Success story: B.K. Bakery LLC
Pastry chef comes home to start upscale bakery in Jefferson City
Tantalizing pastries. Devastatingly delicious desserts. That's what Brandon Kelley makes ... expertly.
Baking is his life. And now it's his business.
Brandon Kelley, owner and executive pastry chef of B.K. Bakery, works on a new approach to a time-honored holiday delight ... the candied apple.In August, the mid-Missouri native opened B.K. Bakery LLC. It's Jefferson City's destination for some of central Missouri's best tasting muffins, Danish, scones, cakes and pies ... to name a few of the delicacies he bakes every day.
Brandon is no stranger to private enterprise. His entrepreneurial bent can be traced to his junior high school years in Chamois when he started his own lawn mowing service. With nearly two dozen customers, his lawn duties kept him busy for three summers. "It was a continuous cycle. By the time I had finished cutting the last lawn in the cycle, it was time to start back again with the first lawn."
During high school he got a dishwashing job with Madison's Cafe in Jefferson City. At the time he had no particular interest in making a career in food preparation. It was just a job to earn some spending money. But soon he found himself asking his fellow kitchen workers how to advance from dishwashing. Their consistent reply: "Learn how to cook!"
So, after high school Brandon attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., to learn his trade. He earned an A.O.S. degree in baking and pastry arts.
Following graduation he worked in the kitchens of the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Jefferson City, the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle, Wash., and the Upper Crust restaurant in Columbia. The owners of Upper Crust sought Brandon's advice in assembling their second shop in downtown Columbia. They asked him to select all the equipment for the kitchen. It was an assignment he later would apply in his own business.
He found all these professional experiences valuable. He also found his trade was becoming an art. But eventually Brandon grew weary and wary of selling his time and talents to others. So, nearly two years ago he decided a better recipe for his professional life was to work for himself.
"It's a lifestyle," says Brandon. "I'm doing what I want to do."
Read this complete success story with additional photos.
Ask questions and listen to successfully help customers make the right purchase
During this holiday season, many business owners deal with customer service challenges as the buying public is in hyper-shopping mode. To help meet those challenges here are a few pointers that could result in higher long-term sales.
First, remember shoppers have two types of needs — tangible and intangible. The tangible is the physical need or the product function they seek. The intangible needs relate to the dreams the customers are really looking to fulfill with the product purchase. To enhance the shopping experience, ask the customer open-ended questions to learn what the customer needs. Once the customer is talking, make sure you summarize the comments for clarification and confirmation. Then go for the sale by showing the customer a product or pointing out features or benefits that meet his needs.
The second thing to remember is not all shoppers are alike. There are four basic types of shoppers: adversary, protective, accepting and pragmatic. The adversarial shopper is in charge and feels you are there to assist him since he is always in a hurry. Work with the adversary shopper using a confident voice. He does not like small talk, so move right to the open-ended questions, listen, confirm his needs and then pitch the product that best fits. The salesperson's knowledge of the latest trends and product features and benefits are important to this shopper. If he senses you are unsure, the adversary shopper will move to the next store.
Read the complete article on helping customers and learn about the four types of shoppers.
Business going green
Acting green for the holidays can help reduce business expenses
The holidays wouldn't be holidays without festive lights, holiday parties, food, and gifts. Luckily, being festive does not have to equate to being wasteful. There's no reason why businesses can't enjoy holiday extravagances and, at the same time, save money and energy.
Let's start with decorations. New on the market are LED (light emitting diode) Christmas lights that use 10 percent of the energy that typical incandescent Christmas lights use. Also they are safer than typical lights because they do not generate heat. They are inexpensive and beautiful, and using LED lights to decorate the office or a display window could save a business up to 90 percent on its holiday lighting costs.
Holiday lights add warmth and cheer to downtown Jefferson City businesses, but they can be costly. Switching to LED lights maintains the festive atmosphere of any business while reducing costs."My electric bill used to be so big during the holidays that I almost thought about taking down all of the lights around my store. Luckily I can afford the new LED Christmas lights and I haven't had to detract from the holiday feel of my shop," says one central Missouri retailer.
Next, how about a green-themed Christmas party? Save paper and money by e-mailing holiday cards and party invitations. Web sites like evite.com offer a variety of free, eye-catching invitation choices, along with party ideas.
