Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. Can I submit more than one entry?
Yes, you may enter this contest as often as you like. Each entry must be accompanied by a payment in order to be processed. All entries are kept strictly anonymous to the 3 readers who review them.
2. What exactly do you mean, “all entries must be anonymous to avoid disqualification”?
First of all, do not include your name, address, phone number or email address in the body of your essay. This is an automatic disqualification, as it could be said that we were influenced to read your essay more favorably or unfavorably because we know this info about you. That is the reason we have a cover sheet for you to fill out before the essay; our administrator (who is not one of the readers) processes the payment and gives us only the essay itself.
Secondly, if you think we know you, do not include detailed identifying information in the body of your essay. Do not, for example, tell us that you are a local nurse with long hair who is a regular at Sweet Cakes (sorry, Tracy!). If we can identify you, we must disqualify your entry. This is the only way to ensure that we are giving everyone an equal, fair shot at winning.
If we do not know you, we will not “research” information you provide. For example, if you tell us that you are a 50 year-old woman who has owned a bakery in northern RI in the past, we will not google to try to identify you.
Our advice: stick closely to the questions we are asking. We want to know about your vision for a bakery in a small town and your feelings about community. The less detailed, very specific information you give about yourself (names of places, schools, etc) the less chance you have of being disqualified.
3. What other reasons are there for being disqualified?
If you do not send a payment with your entry (PayPal to submit online or a money order via snail mail that accompanies your essay) your entry will not be considered.
If you fail to address one or both of the questions in your essay, your essay will not be disqualified, but will likely be assessed low enough to eliminate you from consideration.
Our advice: download, print out and pay close attention to the questions and the rubric we have provided. They tell you exactly how your essay will be assessed. By keeping these criteria in mind as you write or revise your essay, you will have a better chance of submitting a winning entry!
4. Is the word limit for this essay really 280? I have so much to say!
Yes, the word limit is really 280. Part of what makes this a skills-based contest is the challenge of boiling down what you want to say into such a brief essay. This is one of the “skills” you are demonstrating.
Our advice: write a longer version of the essay to begin with, telling us everything you want to say. Then go over it again and again, getting to the really essential ideas that communicate your vision for the business and what you feel about community. This is the entry to submit!
5. Can you tell me more about Sweet Cakes’ finances?
No, we are not required to reveal detailed financial information to each entrant. We will, of course, share all information about the business with the winner of the contest. We reiterate that this business grossed over $500,000 in 2009, and made a profit.
6. What does it mean that you made a profit?
For a corporation such as this one, a profit means that there is money left after all financial obligations have been met. These include (for a foodservice business) sales tax to the State of RI, corporate taxes, all licenses, Worker’s Comp and other insurance, payments to all suppliers, payroll costs and other misc. expenses (equipment repair and upkeep, etc.)
7. Can you tell me more about how you run the business?
No, we are not required to reveal how we operate the business, nor do we feel that this information would be of much use to you. The business could be operated in so many different ways: as a family operation, as a hands-off owner operation where all work is done by employees or as a business with 5 employees, or 10! Business models and business strategies abound; each person will run things differently, and make decisions based on how they want the business to operate. Hours of operation, type of product, numbers of employees, etc all depend on your vision of your Sweet Cakes.
8. What will I realistically need to get started at Sweet Cakes?
We are offering Sweet Cakes as a turnkey operation. All systems, procedures, product suppliers, equipment, recipes, and a trained staff are available to the winner, along with 6 weeks’ training with our pastry chef at a very reasonable rate (if the winner chooses). Realistically, there will be some closing costs, attorney’s fees, etc to be paid in order to take possession of the business. In addition, the winner will have to transfer or re-apply for various licenses. We feel that the winner needs to have enough capital on hand to keep the business going until the cash flow cycle begins. Again, each business model handles this a little differently; for example, we choose to pay for some things COD which another person might wish to pay monthly, etc.
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Sweet Cakes Bakery in the Media
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Contest Ends May 15th. We encourage your early application!
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