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Eunice Ani is the CEO of Esperanza Cakes and Bakes, a business outfit that was
established in 2009. Since then, the entrepreneur who first trained at Lavina
Concept before proceeding for further training at the Cake Mastery Institute
and PME, both in the UK, has grown and expanded her business into Osogbo and
Enugu, with Port Harcourt and Abuja, soon to join her branches. In this
interview with UZEZI ADESITE, she talks about her motivation, challenges and
strategy for success. Excerpts:
What
motivated you to setup your business?
I have always loved being creative. So after school, I
decided to look for what to do on my own. I then decided to go for what gives
me pleasure; doing it not for the money but the fulfillment I get in doing it.
Today, we thank God, it’s a success story and it's now yielding profit.
Between
2009 and now, you have definitely come a long way. What types of challenges did
you have to cope with?
Yes, it's been a long way. Initially the challenge was about starting
small. The competitions were major cake designers in big offices and all, and I
am just starting from the house. Most clients will come and seeing I am still
working from home will look down and underestimate what I can do; because I was
still building my company name. The ones that will want me to do the job
finally will price it so low because they believe I am still working from home.
If they wanted the high priced cakes they can go to the already established cake
houses to pick one. And having to compete with that was my major challenge then.
Today,
there are lots and lots of people in this business but in such short time, you
have people talking about Esperanza Cakes along sides Bakers World and Cakes n
Cream. What have you done, and still doing, that is setting you aside and
cementing your brand?
What I have always done is to work hard and maintain my
standard. At Esperanza Cakes we have our standard and we try so much to
maintain it, so we exceed the expectations of our clients, and give them much
more.
You
are also into training others on this skill. Some skilled people are afraid of
training people for fear they might be better than they are. Why do you teach?
Hahahaha... I teach my students exactly what I know. The
fear of teaching them to be better than me isn't there at all. After all, I am
not going take my talent to the grave. I have to impact on other people’s
lives. Teaching others what I know will also make me to work harder.
How
long do training sessions last for?
We have different courses and their duration differs. So
it's from one month to 5months depending on the course.
Can
someone who registers for a one month course go on to start a baking business?
Would that person have learnt enough to sustain a business?
Yes, the person has learnt enough to start the business
but will need to be going for small courses to be able to sustain their business
when it comes to designs.
Character
cakes are very important aspect of cake making today. How do you keep up with
new characters?
I still go for small courses in order to be on top of my
game. And I love being adventurous with things I see like characters, colour
combinations, etc. so I try them out as well to create them.
I
have also noticed you are very active on the social media. How important is
mastering the use of social media for an entrepreneur?
In this 21st century, the use of the internet is a vital
tool to bring your product to people. So, using the social media and other
internet tool to showcase your business is a very important tool to the growth
of your business.
A
lot of people shy off cakes for health reasons and avoiding sugar. Are there
options for these classes of people?
Yes please, we have special cakes for special people. We
have cakes without butter and sugar, we have cakes without eggs, we have cakes
made of honey and wheat flour. So depending on the health condition or choice,
we have cakes for everybody.
Which
is your most memorable cake making contract till date?
Every cake contract is a memorable one and interesting
as well. But I think the one that challenged me most was a bride coming into my
office and telling me to create an unconventional wedding cake for her; something
totally different from what others may think as a wedding cake. I was up for
almost 2nights trying to figure out the concept, colour combination and
matching, and a story behind the cake (chuckles). We ended up with a big tree
cake with branches and cakes as the fruits on the try. It's memorable because
that's a one of a kind for wedding cake and it was also very challenging.
What
advice do you have for young people who want to start their own cake making
business?
Do not go into the business because of the money because
you will be worn out and tired in the middle of the journey. Cake making and
designing is a very fascinating art; it's only your passion that will be
driving you when you feel tired and worn out. In all you do, make sure you work
hard, stay focused and dedicated and with God by your side, the sky is your
starting point.
What
does the future hold for Esperanza Cakes?
A lot. By God’s grace we will have many more branches
all over the country and outside the country as well. And Esperanza Cakes will
be a household name to reckon with.