Treat founder reflects on 5 years in business

Five years into MKE-based Treat Bake Shop, Sarah Marx Feldner blogged about starting an artisan food business. Bottom line? It’s hard, but fun.

She shares some key learnings:

• Work backwards — Before diving in, analyze the industry, market share, consumer demand, costs, etc., to determine ROI.

• It’s all you — There’s no magic fix to get around things that need to be done.

• Avoid comparisons — Don’t model your decisions after what others have done, because you don’t know the underlying factors that motivated their decisions.

• Love what you do — It will help you get through the inevitable struggles along the way.

— Janet Raasch