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411 is all about inspiring business growth and development. We love hearing stories from entrepreneurs, whether they are success stories or otherwise.

We decided to interview our customers to learn more about what it’s like to run their business and what advice they have for other #CanadianEntrepreneurs. This week, we talked to Marci of Marci’s Bakery, a healthy, allergen free bakery, located in Hamilton, Ontario.  

Marci’s bakery is conscientious about their ingredients and all of their baked goods are gluten free, dairy free and vegan. In Marci’s products there is no gluten, no dairy, no eggs, no nuts, no corn, no soy, no oats, no animal products, no artificial ingredients/preservatives, no GMO, and low glycemic index. We asked Marci a series of questions and here’s what she had to say.

If you could speak to anyone who wanted to know more about your business, what would you say to them?

Marci: Imagine the warm and wonderful experience of noshing on beautiful baking that tastes irresistibly yummy. If you’re missing out, due to food allergies or health choices, those days are now over for you!

The heartbeat of Marci’s Bakery is to create and serve irresistibly delectable baking that is free of gluten, dairy, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, crustaceans, shell fish, sesame, soy, corn and sulphites in a delicious and healthful way. You should be able to enjoy and share warm and wonderful baking, without any health worries! Every single day, we bake with an all-inclusive approach to resolving the “treat-void” faced by so many people. We don’t want to leave anyone out from having this joy, no matter their allergy or health choice. Our baking is tested at the University of Guelph Food Testing Labs to verify our claims. We listen to people’s health needs and we feed them safely and well. Trust us, you’ll Taste The Love!

When you've been prayin", & workin' & tryin', and hopin' for breakthrough, so you can bless multitudes… and then … The Perfect CUPCAKE! #absolutelydelicious #allergenfree #nofear #chocolate #vanilla #allnatural #gfvegan #veganfood #vegancupcakes #veganhamilton #glutenfree #peanutfree #treenutfree #familytreat #energy #fitliving #fiteating #healthyeating #runningmom #runnersfuel #goodcarbs #HamOnt #Toronto #ON #healthydesserts #Hamiltonglutenfreebakery #Hamiltonveganbakery #Ontariobakeries

A photo posted by Marci's Bakery (@marcisbakery) on Aug 5, 2016 at 2:38pm PDT

When did you start your business?

Marci: My husband and I started the business in 1990, when I was fresh out of university. It was a healthy, vegetarian, bakery-cafe, but in 2000, after a family tragedy, we decided to close the business.

For the next few years we grew our family. In 2012, with much passion and excitement, I opened Marci’s Bakery. This business differs from the other in that it is a wholesale model, so we sell to health food stores, hospitals, caterers, etc. Having great compassion for people who suffer from health issues and food allergies, I decided this bakery would be vegan and I would develop recipes without using any of Canada’s top ten food allergens.

When did you first feel your business was successful?

Marci: I first felt successful when people started telling me how thankful they were to be able to have treats again and enjoy a cookie or brownie. That’s when I really felt like I was doing what I set out to do and that people were being looked after.  

Can you describe a ‘day in the life’ snapshot of your business?

Marci: The day begins with hand washing, putting on hairnets and our kitchen “whites”. Then we preheat the ovens while we plan what we need to bake for the day and for the week. We plan according to incoming orders, where the shops and institutions are located, what website orders have come in, and what events and trade shows are coming up (the plan changes constantly). Then, we start making and baking. After the baking is completed, everything is cooled and then packaged, labelled and shipped to stores and institutions all over Canada (and sometimes the U.S). If we have spare time, we work on improving our systems and on developing new products. Then we clean and sanitize and go home for a good rest before we start again the next day. In 2012 we started with 2 products and now we make 30.

We are a wholesale business so everything is packaged in our allergen free bakery so there is no chance of cross contamination. We send our products to the University of Guelph for allergen testing to make sure we meet government standards for any traces. So far we are being tested and measuring at zero ppm, which is a big deal in the allergen world. We’re allowed to have up to 20 ppm to make the claim but were at zero. So, on any given day we are baking, packaging, labeling, ordering ingredients, making new products, answering tons of phone calls and delivering.

Always love the drive to Niagara. Fresh, vegan, gluten free baking just arrived @Nadia's & @thepeanutmill St. Catherine's, @Healthwise, Welland #healthybaking #GlutenFree #NutFree #welland #StCatharines #veganhamilton #vegancommunity #gfvegan #gfv #allergenfree

A photo posted by Marci's Bakery (@marcisbakery) on Jun 11, 2016 at 10:11am PDT

Who takes care of the business and who takes care of the baking?

Marci: It’s a shared responsibility between the baking and the business. Our production manager, Scott, is great. He takes care of ordering ingredients, packaging and shipping materials; he orchestrates all the baking and oversees our bakers. I deal with all of the wholesale and retail customers, the marketing and sales, new product development and honestly speaking, we all do the baking (5 of us). I literally dance when I’m baking because I love it so much!  

What’s your vision and goals for the future?

Marci: Our goal is to reach people across North America who suffer from this treat void. I want all people to experience the love of fresh scratch baking, healthfully and worry-free. Many don’t realize what allergies are to people if they don’t have them. People who don’t have health needs or allergens can go anywhere for a piece of cake, a cookie, etc. They can enjoy a holiday with their family and eat anything. People with allergies, from babies to seniors, are missing out and it’s not only about the food, it’s about the memories and the experiences around it. When you go out to eat, you’re enjoying a memory. For people with allergies, there’s a lot of worry and fear because they don’t want to get sick. We want to take care of those people.

Tell us about your team.

Marci: I have amazing staff. One of the things I look for is their attitude and their heart. When you have an open heart and a good attitude you can be taught anything. We make a big effort to support each other. It’s really all about being kind and positive. It’s wonderful when you have a good vibe in your business. I can definitely say that the Marci’s Bakery team is hardworking, fun, compassionate, and always willing to grow and learn; we have a great group of people. They all have brilliant attitudes. Some days we have so much baking to do that we really need to be outward focused and consider how each other is doing. The team strongly believes that the customer should be completely thrilled about what they’re going to be eating. I could not do all this by myself. There are many places carrying our products, and there is so much more to running a business than just baking. Currently there are seven of us in total, so we all wear many hats, with joy.

These people rock my world… and yours! Its because of my amazing staff that Ontario and Quebec get blessed with healthy, yummy, allergen free goodies! #blessOntario #serveQuebec

A photo posted by Marci's Bakery (@marcisbakery) on Jul 14, 2016 at 2:36pm PDT

How have you benefited from online marketing?

Marci: I love online marketing because it’s accessible 24/7. I know that our products are always available to customers who need them, and that helps me sleep at night. In my opinion, online marketing provides a beautiful opportunity to serve people. We share about the health and tastiness of our products, and we share related information and we respond to people’s questions and needs.

Do you have any advice for those who are looking to start their own business?

Marci: It’s really important to know your numbers. You may have a really fabulous idea but it’s important to sort out how much it’s going to cost you to provide a product or service, and it’s important to get counsel from others who have already done it. Go to your local small business resources and get help. Another encouragement I want to give people is to never give up. You may be just about to hit that sweet spot! Also, have fun while you’re working. A lot of people start a business because they want to do what they love; don’t lose sight of that. Think about why are you ultimately starting your business and let that motivate you every day.

We’d like to thank Marci for this fun and informative interview. To check out Marci’s products and purchase some of your own, you can visit their website at www.marcisbakery.com. You can also find Marci’s Bakery on Facebook and Instagram. 

If you have any questions, please contact them: marci@marcisbakery.com or 905.870.5433

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