Mignon Francois owns and runs The Cupcake Collection: a specialty cupcake business that generates nearly $1million in sales a year. The single mom of seven started the business in 2007 with only $5 to her name.

When she moved to Nashville in 2005 with her ex-husband, Francois was looking forward to a new start with her family. But things took a left turn and the family found themselves struggling to make ends meet.  

One of her neighbors approached her and asked if she could make 600 cupcakes at $1 each. Francois, only had $5, didn’t have enough to purchase ingredients for the massive order, so they agreed to an order of 60 cupcakes first, according to Black Business.

//www.instagram.com/embed.js

She founded Cupcake Collection a year later and now she’s selling cupcakes, birthday cakes, and wedding cakes nationwide.

RELATED: 50 in 50: Black Woman-Owned Shops In Each U.S. State

“People are surprised when I tell them baking was never my forte. A taste of our scratch-made, original recipe cupcakes leaves them more confused, when I say that baking out of a box was an insurmountable challenge for me prior to creating this venture,” said Francois.

//www.instagram.com/embed.js

But now, she’s known as the “destination bakery” with two locations in Nashville and New Orleans, or you can order online. There’s also an option for vegans.

Some of the most popular flavors are sweet potato, strawberry, red velvet, and birthday cake.

For more information about The Cupcake Collection, visit the company website.

RELATED: The 50 Best Black-Owned Bakeries In The U.S.