For students craving a sweet treat, or needing a tray of sweet goods, Treatssbylaii provides choices fit
for any occasion.
Solai Mills, freshman, business administration major, has always been into baking and making sweet treats.
Her biggest inspiration comes from her aunt, Sharina.
“I started my business when I was about eight,” Mills says. “I’ve been continuing since. My aunt, she loved treats and she used to be a baker as well.”
Mills and her aunt used to bake all the time and made treats together. When her aunt passed away, Mills decided to honor the person she loves the most.
“She had so much passion for [baking] as well and I wanted to keep it going,” Mills says.
Her passion continued into high school, leading her to take baking courses and cooking classes. Taking these courses emphasized to Mills that she has always loved to bake.
Running a business isn’t easy, especially with Mills is doing it alone.
“The most difficult part is most likely the holidays. Since I do it by myself, nobody really helps me unless I ask for help, and I don’t often ask for help. I run multiple businesses, so it’s very hard for me,” Mills says.
Some of the other businesses include hair and nails. So, during the holidays, she tends to be booked and busy.
“A good holiday to mention is Valentine’s Day,” Mills says. “Everybody wants their hair done and nails done for Valentine’s Day, and then when I’m making treats, I have like over 600 orders, and it’s just like: ‘wow.’”
When Mills gets big orders for the holidays, or even parties, she tries her best to make it not only simple for her, but for her customers as well. She has her customers order what they want in advance of when the occasion is; usually about two weeks and to let Mills know exactly what they want.
“I always communicate with [costumers] throughout the process and they also pay 50% beforehand just in case if they end up canceling,” Mills says.
Mills has only seen small orders canceled. She is grateful that none of her big orders—party or holidays—have canceled on her, and she hopes they never do.
“Say if somebody cancels their 12 packs of strawberries that say ‘XOXO’ on Valentine’s Day, I just repost them [on Instagram] and another person will grab them quick.”
Mills says that she likes doing things herself so that she doesn’t have to rely on others. And while she does like working alone, Mills hopes that when she graduates she can hire people to work for her businesses. Her long-term goal is to step back from all her other businesses and put her main focus on Treatssbylaii.
A new goal of Mills is to be able to get a mobile shop for her sweet treats business and bring it to campus.
“I am currently in the process of making a menu for campus, exploring more options and adding more things.”
A top favorite that customers love to order is her Oreo brownies. “They go crazy over those.”
Fruit-wise, customers also love her cheesecake-filled strawberry shortcakes which are also chocolate-covered strawberries. Mills comments that it’s the hardest to do since “they have to be a certain room temperature.” She appreciates everyone’s love for the treat.
Another sweet that is the most difficult for Mills to make is candy grapes. It’s hard candy that starts off melted, but once the grapes are dipped in it, they are chilled, and it hardens around the grapes.
“I make a lot of stuff homemade,” Mills says. “Some stuff you can’t really make homemade like the chocolate-covered strawberries, but other treats, I make homemade.”
She uses social media to promote her sweet treats business and attract customers who are able to see what she has in stock and ask for orders.
“My mom posts [treats] on her Facebook and I will have my friends repost things for me as well,” Mills says. “For Southern, I plan on creating flyers to put around the school of weekly menus and I’ll have a QR code to my Instagram, and I’ll have order forms as well, so that you don’t have to [direct message] me.”
To have her treats on campus and more accessible to students, Mills and her friends have coordinated a plan to make treats on campus and distribute.
The community that Mills has built has helped her be able to promote her business to more people.
Students can follow this sweet treat business on Instagram @Treatssbylaii.
