1. May you kindly share your name & how you came up with yourname/company:My company name is Zah cake i specialize in cakes of all types and occasions. I also supply bakers with edible cake toppers
2. Who is the person behind the Zah Cakes Brand?: My name is Zanele Nkomo Matsveru and I am the person behind the Zah Cakes brand.
3. Tell us more about your business and the services/ products that you provide: I provide birthday cakes, lobola , wedding, anniversary cakes and any edible topper.
4. Where do you operate from?: I operate from old luveve, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
5. What propelled you to start your business?: What propelled me to start my baking journey is the passion for baking and the desire to express my creativity in designing the cakes for different events such as lobola , wedding, birthdays celebrations etc
6. What drives you or motivates you?: What motives me is the satisfaction and the smiles in the faces of my customers whenever I deliver their products. It gives me a sense of fulfillment and I feel I have to continue
7. What do you enjoy the most about this industry?: I enjoy the expression of my creativity and experimentation in the baking industry. I will be trying new recipes and new trends . Baking is an evolving field and so trying and learning new trends and designs excites me a lot because I’m a person who loves challenges.
8. What is the highlight of your business journey to date?: The wow parts of my baking journey so far are as follows; I have managed to save from my business and bought all the necessary equipment needed for the business I don’t have to borrow or hire from someone. These include the baking tins , mixers , decorating tools just to mention a few.
I used to have one tin and a hand whisker when I started and it used to limit me to work on a large scale and I could only bake for small occasions like birthdays. Now with the equipment I have you can give me any order and I will be glad to deliver for an example I was able to do a 10 tier wedding cake from the 6inch birthday cake I used to do.
The other achievement that till date I’m happy with, was doing a 3 tier wedding cake while I was in a wheelchair and with plasters on. To be precise the equipment makes it easy for me to work as I am disabled.
As we know that business does not always flourish everyday , there are days when you don’t get orders and I found myself doing nothing that’s when I decided to try making edible toppers and ‘BOOM’ they came out. It was my biggest achievement for it is not easy working with one hand . I now supply some bakers and sometimes work with baking shops those edible toppers.
Another highlight is that this business is now the main source of income in my household, it pays bills, puts food on the table and pays School fees for my children as compared to when I started , the profits were for my pocket money as my husband took care of everything.
9. How did you start your business?: As I said earlier on that I have passion for baking and baking is in me , I made my first cake for my family in 2010, well the experience was not nice as the cake didn’t come out well the batter raised too much and messed the whole oven . I am glad about that. Since that day I never looked back I kept on practicing until I started my business in 2019 with a 7inch tin and a hand whisker. Since then I have been growing gradually.
10. What makes you stand apart from the rest of the people providing similar services/products?: What makes me stand out is the love of my work , exceptional customer service. Offering outstanding service such as prompt communication in three languages Shona , Ndebele and English. Flexible scheduling and above all I’m friendly to my customers. This has enabled me to build a loyal customer base.
11. Any advice for couples planning their special days?: First of all I cannot imagine a special day or a party without a cake. A cake is what makes an event extra special , memorable and complete . I mean just imagine and wedding without a cake everyone will be just laughing saying what kind of a wedding was that.
However, to couples planning their special day I would say a cake can make your day special and at the same time ruin it , in the sense you choose a wrong baker who in the end let you down.
I would say go for a baker who is showing you their work even if it’s their first time doing a wedding cake . Nowadays fruit cakes are used also as birthday cakes. Giving an order to someone showing you Google cakes is a recipe for disaster.
12. Any advice for aspiring wedding vendors who might want to follow in your footsteps?: To anyone willing to join this industry, you are welcome and do not be discouraged because it’s an adorable industry. As they say nothing beats passion, the number one tool one needs is love and passion for baking.
First fall in love with baking before money so that you will be able to face the challenges that come with baking. Secondly baking is one of the business where you deal with people directly hence there is need for one to have strong interpersonal skills , respect for others, emotionally intelligence and patience because some people are difficult to work with.
