KUCHING: “Baking is a form of my self-expression — it makes me happy and my cakes make others happy. Spreading joy is immensely powerful,” said Ika Othman when asked what drives her to follow her dreams.
In recalling her life’s journey, the 29-year-old said she started baking cakes for her husband and her husband’s colleagues just for fun.
“Convinced that I have great potential in baking, they (husband and colleagues) suggested that I should start selling my cakes.
“Alhamdulillah, the business that I started in 2015, using the name The Baking Mom, still survives to this day,” she said, adding that before becoming a full-time housewife, she used to work as a laboratory technician at a factory in Samalaju, Bintulu.
Utilising the social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram to market her products, Ika, who graduated with a Bachelor of Biotechnology Resources degree from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas), said social media are very effective in helping her to market her products — thanks to them, she is able to achieve a profit of up to RM10,000 per year.
“I use Facebook and Instagram to post photos of my products. What also helped me is uploading pictures of cakes using WhatsApps.
“When people see those tempting images, they tend to inquire about my products and even place orders,” Ika told New Sarawak Tribune.
Carrot cake. 
Brownies.
Commenting on her cakes, the housewife turned baker stated that she makes various types of cakes according to the wishes and budget of her customers.
“The price of the cake is according to the size and decorations requested by the respective customers.
“Apart from making cakes for birthday parties, I also accept cake orders for weddings, engagements, anniversaries and other events” she explained.
Despite facing several challenges throughout her entire experience in running the business, the continued support and encouraging response from her customers has lifted Ika’s enthusiasm, something that has driven her to continue with full commitment in the business venture.
She also pointed out that the lack of orders from customers due to the movement restrictions set by the government during the movement control order (MCO) period last year was one of the main challenges she faced.
“Aware of the importance of adhering to the new norm practices, I began to take the initiative to use the Grab Express service for delivery purposes.
“Alhamdulillah, the demand for my cakes has started to increase since I used the delivery service,” she said, adding that she intended to own a cafe and shop selling premixed cake products as well as being able to provide employment opportunities to others in the future.
For those who are still looking for a baker to make a cake for your birthday, wedding or any occasion, you can get it at an affordable price at The Baking Mom!
Priced as low as RM25 for 7-inch brownies, and starting from RM60 for cakes, customers can choose whatever flavours, sizes and decorations they like. Visit The Baking Mom’s Facebook and Instagram today to see the variety of desserts and cakes offered by Ika.
