How I turned my love for cakes into a money-making venture – Funsho Iwarere

Many young African entrepreneurs are blazing the trail by watering the grounds for the continent’s economic growth as they follow their passion by plying into small and medium scale enterprises.

Funsho Iwarere, a Nigerian baker and pastry-maker who plies her art in South Africa, has a unique story. Having delighted in his mother’s baking recipes as a kid, she buoyed on her nostalgic experiences and created a brand of his own. Now, she has an long menu in his array of food collections from wedding cakes, cupcakes, muffins, etc to cookies, cake pops, cake-sickles, etc.

In this feature with Business Elites Africa (BEA) Visionaries, Funsho shares her starting tale, entrepreneurial experiences and business goals.

Tell us your story

It’s been quite an exhilarating journey, it all started with a Christmas chin-chin in my mom’s kitchen. As a child, I’ll save all my pocket money just to make another batch the following year. In junior secondary, I started making small batches to sell to my friends who were in boarding school, from there I started getting recipes for cake and other pastries. I look forward to every school holiday to practice all the recipes. Baking cakes became my happy place and my passion for it has grown over the years.

In my years at the university, I’ll wait for every opportunity to make cake and doughnuts for friends and fellowship groups. After I completed my National Youths Service Corps (NYSC),  I went for formal training in basic cake decorating course for the sake of certificate. It was difficult for me to stay on my interim job while I was doing my postgraduate as I feel I had so much to offer than that. I quit and started making cakes and other pastries full time. I had the opportunity of relocating to South Africa where I obtained a Diploma in Patisserie with City and Guild Certificate.

From then on, Delight Bakers started growing from referrals and social network connections.

Describe your company – services/ products, other information you would like to provide.

Delight Bakers was born out of the passion to bake the finest most delicious cakes and pastries. We offer a wide range of products from novelty, wedding cakes, cupcakes, muffins, cookies, cake pops, cake-sickles, etc.

What unseen opportunities did you see that may result in making your startup a huge success?

Using cakes to suit the taste and class of each client.

At the moment, how do you measure success? What ways do you use to know if you are attaining success?

Success right now comes from the satisfaction of our clients, that “oh wow” expression when they see their cake.

I would advise every new African entrepreneur to pay attention to every little detail of your business, treat every client with respect, don’t give out what is not your best out there, it’s not about quantity but quality.

What have you learned about yourself during your journey?

It has definitely taught me that you can never go wrong following your passion, that I can achieve whatever I set my mind to do, even though I fail at it severally at the beginning with lots of perseverance, hard work, and faith you will get it. I have learnt what it means to be dedicated because this art requires patience.

Tell us how you felt after you received the first payment for your services.

Hahaha… I was very young (9). I used my payment to go buy tiny dessert bowls and kept it for a long time.

If you weren’t growing your business, what else do you think you would be doing?

Be around my family, they are my world.

What advice would you want to give to new entrepreneurs?

I would advise every new African entrepreneur to pay attention to every little detail of your business, treat every client with respect, don’t give out what is not your best out there, it’s not about quantity but quality.

What do you think your growth will be like next year, and the next five years?

I cannot quantify it as long as we are giving out our best, we have no limits.

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