Here We Crumb

Belinda Hensley had a number of career options in mind when she was growing up. At one point she wanted to be a lawyer, and then she worked as a child behavioral therapist. She really liked her job as a therapist, but a love for baking called into a new vocation.

She worked at a bakery, but it wasn’t long before she wanted to own her own bakery. When she and her husband moved back to Northeast Arkansas after living in Florida for several years, she started Here We Crumb in 2022.

“I have a passion for decorating cakes and cookies,” she said. “I really do love decorating.”

Operating her business out of her home, Hensley said she has to hustle to get the word out about her business. She often promotes it on social media platforms such as Facebook and Tic Tok. She travels to local businesses and passes out free samples.

“I get a lot of business through word of mouth,” she said. “I rely on people talking about and sharing the goods I bake.”

During a typical day, she’ll have several orders to bake, she’ll meet with customers, order products, and perform other tasks. Birthdays and weddings are her biggest money makers. Anniversaries and graduations also are revenue generators.

One aspect of baking that many people are unaware of is that a lot of science goes into it, she said. For instance, when cakes, donuts, pies, and other goods are baking, the outside weather can have a significant impact, she added.

“I don’t make macaroons, but the weather can have a big impact on them,” she said.

Hensley said she hopes to keep growing her business. At some point, she’d like to have a brick-and-mortar store. She would locate it in Jonesboro, she said.

The U.S. baking sector is worth billions, annually. The sector employs 800,000 direct employees and generates $42 billion in direct wages, according to the American Bakers Association. The indirect economic impact tops $186 billion each year.

In Arkansas, there are about 10,000 people employed in the baking industry. It generates about $550 million in direct wages, the ABA reported.

What’s her own personal favorite baked good?

“Cheesecake. I like plain cheesecake. I make a blackberry cheesecake that people seem to like a lot,” she said.

Editor’s note: This company is a finalist for the Northeast Arkansas Outstanding Business Awards — Small Business category. Winners will be announced at a luncheon on April 15. Contact Rob Gutterridge at rgutterridge@nwabj.com for tickets.