75% off

for 3 months

Start fresh this new year with QuickBooks Online

Buy now

SALE

Buy now and
save 50% off today See plans & pricing

SALE

See plans & pricing

Start your business
Start your business
Run your business
Run your business
Grow your business
Grow your business
Accountants and Bookkeepers
Accountants and Bookkeepers
- Accountants and Bookkeepers
  Learn how accountants and bookkeepers can be productive in these articles & guides
- Learning and Development
  A range of informative content to enhance your QuickBooks experience.
Updates
Updates
- Product Updates
  Watch this space for monthly product updates.
- Intuit News
  Latest news, articles & guides

QuickBooks Blog

Need help choosing a plan?

1800 917 771 Schedule a call

Schedule call

Customer Stories

How Cookie Doughboy found sweet success

By Jack Pilon

Published on June 20, 20244 min read

Brooke Alexander and her husband Danny started a cookie business in the middle of a pandemic. But their initial challenge didn’t involve delivery delays, lockdowns or restrictions—it was keeping up with growth.

It all began in New York City. Brooke and Danny would often visit Levain Bakery—a New York City cookie institution—to indulge in the baked treat. “Levain was the inspiration behind Cookie Doughboy,” explains Brooke. “We’ve just put an Australian spin on them.”

Danny had always dabbled with the idea of them owning a business. But as they were both working full-time, it stayed as just an idea. When COVID-19 hit in early 2020, Brooke had to take forced leave. The time at home provided an opportunity to reminisce about New York by trialling and testing cookie recipes. “It was a blessing in disguise,” Brooke says.

The experimentation stage led to offering the cookies to relatives and friends, which quickly progressed into greater interest and more customers. “I was also working part-time when our customer base started to increase. We were all in by that point, developing a website, cookie testing and trying to market ourselves. Then, we finally decided on a launch date,” explains Brooke.

The cookies were a hit. Cookie Doughboy grew rapidly, allowing Brooke to leave her job and completely invest her time in the family business.

“Initially, I was daunted by the idea of starting a business because neither my husband nor I had any business knowledge. It’s all good and well to have an idea, even a good product, but do I know how to run a business and make money? Having to accept that we’re going to learn as we go was a big challenge,” Brooke shares.

The next hurdle was gaining exposure. “No one knew us, so why would they buy our product? How do they know it’s good? How are we going to get business?”. The pair relied on their family and friends to spread the word. They also began marketing their business on social media—which quickly helped raise awareness. “A lot of word-of-mouth business came out initially,” she says.

Cookie Doughboy may not have happened without COVID-19. Brooke counts her business as one of the lucky ones, having thrived during a difficult time.

“It was also a challenge for us because we went from a steady pace to boom; lots of orders were coming in. It was a steep learning curve for us. Plus, we were also dealing with family life, having the children at home, and learning the basics of running a business.”

As the business continued to grow, Brooke looked for ways to help streamline the financial side and move away from manual bookkeeping. After much time spent researching and a recommendation from a family member, Cookie Doughboy subscribed to QuickBooks Online.

“It is very user friendly. Also, since I’m always moving around, I can use it at home, the commercial kitchen or while doing deliveries. To have the app on my phone has been an amazing time-saver,” Brooke shares. “I can log my mileage and get a snap of any receipts. QuickBooks has helped our business become 90% paper-free.”

The other benefits of QuickBooks include invoicing, as all transactions are processed digitally, proving valuable when Cookie Doughboy started wholesaling to cafes.

“It makes our business more professional and saves time. I get alerts on my phone when there are outstanding or paid invoices. Customers can now also pay via direct deposit, credit card or PayPal. It helps to run the business efficiently,” she says, adding that it helped increase efficiency by over 70%.

QuickBooks continues to support Cookie Doughboy in its growth, letting Brooke focus on other facets of the business. “It provides a clear picture of our financial situation, helping us plan for the future and identify areas which need improvement,” she adds.

Since entering the world of small business, Brooke and Danny have learned many lessons, such as the importance of taking feedback on board.

“A few months into wholesaling, we had several chefs suggest that we make a plain milk chocolate chip cookie. Initially, I was resistant because I always wanted it to be full of nuts and chocolate. But they kept asking and saying that customers would like it,” Brooke says.

“I finally agreed, worked on a recipe and sent them the cookies. Well, they ended up being a winner.” She says that it’s not always about personal taste. “You need to make products that people want.” Another lesson is to ask questions and be willing to make mistakes.

As parts of Australia ease out of lockdown, Brooke recognises that the business will have to adapt. The next step is to get more wholesale customers on board and then promote the business for Christmas and corporate gifting.

