Cara Sonnier of The Dessert Box

Name: Cara Sonnier

Tell us a little about yourself:
I am a homeschooling mama of 2 great girls and married to my best friend.

What is your business name and web address:
I own The Dessert Box - an online dessert delivery store. You can visit us at http://www.thedessertbox.com/

What inspired you to become a work at home mom:
I’ve always wanted to own my own store, ever since I was a kid! I was inspired by a candy store owner from my childhood summers. Since becoming a mother and being lead to homeschool my children, taking my business online was the next best way to owning my own “store”.

Tell us a little about your business:
The Dessert Box is an online dessert delivery store. We carry the typical dessert gifts like cheesecakes, but also have unique ideas like fruit baskets, giant fortune cookies and caramel apples. We serve both retail and corporate clients looking to make their gift giving experience easy and enjoyable. Most desserts are shipped quickly and at reasonable prices.

Is there any advice that you would like to share with other women:
If you already own a business, make sure to balance your time well. I always schedule my kids and hubby’s events before deciding on trade shows or party events. That way nothing will be conflicting.

If you don’t own a business yet, or are just starting, do LOTS AND LOTS of research BEFORE buying anything. I’ve seen too many moms get swindled out of money for websites, domain names, hosting, etc. If you are tight on a budget, try learning it yourself. But if you must pay someone for a service, do your homework before spending the money.

What has been the most effective advertising method for you:
Networking groups and word of mouth are my biggest methods. I’ve also done a lot of SEO (search engine optimization) work to get my website listed for certain keywords.

Can you share with us one negative business experience that you learned from:
When I first started years ago, I didn’t have a lot of policies listed online. After returns and complaints, I learned to make sure that policies are listed or linked to on each page. I also have a shopping cart set up so they must check a box showing they have read the pages about our shipping/ordering/return policies.