Sugar Makes Investing A Non-Negotiable & Enjoys These Apple Sauce Oatmeal Muffin Pupcakes

Pups have asked me, “What’s the one thing you wish someone told you about pup business ownership before you started?”

Honestly, there are several answers to that question.  I wish someone would’ve told me how isolated it can be at times.  While my pup friends were hanging out at pup happy hours, I was home testing pupcake recipes. 

I also wish I would’ve known the real responsibility behind controlling every aspect of your pup business venture venture.  Basically, if I don’t do something it doesn’t get done.  And, quite frankly, no pup could ever know that until you’re in it. 

However, the one thing I wish I really had known was how expensive being a pup business owner can be.  Especially, in the start-up phase.

When I first started Pupcake Sugar, every time I turned around there was a new cost associated with my “dream pup business.”  Whether it was outsourcing someone to design my website, taking a pup business class, or even purchasing pupcake baking supplies, I felt like I was always spending money on something.

Now, don’t get me wrong.  I didn’t mind paying for what I needed.  I looked at it as an investment in my dream.  However, in the beginning a lot of these business costs come all at once, which can really become a distraction if you’re not careful.  Sometimes pups focus too much on the cost, which may cause some pups to quit their dream before they get started.

That’s even more of a reason why I decided to continue working at Scent while I was establishing my pup business venture.  Working there not only gave me a chance to learn things I could apply to Pupcake Sugar, but it also gave me some income while I worked to get Pupcake Sugar up and running.

But, even though I was working at BarkScent, there were times when I still felt broke.  I also felt on edge because after every bill was paid and Pupcake Sugar cost was handled, there wasn’t a lot of money to begin that savings fund that every millennial pup should have. So, one day I decided to change that.  As the saying goes…

And, I definitely want to go further.  I decided after every paycheck from BarkScent, I’d save 20 nudges.  A nudge is pup currency. 

It really didn’t seem like much at first.  Twenty nudges will hardly cover the cost of a week’s worth of groceries, let alone help you in an emergency.  But, over the next several months I watched my little stash of nudges grow into a real financial cushion. 

Before I knew it, I had 500 nudges I could use for an emergency.  And, even though finances were still tight, I always knew in the back of my pup mind that I had a few nudges to rely on in case I needed it.

This exercise was also a great practice in investing in myself.  It was the chance to watch something small grow into  something that will benefit me and my future.  It was also a great practice in self-discipline.  Since it took time to save up my stash, I would think a lot harder about what was considered an emergency and whether I could come up with the nudges I needed in another way.

This exercise also changed my outlook.  As we all know, nudges beget nudges; opportunity begets opportunity.  So, as I kept depositing my nudges, I found more opportunities for more nudges to come my way.  And, with this stash I could never call myself “broke” again. 

These Apple Sauce Oatmeal Pupcakes are dedicated to starting small and watching your investment grow.

And of course, we believe that every pupcake has a love story.  So, while your favorite pup is PUPPY LOVIN’ on these pupcakes, we’d love to hear from you.

What’s one small step you can take to invest in your future self?

Please share your pupcake story in the box below.