OUT of her early interest in baking cupcakes and her willingness to try something new, Nor Izzati Mohamad Hafipi, 25, now runs a cupcake and cakesicle business.
The young lady from Kuching started her business in June 2021. She now creates cupcakes based on actual flowers.
“My cupcakes are unique and different from others. I use buttercream to make my cupcakes look like real flowers,” she told New Sarawak Tribune.
She runs her business from her home in Taman Matang Jaya, Kuching, every day except Sunday. Reservations can be made at any time by customers, and she usually pre-orders them. The deadline is always three days before delivery/self-pickup.
She said that currently, she does not have anyone to help her in managing her business.
The cakes that Nor Izzati sells.
“Because I don’t have any assistants at the moment, I must manage my time carefully and precisely. For example, time for delivery, time for cake preparation, and time for customers to self-pickup their orders,” said Nor Izzati.
She said that the most challenging thing she has encountered is when customers send her designs that she has never created.
“I have to experiment with colour combinations and research the desired designs. I also must consider the quality of my cakes in terms of cleanliness, taste, and neatness.”
She also said that coming up with different designs is tricky.
“I need to incorporate a variety of ideas, such as style and colour, so that my customers do not become bored with the same design,” she said.
The owner of Bakedbynih also expressed dismay about rising ingredient prices as a result of our country’s unstable economy. Thus, she needs to slightly increase the price of her cakes reasonably so that her customers are satisfied.
“The cakes I sell have a minimum price of RM38 and a maximum price of RM180. However, the price of the cake is not always fixed because it is determined by the design that the customers requested,” she said.
On the cake-making process, she will begin at 8am with fondant lettering, which will take approximately two hours to complete. Following that, she prepares the ingredients, such as chocolate, flour, and so on.
The cakes that Nor Izzati sells.
“I make cupcakes based on how many pieces the customers ordered. At 5pm, I will stop baking cakes. I only take orders from customers within the next hour,” she said, adding that she only promotes her business on Instagram and Facebook.
Nor Izzati’s dream is to expand her business so that she can open a bakery where customers can walk in and order cakes. In addition, she hopes that the name “Bakedbynih” will become well-known throughout Malaysia.
“I am deeply grateful to have family and friends who constantly encourage and support me in my business. They always give me advice if there is anything I am lacking.
“My advice to small business owners is to not give up easily, even if sales dip from time to time. Continue working because it will undoubtedly yield excellent results,” she said.
Anyone interested in ordering her cakes can reach her at 011-33290057, NOR IZZATI on Facebook, or BAKEDBYNIH on Instagram.