“In the future, we’d like to have a food truck or sell at food markets, or even potentially open a shop front. But these are longer-term goals. So, watch this space,” Brooke concludes.

You can follow Cookie Doughboy on Facebook and Instagram, find their cookies at your local cafe, or buy direct through the Cookie Doughboy website.

Running a business

How to accept credit card payments: a guide to credit card processing

June 12, 2024

Customer Stories

How Wayward managed to survive and thrive during the pandemic

June 17, 2024

Looking for something else?

Get QuickBooks

Smart features made for your business. We've got you covered.

See how it works

Help Me Choose

Use our product selector to find the best accounting plan for you.

Choose your product

QuickBooks Support

Get help with QuickBooks. Find articles, video tutorials, and more.

Start learning

A computer screen showing a picture of a computer.

TAKE A NO-COMMITMENT TEST DRIVE

Your free 30-day trial awaits

Our customers save an average of 9 hours per week with QuickBooks invoicing*

No credit card needed

Cancel anytime

Unlimited support

By entering your email, you are agree to our Terms and acknowledge our Privacy Statement.

- - QuickBooks reserves the right to change pricing, features, support and service at any time. Prices are in AUD and include GST. See our Terms of Service for further information.
  - Pricing: All prices are in AUD and include GST.
  - ProAdvisor Program: Please find the terms of our ProAdvisor program here.
  - 75% off for 3 months: For new subscribers, enjoy a 75% off price subscription on QuickBooks Online Simple Start, QuickBooks Online Essentials or QuickBooks Online Plus for the first 3 months of your subscription (Offer). The discount will applied from the date of your enrolment and will continue for 3 months. From month 4, you will be charged the then current monthly retail price for your subscription. See current prices here. QuickBooks Payroll and QuickBooks Time prices are not eligible for any discount and will be invoiced separately according to your usage on a monthly basis during your subscription. Intuit reserves the right to request information to verify the eligibility of a purchaser of the Offer. Acceptance of such verification information is at the reasonable discretion of Intuit, which may revoke the Offer and impose a monthly cost for the subscription at the then current retail prices, at any time if it considers the purchaser is ineligible for the Offer.
  - 50% off for 12 months: For new subscribers, enjoy a 50% discount off the current monthly retail price for QuickBooks Self-Employed, QuickBooks Online Simple Start, QuickBooks Online Essentials or QuickBooks Online Plus for the first 12 months of your subscription (Offer). The discount will applied from the date of your enrolment and will continue for 12 months. From month 13, you will be charged the then current monthly retail price for your subscription. See current prices here. QuickBooks Payroll and QuickBooks Time prices are not eligible for any discount and will be invoiced separately according to your usage on a monthly basis during your subscription. Intuit reserves the right to request information to verify the eligibility of a purchaser of the Offer. Acceptance of such verification information is at the reasonable discretion of Intuit, which may revoke the Offer and impose a monthly cost for the subscription at the then current retail prices, at any time if it considers the purchaser is ineligible for the Offer.
  - 75% off for 3 months (existing subscribers): For existing QuickBooks subscribers who upgrade to QuickBooks Online Essentials, Plus or Advanced, enjoy a 75% discount off the current monthly retail price for 3 months of your subscription (Offer). The discount will be applied from the date you upgrade in-product and will continue for 3 months. From month 4, you will be charged the then current monthly retail price for your subscription. See current prices here. QuickBooks Payroll and QuickBooks Time services and prices are not eligible for any discount and will be invoiced separately according to your usage on a monthly basis during your subscription. Intuit reserves the right to request information to verify the eligibility of a purchaser of the Offer. Acceptance of such verification information is at the reasonable discretion of Intuit, which may revoke the Offer and impose a monthly cost for the subscription at the then current retail prices, at any time if it considers the purchaser is ineligible for the Offer.
  - Free Trial: First thirty (30) days of subscription to QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Self-Employed and QuickBooks Payroll (including QuickBooks Advanced Payroll), starting from the date of enrolment, is free. During the free trial, you may pay any number of employees using QuickBooks Payroll free of charge. To continue using QuickBooks after your 30-day trial, you'll be asked to present a valid credit card for authorisation and you'll be charged monthly at the then-current fee for the service(s) you've selected.
  - QuickBooks Payroll powered by Employment Hero: Payroll services are offered by a third party, Employment Hero. QuickBooks Payroll is only accessible via QuickBooks Online subscriptions. You will be charged $6.00 (incl. GST) per month for each ‘active employee’ paid using QuickBooks Payroll. An ‘active employee’ is one who has been paid at least once in the billing month. For Advanced Payroll, there is an additional monthly subscription fee of $10 (incl GST). Pricing, terms and conditions, including service options, are subject to change.
