Calivika Shareholder Highlight: Sabrina Bakes
Q&A with Sabrina Kothe of Sabrina Bakes
Calista Shareholder Sabrina Kothe, owner of Sabrina Bakes
Calista Shareholder Sabrina Kothe is a talented baker in Wasilla who offers her services in Wasilla, Eagle River and Palmer.
She started her business in 2021 after a period of time as a stay-at-home mom. Sabrina expresses that she is grateful for everyone who has supported her through her business journey.
She listed her business, Sabrina Bakes, in our Calivika Shareholder Directory in 2023 and can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/skothebakes.
TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF AND THE INSPIRATION BEHIND WHY YOU STARTED SABRINA BAKES.
I am Sabrina, I am Yup’ik, a mother of five, and part of the Agwiak family of Mountain Village. I am the owner of Sabrina Bakes, a cottage food business that I opened in April 2021. I grew up in St. Mary’s until I was 12 years old then my family moved to Palmer, Alaska. When I was younger, I liked to bake anything I could. I’d search the house for ingredients and improvise to make any kind of dessert. Previously I have worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant, case manager, and a Certified Medical Assistant, but baking has always been something I’d do for fun. I would always try to make a baked treat for work potlucks. In 2020 I stopped working to be a stay-at-home mom, and with the encouragement of a few friends I decided to try opening a cottage baking business.
WHERE CAN OUR READERS GO TO PURCHASE YOUR PRODUCTS/SERVICES?
The products I mainly sell are cakes and cupcakes meant for any occasion, but I also bake cake pops, cinnamon rolls, fry bread and chocolate chip cookies. You can contact me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/skothebakes.
WHAT ARE THE TOP THREE THINGS THAT YOU BELIEVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE SUCCESS OF YOUR BUSINESS?
What’s helped with the success of my business is I put my heart into everything I do and always try to do my best. I couldn’t do any of this without the support and patience of my family, and this all started with the encouragement of a few friends. Also, a big part of my success comes from those that support my business, by sharing my work, ordering from me, leaving reviews and recommending my business. I’m very grateful for everyone that has supported me through this journey.
HOW HAS YOUR BUSINESS GROWN SINCE YOU STARTED?
I started with just friends following my page and ordering from me, and I’ve grown quite a bit in the past three years. My business has grown in number of followers on my business page, and number of orders per week. I started off with one here and there and [now] average about 4-7 per week, with my busiest week I believe I had 14 orders.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO BUDDING ENTREPRENEURS?
The advice I have for anyone starting a business would be to learn everything you need to know before starting one. I would say one big thing is to learn how to price your products. Do not guilt charge or undercharge because you’re scared your prices may be too high, which is what I did my first year of business, and I was losing money for all the work I did. Set up rules for deposits on purchases and let customers know what to expect regarding payment for products. Don’t overload yourself with work and always tell a customer if you’re not comfortable taking an order because you’ve never done it before or haven’t had enough practice at it.
CAN YOU TELL US THE MOST REWARDING EXPERIENCE YOU’VE HAD WITH YOUR BUSINESS?
What’s rewarding is seeing the great reviews, seeing photos of those who order my products, seeing recommendations, and new people discovering the work I do. Through “Sabrina bakes for every child,” I also provide cakes for families in need (for children). I accept nominations for this and choose a family to bless with a cake when I can. You can see more details about this on my Facebook page. So far, I’ve blessed 14 children with birthday cakes! I am still learning, and still adjusting but I certainly feel more confident than when I started. I am definitely proud to say I am an Alaska Native business owner.
Visit our Calivika Shareholder Directory, where you can view business listings or create your own listing.