They’d Spend an Extra $100,000
Increasing the reach of the YouTube channel.
Gazeri says, “Hire a cake queen and create 3+ videos per week.”
First Location
A garage.
Gazeri says, “Like many other success stories, we started in our garage. That was the main storage for our inventory during our first year.”
Favorite Quote
“It is a risk to love.
What if it doesn’t work out?
Ah, but what if it does.”
– Peter McWilliams
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Image: Keyk, Facebook
This article, “Spotlight: Keyk Founder Filled Need for Baking Supplies in a New Market” was first published on Small Business Trends