  * Employment Hero was voted the leading payroll solution for SMBs <50 employees (Australian Payroll Association 2021 Payroll Benchmarking Study)
  - Customer support: Call or chat to an expert for QuickBooks Online Accountant, QuickBooks Simple Start, Essential, Plus, and Advanced or use in-product QB Assistant and chat for QuickBooks Self-Employed. You'll also find useful resources in the QuickBooks Community.
  - Compatible Devices: QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Self-Employed and QuickBooks Payroll require a computer with Internet Explorer 10, Firefox, Chrome, or Safari 6 and an Internet connection (a high-speed connection is recommended). The QuickBooks Online mobile app works with iPhone, iPad, and Android phones and tablets. QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Payroll are accessible on mobile browsers on iOS, Android, and Blackberry mobile devices. Devices sold separately; data plan required. QuickBooks Payroll cannot be used on the mobile apps. Not all features are available on the mobile apps and mobile browser. QuickBooks Online mobile access is included with your QuickBooks Online subscription at no additional cost. Data access is subject to cellular/internet provider network availability and occasional downtime due to system and server maintenance and events beyond your control. Product registration required.
  - Get paid faster: Get paid 2.5x faster invoicing with PayPal
  * PayPal and QuickBooks customers get paid on average in less than 5 days, which is over 7 days faster than the average for invoices that get paid with other payment methods. Data is for paid invoices that were created in QuickBooks in Australia between 23.05.22 and 23.11.22
  - Tax deductions: Tax deductions not guaranteed due to being subject to user data entry errors. Mileage calculation provided by the Australia Taxation Office - 85 cents per kilometre for the 2023-2024 income year. To a maximum of 5,000 business kilometres per car (Deductions are only applicable to cars)
  - Customer Service Awards: Excellence in Customer Service Award at the CX Australia Awards 2022
  - Multiple file discount: Multiple file discount applies to QuickBooks Australia customers only and valid when signing up for more than one QuickBooks Online subscription in one order. Further terms and conditions available here. Not applicable to QuickBooks Self Employed.
  - Reviews: GetApp, Capterra, Google Play Store, Apple App Store reviews as at date 08/01/24.
  - Cost per day claim (annual): Based on a QuickBooks Simple Start plan at its regular retail price of $313 per year and a 365 day year.
  - Annual Billing: You may pay for your QuickBooks Online subscription on an annual, upfront basis to enjoy a discount on the current fees. If you use QuickBooks Payroll powered by Employment Hero, your payroll costs will still be charged monthly to your nominated payment method in accordance with your usage as set out here. If you cancel your QuickBooks Online subscription within the pre-paid 12 month period, you will not be eligible for a refund, but will retain full access to your QuickBooks Online subscription for the remainder of the 12-month period. Unless cancelled by you prior, your annual subscription will auto-renew on the 12 month anniversary of your sign-up date using the billing details you have given us. Discounts, prices, terms and conditions are subject to change.
  - Over 7 million customers: Based on number of global QB customers (ecosystem) (7.1m) worldwide as of October 2022.
  - Free Onboarding: Applicable to Buy Now subscriptions on QuickBooks Simple Start, Essentials and Plus plans. Not available for QuickBooks Self-Employed.
  - Save Hours: Save up to an average of 29 hours per month with QuickBooks.
  - * Based on a survey conducted by Intuit Australia Pty Ltd in September 2022. Time saving is in comparison to previous accounting method, based on 184 responses from customers that saw time savings.
  - Get access to QuickBooks Tax: ***Access QuickBooks Tax, powered by LodgeiT, by becoming a member of the QuickBooks ProAdvisor Program (it’s free to join). Find out more about the ProAdvisor Program here, including the terms of the QuickBooks Tax offer in the Program here.
  - QuickBooks Time Disclaimers & Offers for Australia: For Important pricing offers and disclaimers with further information, please see here.
  - *Full terms and conditions for access to QuickBooks Tax, powered by LodgeiT as part of the the Proadvisor Program can be found here. QuickBooks reserves the right to change pricing, features, support and service at any time.
  - **Intuit conducted a study involving 56 interviews with accountants and bookkeepers who used Books Review for BAS preparation between March to December 2021 and found that when using Books Review, participants reduced the time spent preparing their clients BAS Reports by around 40%.
  - Our Terms of Service apply to all QuickBooks Online subscriptions. Please review them carefully.

Intuit helps put more money in consumers’ and small businesses’ pockets, saving them time by eliminating work, and ensuring they have confidence in every financial decision they make.