Tipsy Cupcakes

Business Model

Tipsy Cupcakes RVA specializes in alcoholic and virgin cupcakes in the Richmond area. Our business is unique because we combine what people love most: a social drink and something sweet. Alcoholic cupcakes is a fairly new concept to the Virginia area and adds to our source of appeal for customers around the nation that visit the Carytown area. Tipsy Cupcakes RVA is not your average cupcake shop! We host a variety of events throughout the month and feature a cafe style environment for customers to enjoy our Tipsy Cupcake experience. Customer service is an integral part of our business. We make sure that every customer feels appreciated, valued and a part of the Tipsy Cupcake family.

• Tipsy Cupcakes also sells merchandise and offers events to generate revenue in addition to the sale of cupcakes.
• All ingredients are as fresh as possible. Partnerships with the Alcoholic Beverage Control and Schneider Laboratories ensure a consistent and safe product.
• We price our cupcakes competitively, balancing the value of our unique experience with similar bakeries in the area.

Industry Spotlight:

• The Coffee and Snackshop industry accounts for $50.7 billion in revenue
• Since 2014, the industry has seen a 4.6% growth, and is projected to continue positive growth into the 2020’s

Location Spotlight:

• Carytown has an impressive 92 walk score and 76 bike score.
• There are about 65 restaurants, bars and coffee shops in Carytown.
• People in Carytown can walk to an average of 19 restaurants, bars and coffee shops in 5 minutes.
• Richmond has a population of over 1.2 million people, and is growing at a faster rate than the state as a whole.

Marketing STrategy

• We create plenty of merchandise to create organic brand awareness, including: business cards, packaging labels, mugs, flasks, shot glasses, and a strong social media presence. Our brand focuses on the unique aspect of our cupcakes: the tipsiness!
• We also participate in social media groups, create promotions, vend at events, and host our own events.

The Market

• Our market is the Carytown and surrounding areas. Since most of our cupcakes have alcohol in them, we target adults 21 years of age or older. For our virgin cupcakes, we target anyone who loves a great cupcake!

Our Competitors

• The only competitor is Lush Cupcakes because they specialize in alcoholic cupcakes as well.

• New Hires: $35,000
• Debt Consolidation: $25,000
• Marketing: $10,000
• Working Capital: $24,000
• Mainvest Compensation: $6,000

Shavondi Cousins
Co-Owner
Shavondi attended Virginia Commonwealth University and ITT Technical Institute and has a degree in Computer Networking. Shavondi moved on to work in Corporate American for over 14 years where she developed great skills working with people. However, food has always been her passion and after growing up in poverty with a family full of cooks and learning about food over the years she realized it was the right direction. After her son was born, she decided to create a legacy for him to have a better life. So alongside her sister, they developed a plan where they combined their skills and food knowledge to create an idea that was new and creative to the Richmond area. But they didn't just want a typical cupcake shop, they wanted one that would demonstrate who the are and speak to the black community as well. Tipsy Cupcakes RVA was born!

Charmesha Cousins
Co-Owner
Charmesha is an alumni from the University of Virginia with a Bachelors Degree in Sociology and African American studies. After college, Charmesha acquired a job in Corporate America but never felt that she was fulfilling her purpose. Charmesha created Tipsy Cupcakes RVA with her sister, Shavondi after locking themselves in a car for three hours to come up with an idea that would make them entrepeneurs. After 3 hours, Tipsy Cupcakes was born. Alongside her sister, Charmesha has been able to create brand awareness, a strong customer following and the newest accomplishment, moving to the Carytown area to become a full time entrepreneur.