“Making a mark as a woman entrepreneur was difficult. But not today! There is so much happening in India and online, you have all the resources and information, available to make it big.”
Brief introduction about yourself and tell us something about Magic Bites? I have been an e-learning professional, all through my professional career till about 4 years, after that I took up baking as a full time profession. At Magic Bites, we provide custom cakes and bake with superior ingredients.
What ignited the spark to start Magic Bites? Also, tell us about Magic Bites Bake and Fun classes for kids? Mother of two boys who love their bakes, was what got me started J Started doing healthy bakes and customized cakes. Slowly, moved on to conducting classes. With home baking catching up, got many requests from kids and adults alike to learn baking and that is when, about 2 years ago, I started Magic Bites classes. Every vacation we have Bake and Fun classes for kids. Being December, we have also launched a special Christmas baking class.
Something about your journey and future goals. The first time I baked for my kids, I was satisfied thinking that they are eating healthy and home made bakes. That got me thinking that other moms would also like the same, yeah? From there on, I started baking professionally and never looked back. But the one that hasn’t changed is the focus remained whole wheat bakes, no preservatives, best quality ingredients. Wish to make Magic Bites synonymous with customized quality cakes and also looking to open up a patisserie.
What all challenges did you face and what were your strategies to overcome them? About four years back, baking was not such a rage as it is today and because of that there was limited availability of good quality ingredients such as colors, fondant tools. However, today things are more easily available, which is such a relief!
What are your views on the thought, that as compared to male counterparts, it’s harder and more struggling for females to make a mark professionally? A couple of years back, I would have said yes, making a mark as a woman entrepreneur was difficult. But not today! There is so much happening in India and online, you have all the resources and information, available to make it big. People in general have started accepting women as entrepreneurs and that is great!
What piece of advice would you like to give to the aspiring youth who wish to pursue their dream of becoming an entrepreneur? Entrepreneurship is not an easy road. Infact it’s quite a bumpy one! You need to have conviction and passion for your business idea. There is a LOT of hard work involved. You will need to be jack of all trades; you will need to do a lot of it yourself, HR, business promotion, marketing, accounting etc. Do not let this deter you. Network with people from your industry and understand the ecosystem.
According to you, what are the top three essential skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur? Hard work. We all know the importance of working hard becomes all the more important if you are starting up on your own Perseverance. Not all things will work as per plan but you need to hang in there! Innovate. When you see things not working get creative and innovate.
How do you manage the work-life balance? My husband and my kids are pillar of strength. They have been very supportive in my journey. Being an entrepreneur, my husband knows the pressures and work involved and has supported me.
What are your views and opinions towards the ambiguous need to promote women entrepreneurship and women empowerment in India? Women are an important part of the society. They play multiple roles seamlessly. Therefore, it becomes important to encourage them to come forward and pursue their dreams. This is only possible when they are supported, be at home or their organization.