You need to be flexible, easy to adjust, be willing to learn and accommodate new things, embrace technology as we live in a diverse world of technology. Be good in marketing and be innovative.
13. How do you unwind after a busy period?: After a busy day , I listen to music . I am a music lover especially gospel , it helps me to relax and It connects me to my creator since I am a Christian. I also like to tune in to fm listening to local music and news so that I stay up to date with current affairs. Also as the injuries sustained during the accident are still giving me pains taking a nap helps relieve the pains.
Cartoons also help me relax . I love watching them with my last born. We laugh and the pressure and stress that comes with baking is relieved. Lastly I may watch my children battle in a dance competition – I laugh my lungs out and I become fresh again.
14. Please share your best marketing tips/ lessons that you’ve learnt in business: On marketing tips , I will first say a good looking and a delicious cake markets itself. For example , if I make a good looking and delicious cake for a party , everyone at the party, after eating and enjoying they will want to know who baked the cake and would like to order from you hence gaining new customers.
When I post the cake on social media because it’s good looking people will enquire, so when you bake invest everything in it, see future in it, make sure every slice or bite of it leaves a memory that will linger forever.
Social media also plays an important role in marketing and It has made marketing businesses easy. I post my work on social media platforms though the response is not 100% always but it’s worth it.
Never give up posting, one day it will pay off. I have started wearing a branded T shirt and cap when making deliveries, it’s working as a marketing strategy also. Patience is a must have when building a business.
15. Can you tell us a time when you faced challenges in your business and how you overcame the challenges?: I faced a huge challenge in 2021, when I got involved in an accident and broke my left hand and right leg . I couldn’t walk nor handle things as I was on wheelchair and plastered . After 2 weeks I started baking but I was not yet in a good condition.
Customers could not believe I was the one baking . They thought I am buying already baked cakes and hiring someone to decorate the cakes. Some thought I am putting a markup on someone’s cake. They wanted a 100% proof to believe that I was the one baking the cakes. I had to do a video for them to believe.
Moreover even when they were now certain that I was the one baking the cakes , delivery became a challenge as the Customers were used to having their cakes delivered to them. It became hard for me because I could not walk or carry anything. I had to seek help on deliveries which was a minus for my profits.
As time went on, I got better but unfortunately I am now disabled and I had to thrive and not let disability define me. I am disabled but I am able , disability does not mean inability and also disability is in the brains of one who has all body parts well and still cannot do anything. I had to learn to deliver the cakes with one hand that I mainly use to balance the walking stick with, but above all its glory to the Almight , I am now able to deliver from home. Getting transport is easy and I have come to an understanding with my customers: we meet at their bus stop, that way I don’t have to walk long distances carrying a cake.
16. Do you remember your first paying client? Tell us how you managed to find that client & the experience from that first booking/order. Please also include the services/ packages that you gave the client: Sometimes, I volunteer to make cakes for my family, friends and church events as a way of marketing myself. It happened that there was an event at our church and I volunteered to bake the cake and most people enjoyed the cake and that’s how I got my first paying customer. She ordered an anniversary cake , remember I had one tin, the cake was a 7inch inch sponge with fresh cream. The experience wasn’t easy but it was worth it.
17. Please share one thing about your services/products/industry which most people don’t know but which you wish people knew more about: Well most of the times I have people complaining about the price of the cake compared to the size. Most people think baking is just mixing flour and eggs and price is determined by the size of the cake. However I would like them to know that it’s not that simple. A lot has to be put together until the final product which is a cake and all that has to be accounted for . The pricing of a cake includes; shopping for ingredients, electricity/gas , depreciation of equipment, skill and effort, time , packaging and the design of the cake . These are the Contributing factors to the price of a cake not the size .
