For most ceremonies the glitz and glamour is not usually complete without the organizers making available beautifully designed cakes to add colour to the occasion. It has become more common to see cakes that come in different shapes, sizes, flavours, designs and colours taking centre stage at many ceremonies. Such huge and beautifully decorated cakes are seen at weddings, birthdays and corporate events, while small and nutritious cakes are readily available for family consumption and as gifts. The cutting of the cake is a grand moment people and photographers wait for. Interestingly, enterprising minds have tapped into the opportunities in cake making business and are making fortunes from it. One amazing fact about this business is that you can start and operate this business from home.
Desmond Adebayo’s dream was to work in a bank after graduating from the University of Lagos. After obtaining a degree in banking and finance, off he went in search of employment at many of the financial institutions in Lagos. After two years of applying and attending job interviews he was finally able to get a job as a bank cashier at one of the commercial banks. He would arrive for work at about 7am and leave by 7pm, Monday to Friday. This did not bother him. However his enthusiasm began to wean when he noticed one of the banks customers who was into the cake making business would always make huge bank deposits every Monday mornings. Some of these deposits were sometimes his whole months salary! He remembered when he was a teenager and how he learnt cake making from his mum. She used to make some of the best cakes and he still remembered some of her favorite recipes. After working at the bank for 3 years he resigned to start his own cake making business from home. That was the beginning of Surprise Cakes, a confectionary which specializes in baking cakes. In Nigeria if you mention the top ten cake companies, Surprise Cakes will be amongst them and it’s known for mouth watering cakes with unique recipes he inherited from his mum. In this interview Desmond shared his success story and how he grew one of the biggest cake making businesses from his home.
How did you start?
I started in 2007 after I resigned as a banker. I noticed one of our customers used to make huge deposits every Monday. I later learnt she was into cake making business which incidentally I could do very well, a skill I learnt from my mum. While at the bank I would bake for free and give to my colleagues on their birthday and during St Valentines day. I attended a few courses to sharpen my skills ie icing, cake modeling, etc. After this I started to price my cakes and people in my office will still buy. My first breakthrough came while I was still at the bank. Someone was about to get married and I was chosen to do the wedding cake. After the wedding I began to receive so many orders so much that I had to resign.
You said your mum taught you to bake. Can you elaborate?
It started with my grandfather. He was a missionary cook, back in those days. So, whatever skill my mum learnt was from him. Really nobody went to any professional school or any fanciful culinary or pastry school. It was grounded on love. We inherited recipes, things we did along the line. My mum was a full-time teacher but baking was her passion; a hobby that fetched income for her as well. I grew up in Lagos Island and she used to bake for neighbours and friends. Initially I wasn’t interested. We used to watch Mum bake, you come in, you taste, you even criticize and walk away. It was much later that I just picked it up.
How has it been since you started?
It’s been great, there’s no doubt about it, but it’s not for the faint hearted. As much as people see cake making and cake firms they go as far as saying it’s a piece of cake(Laughing). No, it’s not a piece of cake. You see I just ended a class now. I said to myself, don’t scare them but let them understand what they’re going into. If you take a class of about maybe twenty people, yes, they might all be enthusiastic, the zeal and interest can be there. You need to separate the serious ones from the unserious ones because cakes require a lot of dedication and attention to details both physically and mentally because you’re trying to come up with new designs, fresh ideas, combine those ideas and get inspiration here and there. Besides being passionate and interested, it could be capital intensive. Cake instruments and equipment and yes, the raw materials are very affordable. Your sugar and flour are everywhere but you begin to talk of the equipment, because without the equipment you can’t get the finishing you need in a cake. So investing in it takes a toll on your pocket.
How much will it cost you to invest in a cake business?
In cake business you ask yourself how far you want to take it. For several years I baked in my mother’s kitchen. Later on you know they cleared out a section of the house for me. When I got married I was doing it in the house, cleared the whole of the ground floor before I actually started to come out as a brand. So, if you start in the house, the capital you’ll need is different, if you launch out as a brand the capital will be different. I could decide to start my business with a local oven, you could decide otherwise because you have more money. I think it’s just based on the amount that’s available and trying to make use of the resources you have because you can start the business in your house with $1,000, $10,000, $20,000 or $50,000. It’s all about being able to make use of the resources you have at hand. If you wait until you have $100,000 you probably won’t start anything but if you’re determined with just $300 you get someone that can make a local oven for you, that’ll also work and give you the same results.
