Sharon Nyaga, the founder of Papsy Bakery. Photo | courtesy.
From a young age, Sharon Nyaga loved cakes. Growing up in Embu County, her mother used to bake birthday cakes for her. Unknown to her was that fate would lead her to baking business in the future.
“I really loved cakes,” she recalls. “Watching my mom bake for my birthdays and seeing wedding cakes always made me excited.”
Despite her passion, baking was just a hobby for Sharon until she joined Kenyatta University to pursue a Bachelor of Education. It was during her first year that she discovered she could turn her love for cakes into a business. At first, she baked just for fun and to share with the family but her mentor advised her to start selling them.
“When I was in first year I started making cakes for money. At first I was doing it for fun. I would bake at home and we would eat at home. I got an idea of selling cakes from my mentor who told me that I can make money making cakes. I felt it was the best idea,” she says.
Sharon’s First Customer
Her first order came from her cousin, who wanted cakes for a twin birthday celebration. The cake wasn’t perfect, but she says it marked the beginning of her entrepreneurial journey.
“I got my first order from my cousin who had a birthday for her twin. I took the order and baked it. It wasn’t perfect but I tried all I could. I felt very nice to make my first money,” she recalls.
Sharon’s family played a crucial role in supporting her new venture. Her father bought her an oven, while her mother paid for her baking training. For her, teh training played an important role because initially she was an amateur baker. The training opened her eyes about many aspects of baking that she didn’t know earlier.
“My parents were very supportive,” she says. “My dad bought me the oven, my mom paid for my training, and my family even ordered cakes from me.”
Establishing Papsy Bakery
Having polished her baking skills and a little capital, she set out to establish Papsy Bakery, her small but growing business. She quickly realized that marketing would be key to attracting customers, and she leveraged social media to build her brand.
“I have a WhatsApp group with 500 members where I post my cakes,” she says. “I also use Facebook, Instagram, and even posters at wedding venues where I have baked a cake.”
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As her business grew, Sharon encountered challenges, including customer complaints. One common issue was the sugar content in her cakes. Some customers found them too sweet. She says listening to customers is very important. Nowadays when a customer places an order for a cake, she will ask if they like a lot of sugar.
“I had to learn to ask customers about their sugar preference before baking. Listening to feedback has really helped me improve,” she explains.
Peak seasons
Unlike other businesses who may have steady demand all year long, cake business is seasonal. Papsy Bakery experiences fluctuations in demand. Certain times of the year, such as December and graduation season in July, bring in more orders while other months attract few orders.
“Generally the cake market goes with the seasons. In December there are a lot of orders. I can get up to six orders per day because it’s the festive season and we have a lot of ceremonies going on. During graduation season in July there are a lot of orders as well as Valentine’s seasons,” Sharon says.
She specializes in a variety of cakes, with prices varying depending on the type and occasion.
“Madeira cake goes for Sh1,500, while soft cake is Sh2,000,” she says. “Wedding cakes are my most profitable since they can bring in more than Sh10,000 per cake.”
Average Monthly Profits
On a good month, Sharon makes an average profit of Sh30,000, though in regular months, she earns around Sh15,000. However, she has a daunting task of balancing studying and baking business. She says that during long holidays, she embarks fully into the business but during the semester session, she takes a few orders.
“Mostly I work on long holidays. That is when I take big orders but when I am in school I take orders for small cakes that don’t take a lot of time to make so that I can be able to balance studying with my business,” she says.
One of the biggest challenges that she faces is power outages. She says when the power goes off when the cake is in the oven, she has to start afresh which causes a lot of losses.
Asked about the role her studies has played in her business, Sharon says education has enabled her to network with like minded people like other bakers and to get market for her cakes.
“My career has helped me in networking and marketing,” she says. “People buy when they see my posts, and I’ve met other bakers who have shared insights.”
Sharon’s vision for Papsy Bakery
Looking ahead, Sharon dreams of expanding Papsy Bakery into a major brand with multiple branches across the country. “In the next few years, I want to have a lot of branches where I can deliver cakes,” she says.
For aspiring entrepreneurs, she emphasizes self-belief and perseverance. She says dwelling on negativity will prevent you from getting started, She believes in starting small and learning by doing it.
“The first thing is to believe in yourself and your abilities,” she advises. “At first, people will discourage you, but don’t let that stop you. Go for what you want and seek support. Don’t dwell on the fear of failure.”
