Annie Wang lives in Oakland, CA and sells vegan Asian pastries with her food business, Little Moon Bakehouse.

Years ago, when Annie switched to eating vegan, she could no longer eat many of the Asian baked goods that she grew up with. She has now created vegan versions of many of those items from her childhood, and she’s built an impressive business around them!

Initially Annie started selling from home, but she eventually outgrew her home kitchen, expanded into a commercial space, and now ships her products across the country.

In this episode, Annie shares how she turned multiple passions of hers into a very successful hyper-niched and eco-friendly bakery by starting small, scaling up, and completing a massive rebrand.

3 Key Takeaways

• Start Even if It’s Not Perfect: Annie shared how she began her journey with Little Moon Bakehouse without having the perfect name or brand. Initially, she called her business Annie’s T Cakes. It wasn’t until three years later that she rebranded. This shows that you don’t need to have everything figured out to start. Just begin and refine as you go!
• Harness the Power of Email Marketing:  Annie emphasized the importance of staying in touch with her customers through email marketing. She shares that launching products via email first creates exclusivity and drives sales. If you’re not already using email marketing, it’s time to jump on board. Start small and watch your customer base grow!
• Maintain a Connection to Your Roots: Annie’s success lies in her ability to recreate vegan versions of nostalgic Asian baked goods. She tapped into memories and cultural significance, which resonated deeply with her customers. Think about what unique aspects of your story and heritage you can highlight in your business. This connection can set you apart and create a loyal customer base.

Resources

Little Moon Bakehouse website (Instagram | Facebook | KQED Article)

Kai Kwong (designer)

California Cottage Food Law

Free Tutorial: Intro To Email Marketing

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Are you building an email list for your business yet? If not, you really should be collecting customers’ email addresses and emailing them on a regular basis. Even these days, email continues to be better than social media for generating consistent sales, and the best part is that you own it. Once you build an email list, nobody can take it away from you.

I created this free tutorial that will walk you through the essentials of using Kit to build an email list and get more followers!

Get full show notes and transcript here: https://forrager.com/podcast/144