After years of planning, Brandon Kelley of Jefferson City started B.K. Bakery with help from University of Missouri Extension business development specialists.
First impressions are everything for Brandon Kelley.
At B.K. Bakery those impressions taste like German chocolate cake, cranberry orange scones and many other pastries.
“When people take time out of their busy schedule and decide to splurge a little bit, you want to make sure when they bite into that flaky pastry or warm cinnamon roll that they taste the quality and care you put into it,” he said. “There are so many things against you now in an unstable economy that you just have to make sure you’re on top of your game, using every resource you have, because it’s not easy by any means.”
After years of planning, Kelley started B.K. Bakery in 2010. Despite a troubled economy, he felt confident he could succeed. With help from University of Missouri Extension business development specialists, Kelley refined a business plan and made the leap.
“MU Extension helped me identify and think through things that ultimately could sink a business if they wouldn’t have been brought to my attention to figure out,” Kelley said. “Before you get your doors open you work with them day in, day out, multiple times a week, to work out the final details. After you open they don’t just disappear, so you’re not on your own. You have a partner.”
Reviewed 2013-02-18