Hello

Last week I went to restock my ingredients and other materials I needed for some jobs.

First of, I relocated, so I was looking for a place with better deals, better prices, comfort and excellent service.

You may be wondering, why am I looking for this kind of place just to buy ingredients.

Yes, I don’t like stress, I didn’t want anyone or anything stressing me when I am spending my money, I like spending my money joyfully and seeing the value I am getting spending it.

So weeks before I even set out, I asked a baker in my new location to introduce me to vendors where I can get materials. She sent me some contacts.

I chatted them up sifted the unserious ones and finally chose one vendor.

When I got to their shop, I just fell in love with the place and I was just repeating within me; this is my kind of place, this is my kind of place.

Here are the reasons this shop appealed to me:

1. They were very organized, everything was in its place; ingredients, decorating materials, baking tools, accessories, weighing area, cash and payment area, abd was a small shop so to speak! I was amazed.
2. They had an office phone line you can call in to confirm the availability of what you need even before coming. 
3. I was amazed at how they can stay organized even in such a small space. Everything I wanted was pulled out easily from the shelves stress-free!
4. The items to be weighed were accurately weighted, they even beckoned on me to come confirm it.
5. Their marketing and customer care were top notch as they were educating me on some items and still made sure I was comfortably seated.
6. Here comes the best part, after shopping, the sales rep wrote out my receipt clearly including the amount, number and weight of the items. (When some customers wanted to leave without their receipts, she insisted they must have it. hmmm.
7. Finally she helped me carry all my purchases to my car and bid me good bye.
8. Oh let me add that their prices were competitively fair and considerate.

The owner of this business is INTENTIONAL, I am also INTENTIONAL. I know what I want, I searched for it and I got it. They know the kind of customers they want to attract and they set up to attract them.

In fact at one point I had to blurt out to the sales rep that “THIS IS MY KIND OF PLACE”, I openly told her how I loved their set up and she smiled.

The highlight of all these experience is the receipting system.

I have only bought materials in one shop where I insisted on getting receipts, other vendors don’t even have receipts to give, they measure items carelessly, some are measured in ancient manner using mudu and milk tins, you just buy blindly and go nurse your loses.

They way they measured my items in this new shop plus the receipt made life easier for me, my record keeping was made easy peasy.

I don’t need to re-weigh the items again and I can easily pick the numbers for my record keeping from the receipt.

If I need to compare prices, check inflation or change my price list, the receipt and my records are handy to use.

, I want to ask you this question; are you intentionally running your business? Are you intentionally buying from places that favor your goals? Are you intentionally selling to make profits? Are you intentionally treating your customers right to keep them coming back?

Let this month and the remaining months of 2025 be your season of becoming and remaining an INTENTIONAL BAKER.

Did you learn something from this my encounter that will help you get better at running your business this year? Hit the reply button and share what you’ve learned with me. I would love to read from you!

Sugar hugs

Coach Miriam