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<back>Cakes of Distinction...Behind the website and at the helm of Cakes of Distinction are Cara and Frank Panaia. They began the business seven years ago after identifying and tapping a niche market, and have been baking cakes in an assortment of flavours and styles ever since.
The family background is bakery. “We wanted to move out of the family business and start our own venture,” Cara said. “We wanted an upmarket boutique, so Cakes of Distinction was born out an urge to be creative, different and exclusive in style, presentation and taste. We wanted a point of difference in the market to traditional cake outlets because it created choice and competition. We also strongly believed there was a market for our products and it turned out to be. We are dedicated primarily to wedding cakes and are renowned for designs which marry colour and creativity with taste and texture.” Cara and Frank’s business plan is worth noting because their ability to create a point of difference generates repeat business and recurring income. Customers make the effort to travel to their Ascot Vale premises after making an appointment to buy cakes in 12 flavours, some including white choc berry, mandarin and poppy, chocolate mud, marble mud, caramel and orange grand mariner. Also, their business plan exposes them to word-of-mouth advertising that organically grows their client base free-of-charge. Identifying a niche market is what can give any business a competitive edge and the opportunity to grow in good and challenging times. As always, the product and the service must be first class and appealing to keep customers returning for more, and Cara and Frank believe their ingredients and workmanship speak for themselves. As the proverb goes, “the proof of the pudding is in the eating”, and satisfied customers have left a string of compliments on their website under the “testimonials” tagline. And, why not share your success with website browsers – it’s good marketing. (Readers never stop promoting your business and work on the business rather than in it.) The testimonial of Jo and Rob Anastasio says: “The (wedding) cake you created was divine. The guests could not stop taking photos and complimenting it’s unique flavour and attraction.” Here’s another testimonial from Gloria and Stephen Gattuso: “Leaving the design in your capable hands was the best thing we did, allowing your creativity to give us the most wonderful (wedding) cake. By using your imagination to duplicate parts of my gown to this work of art made my day. You are an absolute artist in the true sense of the word. Congratulations.” Or here’s another comment written in the Masters of Weddings magazine: “Cakes of Distinction is an exclusive cake designing boutique located in Ascot Vale. Renowned for meticulous attention to detail and personalised service, they are the preferred suppliers of Melbourne’s high end venues and wedding planners alike.” It’s evident from interviewing Cara that she has a passion for baking cakes and takes pride in work – prerequisites for running a successful business. “We love food and we love cooking,” she says. “We spend hours designing, creating and baking a cake to customer specifications. All our work is handmade and is extremely labour-intensive – we take pride and pleasure in being the best at what we do.” For further information, contact Cara and Frank Panaia on (03) 9375 1588. Shop address: 105 Maribyrnong Rd, Ascot Vale. Website: www.cakesofdistinction.com.au This story was researched and written by finance journalist and public relations consultant ANTHONY BLACK, of Black Media. Copyright. Contact Anthony Black on 0418 54 3330 or anthonyblack3@bigpond.com
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