Wendy;
A few moments ago I was lying in bed, and brought up your post here on my blackberry. I had to come downstairs to my computer and write you a reply. Here is a GREAT opportunity for you to read your post back to yourself while keeping in mind the three golden rules I wrote in bold earlier on.
You say "I'm a very hard worker..." I say "Work smart not hard."
You say "I'm an artist...not a business person..." I say "Business is about one thing: money"
How do you work smart and not hard? Well, the first thing you need to do is come to the realization that your recipes probably aren't unique, and that someone somewhere has most likely already created what you have. LET GO!!! In all honesty, it'sa very liberating and rewarding feeling to share your "creations" with those around you who are interested. ALL of my recipes are available if people ask. In fact I post our chocolate recipe right on our bars. Just this month I've started hosting truffle making classes, and actually TEACH people how to make the truffles we do in our shop. They have a wonderful time and will always be our customers, even though they possess my "secrets".
The second thing in working smart, not hard is to understand that the best manager/coach is someone who teaches those around them to be BETTER than they are. Think about it: If you can teach 4 staff members to ice cupcakes to a higher standard than you, not only does the quality of your product increase, but you have in essence quadrupled production without ever icing a single cupcake!
LET GO! Become the coach. Your staff will respect you more for your ability to guide and teach them, and WANT to please you.
Now for the business end of things - the "business is about money" part of it. Develop, test, and marketa line of products that become your business's bread and butter - products that sell every day regardless of season. These products should have a "fresh" aspect to them, should appeal to your customers and NOT necessarily you, and should generate high profitability (food cost around 15%, and labour cost around 20%). The "fresh" aspect is what will have your customers returning for more, regularly, because the product isn't shelf stable. They NEED to come back.
Never release a product until it's been thoroughly tested with customers and focus groups, and a thorough cost analysis has been done to determine profitability. How long does it take to make the product from start to finish in terms of manhours? What's your food cost? What's the top price thresh-hold? How can this be marketed?
Stay true to the product lines you create. I can't stress enough that as a general rule, people don't like change. If they buy something today and like it, they want to come back tomorrow and buy more, and will most likely tell their friends about their purchase too, prompting their friends to come in looking for it. If you disagree with this, why do you think that the Baby Ruth,O-Henry, Coffee Crisp, and Kit Katchocolate bars have been around for so many years? How do you think the term "comfort food" came to be?
While keeping your regular "tried and true" product lines, you can delve into your personal creative side by offering your return customers with "Wendy Buckner Specials" - limited edition creations that you have put your personal touch on. This allows you to continue developing your skills and recipes, while at the same time determining if the techniques used to create your new confections can be taught to your staff and can eventually become part of your regular product offering. Essentially in this regard you are being paid by your customers to experiment and further develop your skills.
By building your business in this fashion, you are training your staff to be able to operate the business independently of you. If you decide to take a month off, well... next month you won't be offering any "Wendy Buckner Specials". But that's ok, because your return customers will still have the "tried and true" products your staff have been well trained to make, to purchase. This model allows you to play with chocolate at your leisure, and still have a life.
In closing, always ask yourself, "If I can't be here tomorrow or the next day, or next week, who needs to know what, in order for this business to continue to grow?" Answer the question, and then ensure the right people are taught what they need to know. It will give you immense peace of mind.
Hope this helps.
Good Night.
Brad.