Hello! My name is Kerry. I would like to open a cake and coffee shop on the Sunshine Coast that is a little bit different from the others – one that directly supports the local community. Everyone loves cake – imagine how much tastier that cake would be knowing that a slice of its profits are going straight to local charity!
I am a passionate baker who is also passionate about my local community. I would donate 10% of my profits to local charities. At this stage, I am envisioning a different charity every six months so the funds are distributed across more than one charity and each gets a good slice of the profits. I will also help local charities to raise funds by donating cakes and other goodies for bake sales, taking part in their fundraising events (such as the RSPCA Cupcake Sale and Cancer Council's Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea), and by hosting regular fundraising events in store.
As the business grows, I would also like to employ a disadvantaged youth and a mature-aged worker.
I would like A Slice of the Cake to be a place where the community comes together. A place where locals can share their stories and tell me about the charities they would like to see benefit from its donations.
I would sell cakes and coffee each day and also take custom cake orders for birthdays, weddings and other celebrations.
I have broken down the estimated costs for my cake and coffee shop. I have included rental costs for three months, after which time I hope to be making a profit and able to extend my lease. I would look for a small space and the most cost-effective option. I do not have a particular suburb in mind, but it will definitely be based on the Sunshine Coast.
My funding goal is $30,000, which will help me cover the following:
- Rent for three months to get the cake and coffee shop up and running
- Sunshine Coast Council fees and insurance
- Start-up supplies (equipment, ingredients, packaging, etc)
- Other small fittings and fixtures as required
And why should you support this fund instead of donating the money to charity directly? I have done my sums and forecast that A Slice of the Cake will make around $50,000 profit in its first year. That’s $5,000 going to local charities - $2,500 each for two charities. That could:
- Support a local child at risk for 5 years through SunnyKids
- Desex 12 cats or dogs at the Sunshine Coast Animal Refuge
- Help provide training for 2 years for assistance dogs for local children through SmartPups
- Sponsor a horse for a year at Sunshine Coast Riding for the Disabled
In six years, I forecast that the business will have made back the $30,000 goal in charity donations alone. This project has the potential to really take off and maybe it could even expand to other locations in the future. Your one-off pledge has the chance to make a real difference by investing in a business that has the capacity to donate throughout its entire lifetime – who knows how many lives we could change for the better?!
And why should you have confidence in me? I am passionate about what I do. I also have experience baking and selling cupcakes and other goodies at the local markets. For examples of my bakes, head on over to my Facebook page. I also have a great support network around me, including friends with many years’ experience owning, running and managing cafes. I want this to be a real success for the local community.
As a thank you for supporting this venture, I have come up with some tasty rewards. See details on the right of this page.
I hope to have A Slice of the Cake open and operating by Christmas 2017. This is dependent on finding the right rental space, so the timeline might change slightly.
I’d love to hear from you! If you have any questions or suggestions, or you just want to say ‘Hi!’, please get in touch. Remember to like my Facebook page to stay up-to-date with how the campaign is going!
Thanks for your support!
Kerry
A Slice of the Cake
