An Indian-Australian mother quit her five-star hotel job in Melbourne to launch her own cake business.
Talk about eating your cake and having it too!
37-year-old Manjula Mishra, who hails from Ranchi, Jharkhand migrated to Australia in 2009 with her husband.
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She baked her first cake when her son turned two.
“He was crazy about Thomas, the engine. He couldn’t talk much that time but when I asked him what he wanted for his birthday, he said Thomas,” Manjula says.
Manjula watched numerous videos on YouTube to learn how to bake and make a 3D theme cake.
For the next two weeks, Manjula sourced ingredients, tools and equipment and set out to bake her first cake.
It was a success.
“I took 8 hours just to decorate the cake and give it a final shape. I was very nervous. I was afraid of what would happen if I messed it up. I had 50 guests coming to my son’s birthday party. But all went well. Everybody was stunned when I said, I had made it,” Manjula says.
Manjula soon started getting orders from friends and family.
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“That is when I thought of getting formal training and I enrolled myself in Melbourne Polytechnic to learn the art,” says Manjula who later joined a five-star hotel in Melbourne as their commis-chef.
Manjula continued baking for friends on the side however when the demand increased, she quit her job to launch her own cake business.
She launched Pimmy’s Cakes in 2014.
“I started watching YouTube videos and most of my cake-making skills are self-taught. I got my technic correct from formal training but the creativity has to come from within. That is what excites me and I love doing it,” she says.
Manjula’s business grew quickly.
“Being a mum, I was doing it as a part-time business so was not baking more than 3 to 4 theme cakes a week. The maximum I have done is 8 cakes in a week which is a lot to do!” she exclaims.
Her business has not been without risks.
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“Transportation is my biggest worry. Once I had to bake the whole cake again, at my own cost, because it was damaged on way and I did not want to spoil my client’s 40th birthday party,” she recalls.
“I have also sent a cake 300 km from Melbourne for a birthday party. It made it in time, no hassle. But it still makes me very nervous. I am not at peace until my cake reaches its destination intact.”
Her husband, whom she calls her ‘rock-solid supporter’, has often come to her aid.
“My husband has always been there to support me. He has gone to the supermarket even in the middle of the night just before it closes to get ingredients that I have missed or forgotten,” she says.
“He has also delivered cakes for me especially the heavy ones. And every time, I get busy with orders, he keeps my son occupied so that I can concentrate on work.”
And does he get a cake, in return?
“Everybody gets a cake in return. Once my oven broke down and I had to use my neighbour’s oven to work on the orders. I paid her with a cake.
“My son’s school friends too get cake and cupcake treats every now and then. So everyone is paid in cakes,” she chuckles.
Like every business, Manjula’s business is currently going to transition.
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“I have temporarily moved to Canberra due to my husband’s work. But I will be back in Melbourne soon where we are building our own house,” Manjula says.
Her new house will have a special space for her small home-owned business.
“Once I am back in Melbourne, I want to teach kids to bake. I love working with children and teaching them to bake cakes would be wonderful,” she says.
Manjula’s tips for self-employed and small-business owners:
- Use the online tools – I learnt baking cakes on YouTube. And I used Facebook for marketing. The Internet has played a massive role in my success.
- Get the basics sorted – I do not rely on ready-made stuff. Everything I do is from scratch. I have my basics correct. I got trained to learn the technical parts.
- Build your community – Know others who are into the same business. Yes, they are competition but if you can build a relationship with them, they can be of great help. I passed my orders on to them when I couldn’t fulfil them and they did the same.
- Get a mentor – You can learn a great deal from a mentor about the skills, business, market, audience and from their experience and mistakes.
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