If the party is after hours or at an off-site location, encourage carpooling for employees. This can be as simple as posting a ride-share board so people can match themselves. Other incentives used by businesses include valet parking or prizes for those who arrive with three or more passengers in a vehicle.
When it comes to serving food, reusable plates and glasses will reduce waste and save money if they are used for other parties. Reusable party kits can be bought from vendors such as greenpartykits.com, or the office can create its own green party kit with a large, transportable bin and a collection of light weight, non-breakable dishes and cloth napkins. If you must use disposables, buy recycled and biodegradable products that are readily available in stores.
Some parties even encourage employees to bring their favorite dish to use, which can double as a "to go" container for dividing leftover food at the end of the party. If food is being served in abundance, refresh trays rather than putting all of it out at once to prevent spoilage. Any food that has not been put out at the end of the party can be donated to a local shelter or food pantry. Not only will this reduce waste, but will enhance the spirit of Christmas by giving to those in need. Call ahead for details on what the shelter can use and how to deliver to it.
Read the rest of this story.
Ask a specialist: 2009 mileage rate
Question: What is the 2009 mileage rate to use for calculating auto expenses when traveling for business? Did it change this year?
Answer: For 2009, the standard mileage rate for the cost of operating your car for business use is 55 cents per mile. This rate began on Jan. 1, 2009 and has not changed throughout the year, according to the IRS. This contrasts with the mileage rate for 2008, which fluctuated to keep pace with last year's dramatically escalating gasoline prices.
In addition, the mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for charitable, medical or moving purposes is:
- 24 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes
- 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations
Car expenses and use of the standard mileage rate are explained in chapter 4 of Publication 463, Travel, Entertainment, Gift and Car Expenses. However the publication has not yet been updated for 2009 tax preparation.
Taxpayers also have the option of calculating the actual costs of using their vehicle rather than using the standard mileage rates
For further business assistance, please contact a business specialist near you. A list of our offices is available at: www.missouribusiness.net/sbtdc/centers.asp
2010 promotion calendar helps retailers
sell by the season
What does your calendar say today? No, not the month and date, but more importantly the holiday, occasion or event related to your business. Is it Memorial Day, National Heart Month or the First Day of Spring? Positioning your business with major events, promotions, and holidays is a must-do in today's competitive business world.
Just as you remember your grandmother's birthday and send her a card, you must remember your customer's special events and offer them incentives to select your services or products. In the highly demanding marketing world, successful businesses must take every opportunity to offer unique, personalized products and services, and using the retail promotions calendar can help you do just that.
Find the 2010 sales promotion calendar at: www.missouribusiness.net/sbtdc/docs/retail_calendar.pdf.
IRS roundup:
IRS reminds taxpayers that keeping good records reduces stress at tax time
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The tax filing season is just around the corner, so if you haven't already done so, it's time to organize your records.
Whether you are a business owner or an individual taxpayer, you can avoid headaches at tax time with good records because they will help you remember transactions you made during the year.
Keeping well-organized records also ensures you can answer questions if your return is selected for examination or prepare a response if you are billed for additional tax. In most cases, the IRS does not require you to keep records in any special manner. Generally speaking, you should keep any and all documents that may have an impact on your federal tax return.
Small Business Owners
If you are a small business owner, you must keep all your employment tax records for at least four years after the tax becomes due or is paid, whichever is later. Other examples of important documents business owners should keep include:
- Gross receipts: cash register tapes, bank deposit slips, receipt books, invoices, credit card charge slips and Forms 1099-MISC
- Proofs of purchases: canceled checks, cash register tape receipts, credit card sales slips and invoices
- Expense documents: canceled checks, cash register tapes, account statements, credit card sales slips, invoices and petty cash slips for small cash payments
- Documents to verify assets: purchase and sales invoices, real estate closing statements and canceled checks.
Individuals
Individual taxpayers should usually keep the following records supporting items on their tax returns for at least three years:
- Bills
- Credit card and other receipts
- Invoices
- Mileage logs
- Canceled, imaged or substitute checks or any other proof of payment
- Any other records to support deductions or credits claimed on a return.
For more information about recordkeeping, check out IRS Publications:
- Pub 552: Recordkeeping for Individuals
- Pub 583: Starting a Business and Keeping Records
- Pub 463: Travel, Entertainment, Gift, and Car Expenses.
These publications are available on the IRS Web site, IRS.gov or by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).
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