Thryv Small Business Award Winner
Artful Cakery by Julie won the Small Business Productivity Award for 2024!
I was incredibly honored to receive the 2024 Small Business Productivity Award as part of the Thryv Small Business Excellence Awards.
This recognition means a great deal to me because it reflects the growth of Artful Cakery by Julie and the dedication that goes into running a small creative business.
The award recognizes entrepreneurs who demonstrate strong business growth, organization, and productivity while building successful businesses in their communities.
Recognizing Entrepreneurial Growth
The Small Business Productivity Award was presented to Julie McDaniel, owner of Artful Cakery by Julie, for exemplifying the successful entrepreneurial journey.
Over the past several years, Artful Cakery by Julie has grown significantly as a custom cake studio specializing in wedding cakes, sculpted cakes, and celebration cakes for clients throughout Atlanta and North Georgia.
According to the award announcement, the business achieved 100% growth, even during a challenging economic climate.
How Organization Helped the Business Grow
Running a cake business involves much more than baking and decorating. Behind every wedding cake is a great deal of organization — managing consultations, coordinating with venues, communicating with clients, and handling contracts and payments.
The award highlighted how implementing the Thryv Business Center platform helped streamline many of these processes.
By organizing client communications, improving the online presence of the business, and simplifying scheduling and payments, these systems helped create a more efficient workflow.
This organization allowed Artful Cakery by Julie to focus more time on designing and creating cakes for clients.
A Record Year for Wedding Cakes
One of the most exciting milestones mentioned in the award announcement was a dramatic increase in wedding cake orders.
In 2023, I set a goal to create 20 wedding cakes during the year.
With the improvements in business organization and online presence, that goal was far surpassed. By the end of the year, 54 wedding cakes had been created for couples celebrating their weddings across Atlanta and North Georgia.
That level of growth was both exciting and humbling, and it reinforced how important strong systems and organization are for small businesses.
As shared in the award announcement:
“In the wedding cake business, your reputation is everything. With Thryv I now have a beautiful, professional website and a rapidly growing number of 5-star reviews. In 2023 I set a goal to get 20 wedding cake orders. Thanks to help from Thryv, I made 54 wedding cakes that year!”
A Business Built on Creativity and Relationships
Artful Cakery by Julie is based in Flowery Branch, Georgia, and serves weddings and special events throughout Atlanta and North Georgia.
The bakery specializes in:
custom wedding cakes
sculpted groom’s cakes
realistic 3-D cakes
milestone celebration cakes
dessert displays for weddings and events
Every cake is baked fresh to order and designed specifically for the client. Many couples come with inspiration photos or color palettes, and the design process transforms those ideas into a cake that becomes a centerpiece of the celebration.
Over the years, it has been a privilege to work with couples and families celebrating some of the most meaningful moments of their lives.
Gratitude for Clients and Community Support
Awards like this are never achieved alone.
The growth of Artful Cakery by Julie would not be possible without the support of wonderful clients, wedding planners, venues, photographers, and fellow wedding professionals throughout the Atlanta and North Georgia wedding community.
Every cake order represents trust from a client who has invited me to be part of their celebration.
I am incredibly grateful for that trust and for the opportunity to continue creating cakes that help make those moments memorable.
Read More About the Award
The official announcement of the Thryv Small Business Excellence Awards can be found here:
Thryv Small Business Productivity Award 2024
