Rising Stars: Meet Marquia Barnes

Today we’d like to introduce you to Marquia Barnes.

Hi Marquia, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hello, my name is Marquia. I am from Baltimore Maryland. The first time I tried to make treats was in 2014. I then decided to sell cupcakes and strawberries in 2016 for Mother’s Day. Everything went well but, I was not consistent at the time. The following month my youngest son was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. It’s an autoimmune disease and it is not caused by eating too many sweets. The diagnosis changed everything for my family; that consists of myself, my husband and our two sons. My son was 19 months at the time and needed around-the-clock care and still does, five years later. So, I stayed home with our kids.

In January 2019, I had been a stay-at-home mom for some time. I went back to school and earned my degree but I still loved being creative. Valentine’s Day was right around the corner and I went to my husband and told him that I was thinking about selling treats again. Like we had done a few years ago, for Mother’s Day, but this time, I would sell assorted chocolate-covered strawberries and pretzels. I used social media (Facebook and Instagram) to advertise my Valentine’s Day sale. My family and friends also shared the information and supported my business as well. I got more sales than what I expected. To be honest, I was overwhelmed but also happy. After Valentine’s Day, I began to practice with different colors, fondant and other treats. I would advertise and promote the items. I started receiving inquiries from people that I did not know and they wanted custom treats and that’s how I began incorporating custom items into my business. I would practice and do research. If there was an item I wanted to try and make, I would try it. I received positive feedback from different people. I continued to challenge myself. There were and still are times when a customer will inquire about a particular theme and I’ll get a little nervous, but I just go back to what I know and that’s being creative.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Having a small business isn’t always easy. You have to be disciplined. I’ve had to learn time management because an order may look like it’ll only take 3 hours but it’ll actually take many hours, depending on how big it is LOL. I’m a mom of two young kids and a small business owner; that can be a lot. So prepping is very important. Not taking on too much. I’ve had to turn down orders because I just couldn’t fulfill them. Knowing my worth in this business is something that I’ve learned. This industry is over-saturated but I’ve learned that I create my own lane and those that want to support me will do so. I’ve also learned to take breaks whenever I need to because treat-making can be very tiresome and tedious.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am the owner of Barnes Berries Dessert Boutique. I specialize in chocolate-covered strawberries and custom treats. I am most proud of the progress I’ve made in learning how to make certain items. What sets me apart from others is that I offer custom treats but also elegant items such as my strawberry and flower bouquet that can be given as a gift for any occasion.

Contact Info:

• Email: mbarnesberries@gmail.com
• Instagram: Barnes Berries
• Facebook: Barnes Berries Dessert Boutique