Hi, I’m Sarah Thomas of The Cupcake Oven.
 
I’d always made cakes since I was a child. As a lawyer in London, I found it therapeutic, it was my “downtime”. When I left the City to start a family, I found myself making increasingly more cakes and bakes – and just giving them away to neighbours and friends!
 
I was spending more and more money on what was becoming an increasingly expensive hobby, and spending hours online learning new skills. I’d realised by now, that I didn’t want to go back to corporate life, I wanted to grow my family and watch them grow up, I wanted to be there and not miss all the milestones.
 
By the time I realised I could create a business out of my hobby, I’d spent hours with a new born in my arms trying to wade through all the legalities and practicalities, both online and on the telephone, and was just so confused.
 
The web was busy enough then, 15 years ago – it’s a minefield of conflicting information now!
 
I just needed somewhere that told me, “Do this, this and this – and you can trade and make money!”
 
I had to learn a lot about the legalities and practicalities before I could start – and even then, after days and weeks of preparation, I wasn’t sure I had everything covered.
 
THERE WAS JUST NOWHERE TO FIND OUT ALL THE INFORMATION I NEEDED IN ONE PLACE!  IT WAS SO FRUSTRATING!
 
FAST FORWARD TO NOW…..
 
….and I have had my own successful home baking business for 15 years. I’ve always made enough to contribute substantially to my family’s income, and my business is well known. I have been teaching all aspects of sugarcraft and baking, and advising my students exactly what is required to run a home business for the last 10 years, and have many students who have gone on to have their own  successful home baking business.