Leidy Cardona fulfilled her dream of opening the doors of her own bakery after having started baking cakes at home in 2018. Leidy was referred to the Pace SBDC by Margarita Gaitan from the Colombian Consulate in New York in September 2022. 

 

From that moment, Pace SBDC Business Advisor Sandra Cely began to research and look for resources to provide Leidy with the necessary tools to understand the process and meet all the requirements to open the store. 

 

In addition to baking her exquisite cakes, Leidy is an active influencer on social networks for the Hispanic community, which allowed the Pace SBDC to offer workshops in Spanish for her followers. 

 

In January 2022, Leidy decided to achieve her dream and put all her efforts into opening her physical store. She found an ideal location in Forest Hills, Queens, and Sandra helped Leidy prepare financial projections for the business, advertise her business on the Facebook page of Rego Park and Forest Hills with more than 400 likes, and introduced her to Business Advisor Joe Peterson to design an online landing page for Leidylicious Cakes.

 

Sandra Cely also connected her with The NYC Business Express Service Team, to help her understand the related permits and licenses for opening her store, as well as compliance rules and requirements to avoid fines and violations.  She also attended the Grand Opening, which included a visit from the Mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, The New York City Commissioner of Small Business, Kevin Kim, and other community lenders. 

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“Thanks to the support of the Pace SBDC, I was able to turn my dream into a reality. The personalized guidance I received from Sandra Cely helped me understand every step of the process to open my store—from permits to financial projections. I felt supported every step of the way, and that guidance was key to making Leidylicious Bake Shop a physical space where I can continue growing and sharing sweetness with the community.” Leidy Cardona, Founder of Leidylicious Bake Shop

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If you have been dreaming about opening your own retail space or a business of any kind, contact the Pace SBDC to receive personalized, professional assistance at no cost to you.