18. Please share one business tip that you learnt through running your business: In business there is stiff competition for customers, but during that process never loose yourself, do the best you can to out do yourself, be consistent, be willing to learn new things and always thrive to be the best at what you do and always serve quality to your customers.
19. What do you do when you encounter challenges in your business?:Well handling challenges in this business depends on what kind of challenge it is . Personally I like planning ahead to prevent some challenges. Loading shedding I have found a way of handling the mixing bowl in case I get an order when zesa is not available. I mix manually and bake with gas oven.
However challenges still come on matter how you plan. For small challenges I try to address them as soon as possible. For big ones I take a step back assess the situation and separate emotions from facts, clearly articulate the challenge, it’s impact and the desired outcome. I seek advice first from my big support system: my children, trusted colleagues to gain new perspective and use the challenge as an opportunity to learn and grow . I can simply say in as much as challenges are tough at times , but for me it’s the challenges that have shaped me into the better business woman I am.
20. Do you have a support system (family, friends, spouse etc?) or a business network? Tell us how these have impacted you and your business: Yes I do have a support system: my family. My children are my support. As for the spouse, unfortunately, I lost him to the accident but he was my great support. I never thought I will be able to continue without him, he was my number one customer as well when I started my baking career, he also handled the deliveries.
With disability there are things that I still can’t do hence my children chip in and help. In addition, as we know business comes as a package both joy and stress. At times things go wrong , I find myself stressed, my children play a big role in comforting me, encouraging me and at times even solving problems. I can boldly say that without them I could have stumbled and given up on the way, maybe Zah cakes would be no more.
My colleagues in the baking industry have been darlings, they have supported me so much. I have a big gas stove all because of them. Some come to my inbox asking how I manage with one hand and I tell them and I have become an inspiration to them . I have no choice but to go on. I can’t even imagine myself letting all these people down. To them I would like to say Bulawayo bakers I salute you for being part of my support system. Indeed it is true when they say iron sharpens iron . I couldn’t have done it alone. We need each other’s skill and support to become better and when solving problems.
21. Please share tips of juggling family + formal business + business + education etc: For me balancing family time and business is not difficult because I am a mother of grown babies who don’t need too much attention and I don’t have a formal job, I work from home. It was difficult at first when my husband was alive because at times we got emergency orders that diverted my plans of spending time with family, but for one to be able to balance business and family a good support system is needed . Another thing is I am a good multi Tasker and it makes live easy.
22. do any training or qualification to be able to run your business? If yes, please tell us more about this and how it impacts your business.If no, please share why you haven’t and how it impacts your business:I do have a certificate in bakery , unfortunately I dropped out of college when I was in my second year of pursuing my diploma all due to the accident as I lost my spouse, got injured and everything changed thereafter. The certificate came with baking practicals , entrepreneurship, accounting , communication and nutrition & hygiene.
First year of diploma I learnt economics. Practical taught me to work manual without electricity I can still bake a cake. Entrepreneurship taught me to be innovative and how to run and handle my customers. Sometimes we see businesses that are making money fail, it’s because of lack of knowledge. Accounting has helped me to cost my product and also assess my profit and loss through record keeping . As far as communication is concerned, good communication is equal to a successful business.
Everything in business begins with communication. Without communication there is no business. The communication skills have helped me to maneuver well. Food is so sensitive, it requires to be handled properly. I gained a lot of skills from nutrition & hygiene. Lastly economics has taught me to assess the economy and plan accordingly.
23. Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?In 10 years time from now I see myself as a supplier to edible cake toppers to many shops and individuals. I also see myself as a successful CEO of a cake inn. I will also be running a baking School so that I pass the skills that I have to the next generation. Lastly I see myself owing a small car to make movement easy for me.
If people want to order from or book you, how can they do that? (Share your ordering/ booking process): Anyone wishing to give me work , they can get in touch with me on my watsup or call me on 0774979806 and we arrange a meeting.
Zah Cakes Contact Details:
Facebook: Zah Cakes
WhatsApp: +263 7 74979806
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