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Excerpt from "The Business Startup Checklist and Planning Guide: Seize Your Entrepreneurial Dreams!"
Entrepreneur Profile
Ida McCarty
Ida’s Gourmet Breads
Chicago, IL
"After being downsized from her job as an IT Project Manager several times in a two year period, Ida McCarty admits she fell into her business venture “by accident.” She used a recipe from her grandmother and zucchini from her own garden to bake bread as a way to relieve stress.
In 2003, McCarty’s then fiancé (they later parted ways) approached a grocery store bakery manager and asked her to try the zucchini bread. McCarty says, “She ordered 100 loaves that week and has been a repeat customer ever since.”
McCarty, who has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a Masters in Leadership and Policy Studies, never expected she would be baking bread for a living. She admits, “The business was started before I had an opportunity to think about baking bread as a career.”
The journey into entrepreneurship meant that McCarty had a lot to learn- and fast. “I had to work backwards. I had a regular client so I had to take business classes, read material, network with other entrepreneurs while baking for my clients,” said McCarty. “I had to bake out of a church kitchen until I established myself as a business six months later.”
With a startup budget of $10,000, McCarty managed to come in under budget at $8,000, which she spent on licenses, supplies, and classes. She contacted vendors that sold her supplies in bulk quantities and found a caterer to rent her commercial kitchen space on a monthly basis. To keep costs down, McCarty handles all her administrative tasks from home.
Initially McCarty had a lot of concerns about her venture. Though her mother helps her with her baking, not all of her family and friends were as supportive from the beginning. “They felt as though I was baking as a hobby, as opposed to having a real job,” said McCarty. “I had to prove to them that this was a real business venture.”
This real venture has McCarty working an average of 60 hours per week to producte nine varieties of breads including the zucchini that got her business started along with apple, carrot raisin, and banana. They are all preservative free, no transfats, no hydrogenated oils, high in fiber, and use only natural products. I grow the organic zucchinin in my garden, freeze, and use it in my breads year round," says McCarty.
To market her business, McCarty talks to retail bakery managers, gives product demonstrations, attends food fairs, participates in fundraisers, and submits articles to baker trade magazines.
McCarty says her mother, Mrs. Ida B. McCarty, "has been a Godsend in helping me aspire to a dream, reach my goals, bake and deliver my breads through rain, sleet, sun, and snow."
Though McCarty had to knock on a lot of doors and take control of her future, she says, “What I did not know, I found out by asking others.” She admits that her busy work schedule leaves little room for a social life at this point, but it seems the trade-off has been worth it.
McCarty plans to have a full-time staff to handle baking, deliveries, and marketing in the next five years. She would like to market her breads to Fortune 500 companies and eventually sell the rights to a major corporation.
Her advice for aspiring entrepreneurs is, “Don’t think about it, just do it! Otherwise you will talk yourself out of taking a risk, languish in mediocrity, and always wonder what would have come of your dream and aspirations.”
As for her keys to success, McCarty says, “I never give up, never give in, and never take no for an answer.” She is quite happy with her entrepreneurial life and says, “I control my own destiny. Success or failure is ultimately my own doing or undoing.”
For now McCarty is focused on getting her products into Whole foods store locations across the mid-west region by the end of the year. The best part is that she no longer has to worry about being downsized from corporate America, and is enjoying the sweet smell of success. "
Update - 2009
Within the last four years, McCarty has evolved into implementing new strategies that have successfully grown her business. She has introduced new products into her product line. In the beginning she started with all natural quick breads, that were transfat free. Her new addition includes the addition of muffins, cookies, brownies, and other specialty items upon request. All of these products are ready for private label sales. She has included the focus of business to include: restaurants, hotels, specialty shoppes, institutions, corporate cafeterias, schools and universities, food service entities, retail grocers, food distribution, drug stores, etc. McCarty has also partnered with other companies, that share her vision for new technology and eco friendly manufacturing initiatives. All of her products are transfat free, and have been so since the inception of her endeavor. This has become a very successful formula for introducing her products to the market, and gaining market share in the process. McCarty reiterates her mantra, “I control my own destiny. Success or failure is ultimately my own doing or undoing.”
Ida's Gourmet Breads
Chicago, Illinois 60628
Telephone: 773.928.4741 Fax: 775.458.9945
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