You were talking about designing the other time, but we rarely get the ones with good finishing here. Why?
Like I said, you see, cake designing, cake baking and decoration is like an art. In fact you’re as good as an artist. Your level of meticulousness, creativity and attention you put into details varies. So if you’re the kind of person whose personality reflects in your cake – perfect finishing is just based on personality. It’s a reflection of who you are.
What were your challenges when you started?
Starting up, number one challenge was capital. It’s just a pity we’re not in an economy that encourages SMEs. The major challenge any entrepreneur faces is availability of capital. If you’re fortunate to get capital from family and friends you know you could get it at little or no interest at all. But then if you begin to tow the line of going to banks, microfinance banks and what have you, you will pay the price. So, number one is capital. Number two is the availability of goods and reliable equipment. You know, the market is so infiltrated with low quality machines and equipment to mention a few. So getting the right people to sell the right product is another challenge, either in terms of machinery or the raw materials.
Does it mean you have your own special recipe?
Yes, developed over the years, even recipes back from the days of my grandfather that we’ve not even adjusted. We just tried to bring in fresh, new ideas into it. So we developed our recipes. No other cake can taste like Surprise Cakes.
How profitable is the business?
Very profitable. If you’re not lazy, you’ll reap the fruits. It is profitable. Get your books right, train competent people that you feel will promote the vision of your business far. It’s a business you can succeed in. As a matter of fact there are a lot of bakers, like I said but are there a lot of professional bakers? That is the question we need to ask ourselves.
Baking, especially cakes, is highly competitive. So, how have you been able to tackle competition?
Competition will always be there. You know, there’s no aspect of business without competition. It now depends on the niche you carve for yourself. Right now we are the biggest and best wedding cake maker in Nigeria. It is always advisable to start small because it is easier to duplicate in larger quantities and good to study the business terrain before launching on a large-scale.
John F Fowler is a business consultant, entrepreneur and youth entrepreneurship development trainer. He has produced books on various SME business start-ups. For business advice contact him on [email protected] , www.startabusiness.com.ng, whatsapp +234 802 325 4577or most ceremonies the glitz and glamour is not usually complete without the organizers making available beautifully designed cakes to add colour to the occasion. It has become more common to see cakes that come in different shapes, sizes, flavours, designs and colours taking centre stage at many ceremonies. Such huge and beautifully decorated cakes are seen at weddings, birthdays and corporate events, while small and nutritious cakes are readily available for family consumption and as gifts. The cutting of the cake is a grand moment people and photographers wait for. Interestingly, enterprising minds have tapped into the opportunities in cake making business and are making fortunes from it. One amazing fact about this business is that you can start and operate this business from home.
Desmond Adebayo’s dream was to work in a bank after graduating from the University of Lagos. After obtaining a degree in banking and finance, off he went in search of employment at many of the financial institutions in Lagos. After two years of applying and attending job interviews he was finally able to get a job as a bank cashier at one of the commercial banks. He would arrive for work at about 7am and leave by 7pm, Monday to Friday. This did not bother him. However his enthusiasm began to wean when he noticed one of the banks customers who was into the cake making business would always make huge bank deposits every Monday mornings. Some of these deposits were sometimes his whole months salary! He remembered when he was a teenager and how he learnt cake making from his mum. She used to make some of the best cakes and he still remembered some of her favorite recipes. After working at the bank for 3 years he resigned to start his own cake making business from home. That was the beginning of Surprise Cakes, a confectionary which specializes in baking cakes. In Nigeria if you mention the top ten cake companies, Surprise Cakes will be amongst them and it’s known for mouth watering cakes with unique recipes he inherited from his mum. In this interview Desmond shared his success story and how he grew one of the biggest cake making businesses from his home.
How did you start?
I started in 2007 after I resigned as a banker. I noticed one of our customers used to make huge deposits every Monday. I later learnt she was into cake making business which incidentally I could do very well, a skill I learnt from my mum. While at the bank I would bake for free and give to my colleagues on their birthday and during St Valentines day. I attended a few courses to sharpen my skills ie icing, cake modeling, etc. After this I started to price my cakes and people in my office will still buy. My first breakthrough came while I was still at the bank. Someone was about to get married and I was chosen to do the wedding cake. After the wedding I began to receive so many orders so much that I had to resign.
