Little Blonde Bakes – a booming business based on savvy social media skills.

Francesca Harrison, 23, from Ramsbottom started a cake company with her mother, Jayne, nearly two years ago in October 2016.

They are self-proclaimed “Home based, self-taught bakers” offering “bespoke cakes, cupcakes and blondies.”

With no shop and no website, they have navigated their popular business through social media, specifically Instagram, and now have just under 22 thousand followers following their latest baking updates.

Francesca Harrison said: “We started just baking for family and friends then one family member said you should sell these.

“When we were watching Great British Bake Off I set up Little Blonde Bakes instagram page, just started posting pictures and eventually started selling.”

On August 28 they announced that they are taking bookings for September until December and already have limited spaces for November.

“Orders can vary between 20-30 each week sometimes more” she said.

Baking is a hugely popular now, there are multiple tv shows purely based on eccentric cakes, so the competition is massive.

“Baking seems to be very popular at the moment. Very popular. But originality always wins, and it definitely pushes us to be bigger and better to stand out.”

So how can a small business stand out against the big competitors.

Francesca shares some insight saying: “Nine out of ten times we just create designs ourselves. We occasionally use other bakers as inspiration if someone has asked for a particular style. But we always credit the original baker we have used as inspiration.”

When asked if they would ever open their shop or start a website she said: “Yes! Watch this space” We would also love to go into teaching.

“We have lots of things in the pipeline.”

The most popular item they sell is their blondies “everyone goes crazy for them” but Francesca favourite are their two-tier cakes and wedding cakes.

Francesca says the hardest part about being a young entrepreneur “to work as a team.”

She says: “I would say the hardest thing is to be able to work as team, not as mother and daughter but as business partners. But we’re getting there, we argue a lot less now.”

New treats are always being announced via their Instagram page and their menu has increased to; cakes, cupcakes, blondies, cake cups, treat boxes and dessert tables for special events.

One of their strategies for building the business is competitions for free treats.

All you must do is repost their image on your own Instagram page, potentially attracting all your followers, and tag them in it.

Francesca and Jayne have been very successful in their venture so far, her advice for others wanting to start their own business is to ““follow your dream, don’t listen to negative opinions, be original.”