Better Batter Business Food is part of celebrations in many cultures. And there is one type of food we think of first when we are planning a celebration—cake. Caitlin Miller runs a successful cake business, where she designs and makes cakes. “I always knew I had a talent for making cakes,” she says. “I made my own birthday cake when I was 11 and everyone loved it. I loved cooking as I grew up, and I often made cakes for friends at college. I majored in chemistry, but I never wanted to be a scientist. It helps me understand cooking, though! When I graduated, I wanted to start my own business, and a cake business was the obvious choice. I thought it was going to be easy. I knew I could cook. But I didn’t know enough about running a business. I made a lot of mistakes in the beginning. You can’t make great cakes and just wait for people to buy them. After six months, my business almost closed.” Caitlin decided she needed to learn more about running a business. She took a course in small business management. In that course, she met people in the same situation as her. “It was great to hear other people’s stories and compare them with my situation. I learned to think about my business in a different way. In the past, I thought about what I was good at and what I wanted to do. Now, I think about what my customers want and what I can do for them. Your business also has to have a clear identity. I decided to make celebration cakes for birthdays, graduations, and weddings. I try to make each cake special for that particular customer. We work on the design together, so my communication skills are very important. Now, the customer is in charge. My cakes sell now because I know exactly what each customer wants.” Question 3When she started her business, Caitlin didn’t realize how … it was.