This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Beth Pratt, a 29-year-old baker and small-business owner from Denver. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I am a classically trained pastry chef, and I previously worked for a restaurant group. But at some point in the last five years, I realized I hated my job. I was so tired of working for other people.
I started a TikTok, and my content went viral in the first month. I posted a video last May asking if people would buy my cookies, and the response was overwhelmingly yes.
I launched this business in December. I sell the cookies by the half dozen, with five core flavors and one rotating seasonal taste. A regular box of six costs $27, and I sell about 3,000 cookies monthly.
All the cookies have fun names, like “Snarky Snickerdoodle,” “Chocolate Fuckin’ Chip,” and “Oatmeal Raisin’ Hell.”
Expensive eggs and chocolate have hit me hard
The first blow to my business was soaring egg and chocolate prices. In December, the eggs I bought were less than $100 for a case of 180, but in mid-February, they were $145 for that same case.
I’ve seen chocolate prices rise 60% since December. That means the price of my ingredients skyrocketed, too. Ingredient costs went from 18.5% of my total costs to about 23% in February, which is huge for a small business like mine.
Trump’s tariffs have made everything feel like it’s in free fall. And there’s a 100% chance I will be affected by his tariffs on China.
I source my cookie bags from a company called Pouch.me, which is based in Shanghai. I love them because they’re so well customized and of good quality.
They are also way more affordable than what I can get in the US — I order 12 to 14 different designs from Pouch.me at a time, and they cost 52 cents when I was buying 3,000 bags at a go. Recently, I purchased a larger quantity of 6,000 bags at 38 cents each.
I emailed them a couple of days ago asking about the tariffs, and they said there’s currently no change in prices on their end but that I should be mindful of price increases that will be coming.
After the tariffs started, I tried looking at other suppliers in the US. I found that these US-based suppliers are so used to working with big companies but not very good at working with small businesses like mine.
The cheapest quote was from a company charging $1.02 per bag, with a minimum order of 6,000 bags per design. It was just so far out of my price range.
Another one quoted me a $10,000 minimum order, and I just couldn’t commit to something like that.
Lots of uncertainty in the business
I’ve thought about stocking up with a big bulk order from Pouch.me so that I’m covered for the next couple of months, but I’m hesitant — I don’t know what impact the tariffs will have.
Maybe I’ll regret not doing a bulk order. It’s all so up in the air right now.
I want to maintain the same quality that I am proud of with my product, but I’m worried. What happens if egg prices skyrocket again? What happens if chocolate prices double?
I’m worried that if prices get too high, I won’t be able to do that and will have to shift to cheaper alternatives.
People on TikTok and Instagram were supportive when I said the prices of my cookie boxes might go up.
But I don’t think I’m going to do that. It just feels wrong. I’d rather find some other way to not pass that price on to the customer.
But we’ll see. Maybe I’ll eat my words.
