Member Highlight: The Flour Elise by Krista McDowell

Welcome to another edition of our Member Spotlight Series on the Madison Mompreneur blog! This series will help you get to know the members of Madison Mompreneur as we ask them questions about their personal and professional life as moms who own businesses in the Madison, Alabama area.

We are continuing this series with the spotlight on Krista McDowell, Owner of The Flour Elise!

Introduce yourself!

I’m Krista McDowell, and I’m the owner of The Flour Elise, a baked goods and cake company in Madison, Alabama.

How does your business help people?

The Flour Elise helps people by offering baked goods & cakes for their special occasions/events.

How long have you lived in Madison County?

I have lived in Madison for 13 years.

What inspired you to start your business?

I have always loved baking & wanted to open a bakery since I was a little girl.

What sets your business apart from others in the industry?

I specialize in custom buttercream cakes & turning those fondant cakes into buttercream cakes.

What do you consider to be your biggest success so far?

I consider my buttercream hot dog cake to be my biggest business success so far!

How does your business contribute to the local community?

I offer beautiful buttercream cakes that look like the beautiful fondant cakes.

How do you see your business evolving in the next 5-10 years?

I see myself having a storefront location & offering many more offerings that the Madison town is missing out on.

Who are your typical customers, and how do they find you?

My typical clients are looking for baked goods. They find me through Facebook, Instagram, word of mouth & vending events.

What do you enjoy most about running your business?

Baking & customer service

How do you stay up-to-date with industry trends and changes?

I’m constantly learning and getting inspiration from Facebook, Instagram & Pinterest

What advice would you give to someone interested in starting a business in your industry?

Make sure you do all your research. Also be ready for lots of work & sleepless nights!

Any product/service you would like to highlight at this time?

I offer birthday cakes, and I am looking to booking some more in the coming months.

Do you involve your kids in your business? If yes, how so?

Yes my 17 year old is my biggest helper! He goes with me to all of my events as well as washes my dishes. He is amazing!

What do you find is the most difficult part of balancing motherhood and business life?

Making sure he feels appreciated for everything he does for me!

What business in the Madison area is your favorite?

Taqueria Luna! They’re such an amazing business & are always sharing my posts.

Who is your business bestie?

Yesss Morgan Anderson with Rainbow Realm Hair Co! We support one another, share each other’s posts, reccomend one another & chat alot. She’s truly amazing at what she does & I believe in her so VERY much!

Anything else you want us to highlight?

My sugar cookies!

Where can people find you?

Facebook

Don’t forget to read about other Mompreneurs, our latest member highlight was Michelle Thao of Momtastic Fitness

If Krista’s experience as mom and business owner resonates with you, we want to hear from you in the comments! And if you are a mom and business owner in Madison, Alabama email us at madisonmompreneur@gmail.com. to be featured in a future Member Highlight post!