You said your mum taught you to bake. Can you elaborate?
It started with my grandfather. He was a missionary cook, back in those days. So, whatever skill my mum learnt was from him. Really nobody went to any professional school or any fanciful culinary or pastry school. It was grounded on love. We inherited recipes, things we did along the line. My mum was a full-time teacher but baking was her passion; a hobby that fetched income for her as well. I grew up in Lagos Island and she used to bake for neighbours and friends. Initially I wasn’t interested. We used to watch Mum bake, you come in, you taste, you even criticize and walk away. It was much later that I just picked it up.
How has it been since you started?
It’s been great, there’s no doubt about it, but it’s not for the faint hearted. As much as people see cake making and cake firms they go as far as saying it’s a piece of cake(Laughing). No, it’s not a piece of cake. You see I just ended a class now. I said to myself, don’t scare them but let them understand what they’re going into. If you take a class of about maybe twenty people, yes, they might all be enthusiastic, the zeal and interest can be there. You need to separate the serious ones from the unserious ones because cakes require a lot of dedication and attention to details both physically and mentally because you’re trying to come up with new designs, fresh ideas, combine those ideas and get inspiration here and there. Besides being passionate and interested, it could be capital intensive. Cake instruments and equipment and yes, the raw materials are very affordable. Your sugar and flour are everywhere but you begin to talk of the equipment, because without the equipment you can’t get the finishing you need in a cake. So investing in it takes a toll on your pocket.
How much will it cost you to invest in a cake business?
In cake business you ask yourself how far you want to take it. For several years I baked in my mother’s kitchen. Later on you know they cleared out a section of the house for me. When I got married I was doing it in the house, cleared the whole of the ground floor before I actually started to come out as a brand. So, if you start in the house, the capital you’ll need is different, if you launch out as a brand the capital will be different. I could decide to start my business with a local oven, you could decide otherwise because you have more money. I think it’s just based on the amount that’s available and trying to make use of the resources you have because you can start the business in your house with $1,000, $10,000, $20,000 or $50,000. It’s all about being able to make use of the resources you have at hand. If you wait until you have $100,000 you probably won’t start anything but if you’re determined with just $300 you get someone that can make a local oven for you, that’ll also work and give you the same results.
You were talking about designing the other time, but we rarely get the ones with good finishing here. Why?
Like I said, you see, cake designing, cake baking and decoration is like an art. In fact you’re as good as an artist. Your level of meticulousness, creativity and attention you put into details varies. So if you’re the kind of person whose personality reflects in your cake – perfect finishing is just based on personality. It’s a reflection of who you are.
What were your challenges when you started?
Starting up, number one challenge was capital. It’s just a pity we’re not in an economy that encourages SMEs. The major challenge any entrepreneur faces is availability of capital. If you’re fortunate to get capital from family and friends you know you could get it at little or no interest at all. But then if you begin to tow the line of going to banks, microfinance banks and what have you, you will pay the price. So, number one is capital. Number two is the availability of goods and reliable equipment. You know, the market is so infiltrated with low quality machines and equipment to mention a few. So getting the right people to sell the right product is another challenge, either in terms of machinery or the raw materials.
Does it mean you have your own special recipe?
Yes, developed over the years, even recipes back from the days of my grandfather that we’ve not even adjusted. We just tried to bring in fresh, new ideas into it. So we developed our recipes. No other cake can taste like Surprise Cakes.
How profitable is the business?
Very profitable. If you’re not lazy, you’ll reap the fruits. It is profitable. Get your books right, train competent people that you feel will promote the vision of your business far. It’s a business you can succeed in. As a matter of fact there are a lot of bakers, like I said but are there a lot of professional bakers? That is the question we need to ask ourselves.
Baking, especially cakes, is highly competitive. So, how have you been able to tackle competition?
Competition will always be there. You know, there’s no aspect of business without competition. It now depends on the niche you carve for yourself. Right now we are the biggest and best wedding cake maker in Nigeria. It is always advisable to start small because it is easier to duplicate in larger quantities and good to study the business terrain before launching on a large-scale.
John F Fowler is a business consultant, entrepreneur and youth entrepreneurship development trainer. He has produced books on various SME business start-ups. For business advice contact him on [email protected] , www.startabusiness.com.ng, whatsapp +234 802 325 4577
Monday May 29, 2017.
ADVERTISEMENT