Hobbies sometimes have a way of becoming more than a simple daydream when we’re at work. That’s exactly what happened to Martanna Schroeder, owner of The Grateful Fork, in scenic Escanaba, Michigan. By day she’s a Library Administrative Assistant, at Bay De Noc Community College, but on the weekends, and some weeknights, she’s a baker extraordinaire.

“I started decorating cakes for my children when they were little, then later, for friends on special occasions.” Over the years those daydreams grew from simple “word-of-mouth” treats to a steady stream of baking. However, it wasn’t until she made a particularly intricate cake for her daughter’s wedding, that Martanna felt it was time to bake professionally. “I had so many people encouraging me to open a business that I finally decided to give it a try and see were it led me. Now, I get paid to do what I love!”

I’ve always loved being creative.

To keep her start-up costs low, Martanna decided to become part of the growing Cottage Industry; now she can do all of her baking from home. However, without the benefit of a brick-and-mortar storefront, she needed to be a little more savvy with her advertising. “I have to rely heavily on social media.” Martanna says, “I use Facebook mostly; it allows me to instantly share my creations, which allows our followers to instantly like and share them with their friends. It’s great.”

But, like most industries, there’s always going to be some competition, so it was very important for Martanna to understand her brand, and showcase it to her target market. “Having a solid and unique brand identity was very important to me.” she says, “My business name, and logo, needed to reflect my personality, as well as, my creations. After working closely with Greta at Spring Loaded Designs, that’s exactly what I got, and I couldn’t be happier!”

Well, Chef, we’re happy you’re happy; and if one of your creations happens to find its way to us, well, we’ll be grateful too!

Services Used:

• Visual Identity Build
• Graphic Design
• Collateral Design
• Social Media Marketing