Meet Catherine & Monica, Owners of Madame Lecker Bakery

We asked Catherine van den Bossche, and her co-founder (Monica Sarmiento-Stadlin), a few questions about being a small business owner in Miami. Check out their responses below:

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What is the origin story of your business?

As moms of Miami-Dade County Public School students, we were very concerned about the kind of unhealthy food, especially bread, the kids in our community were consuming. We wanted to provide healthy bread made from scratch with natural ingredients using old bakery traditions and handcrafted techniques. 

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What is your favorite thing about being a small business owner? 

One of the most rewarding things about having a small local business is that we can make and offer products that our clients may miss from their home country. We are able to have strong and personal connections with our community members in order to fulfill their needs.

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What is your best piece of advice for fellow business owners? 

To never give up and always look for help and advice.

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Tell us about a great program, organization, or opportunity that really helped you and your business.

Ascendus was able to help us in finding a loan for our business. With that funding, we were able to purchase a new oven and mixer that helped us cover the growing demand for our business. Chase, the bank that provided the funding, connected us with their staff that gave us advice and led us to visualize how and where we wanted to grow, as a business. We were also connected to a Prospera consultant that helped us develop a business plan and is still working with us on strategies to develop and grow our bakery. Connections and networks are so important for business growth! 

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Interested in connecting?

• Email: Bakery@madamelecker.com 
• Phone: (305) 934-0017
• Social Media: @madameleckerbakery
• Website: www.madamelecker.com‍
• Address: 7165 SW 47 St, #316, Miami FL, 33155