With a loan from TruFund, ‘Cupcakes by Tish’ received an opportunity to perform leasehold improvements, expand a marketing initiative, and purchase new equipment in order to grow the business, support the family, and provide much-needed jobs in the neighborhood.
The Business
“Cupcakes by Tish” is a small, privately-owned cupcakery, specializing in gourmet cupcakes for all occasions. Every "Cupcake by Tish" is created out of love, and you can taste the difference when you indulge in our cupcakes. All cupcakes and frostings are baked from scratch daily using only high quality ingredients.’ – From the “Cupcakes by Tish” website.
Lekisha Leonard has been baking since her early years as a little girl in her grandmother's kitchen, when her only tool was her beloved E-Z Bake oven. A few years ago, Tish decided to put her love of baking to use and began baking cupcakes for her kid’s parties. From rave reviews, a business was born. Located in the beautiful historic neighborhood of Old Cloverdale in Montgomery, Alabama, ‘Cupcakes by Tish’ was an immediate hit, winning the ‘Reader’s Choice 2012 Best Desert Award’, and was voted ‘Best Little Cupcake in Alabama’.
The Opportunity
Devastatingly, Lekisha Leonard was forced to stop working in her traditional job because her 15-month old daughter was badly injured while attending daycare, and she needed to be constantly around to care for her daughter. As a result, Lekisha and her husband were faced with possible financial disaster.
Baking since she was a little girl, Lekisha Leonard held on to baking as a passion and hobby as an adult. Faced with mounting debt and stagnant income after leaving her job to care for her injured daughter, Lekisha decided to turn her passion into a profession. ‘Cupcakes by Tish’ was an immediate hit – though nobody who had ever tried one of her cupcakes was at all surprised. ‘Cupcakes by Tish’ has had such tremendous success that Lekisha and her husband decided to open another location, employing some 10 more people in East Montgomery. With a loan from TruFund, ‘Cupcakes by Tish’ received an opportunity to perform leasehold improvements, expand a marketing initiative, and purchase new equipment in order to grow the business, support the family, and provide much-needed jobs in the neighborhood. From the days of the E-Z Bake Oven to a booming business, each batch of cupcakes has the same special touch of love that Lekisha’s grandmother taught her all those years ago.
