A cake business that began with an investment of around Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 2 lakh in Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh, is now bringing in more than Rs 1 lakh in profit every month, after a local resident spotted the rising demand for cakes at weddings, birthdays and wedding anniversaries and decided to turn that demand into a livelihood.
How the idea came about
Ashok Kumar Singh, who lives in Mirzapur district, noticed that cakes are cut at almost every celebration, whether it is a wedding, a birthday or a marriage anniversary, and that observation is what pushed him toward starting a cake business of his own. "Cakes are cut at every auspicious occasion, and that is the thought behind starting this business," Ashok Kumar Singh said. Once the idea took shape, he first learned the finer details of cake making so that the quality of his product would not suffer. He then invested close to Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 2 lakh to set up his shop, using part of that money to buy the machines needed to prepare the cakes, which made production easier.
Two shops and new flavour experiments
His first shop opened in the Shuklaha area of Mirzapur. Business was slow in the initial days and few customers walked in, but demand picked up gradually once he began marketing the shop. To grow sales further, Ashok Kumar Singh experimented with new ideas in the cake business and started making cakes in different flavours. Strawberry, chocolate, pineapple, butterscotch and rasmalai cakes, among other flavours, began to be offered to customers. He also introduced a home delivery service, so customers no longer needed to visit the shop in person. These changes are why his cakes now see the highest demand across the entire district. After sales kept growing steadily at the first outlet, he opened a second shop near Muhkuchwa, which pushed his earnings up even further.
Daily earnings and jobs created
The business now earns Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 a day, while a single shop alone does close to Rs 10,000 worth of business daily. Over the course of a month, that adds up to a profit of more than Rs 1 lakh. The venture has also created direct employment for around five people, which has proved beneficial for the local area as well. Cakes at the shop are priced between Rs 250 and Rs 400 per pound, a range that lets customers with different budgets buy a cake of their choice.
What customers say
Jaiprakash, who came to buy a cake, said, "The taste of the cakes here is outstanding, which is why we travel from far away to buy them." He added that the shop always hands over freshly prepared cakes, which is why he has bought cakes from there multiple times. He also said that so far, neither he nor any other customer has had any complaint about the quality of the cakes.
