'I started by giving free cake; today I sell hundreds'

"Meet my KYM," Maggie Njoroge says jokingly as she introduces me to her husband, Justus Njoroge. He is her support system.

Shortly after, she ushers me to her executive office, which allows for a breathtaking view of Uhuru Highway. It's a beautiful day. It is 7am and the city is bursting.

"Karibu sana to Hope Cakes," Maggie welcomes me warmly.

Maggie is the founder and director of Hope Cakes and Hope Sugarcraft Centre. She is a mother of three who says motherhood birthed her purpose.

But her story with cakes goes beyond that. It was an exciting moment when she attended the Christian Union's first year's orientation and she made her way to the kitchen.

While there she saw this machine she had never seen before. Out of curiosity, she enquired what it was.

"It was an oven. It fascinated me and immediately I got a burning desire to learn how to use it. I was referred to the handler who would train me. The sight of the oven brought out a courageous me. I had been a very shy girl," Maggie, who had joined the University of Nairobi to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Economics, says.

BUSINESS IDEA

At the training, the lack of a weighing scale did not deter her. "The mixing bowl was a plastic jug and a wooden spoon (mwiko)," she reveals.

Still, they made a cake. Maggie went back to her room a happy girl as she had finally used an oven.

The following day, she went to town and bought the ingredients. She repeated the process all by herself and happily shared the cake with friends.

She observed that the Christian Union executive committee was buying cakes from the supermarket for their weekly meetings.

Maggie proposed that she bakes for them without altering their budget. Nothing was stopping her from her newfound passion. "I made sweet, fresh and bigger than the usual market cakes at the same cost," she chimes.

Her obsession was to see people enjoying her treats. Costing was not relevant at the moment. "I didn't think about making money. I just wanted to grow my passion," she shares.

Her zeal, however, was cut short after she got married in her second year of college. She put her focus on her union and degree as well as started CPA classes. "It was tough," she says.

PASSION REIGNITED

In 2006 she gave birth to her firstborn and her baking passion stagnated. Two years later she graduated and still, her family took precedence.

"My hubby, whom I met in campus, was growing in his career and was travelling a lot for his training. We needed one of us to be with the children," she explains.

It's when she birthed her second born in 2009 that her baking passion came haunting. "I watched a Valentine Cakes show and excitement similar to my first encounter with an oven reignited," she says.

She enrolled for classes at the cake house and her husband gladly paid the fees.

For a number of months, Maggie practised her acquired skills by giving away her cakes to her friends. "It was therapeutic. I loved the outcome and the feedback I got", she says.

One day, her husband's colleague wanted to buy her cake. "He was my first client," she says.

"I just gave out a figure. This would haunt me later. I literally sold without costing my products. I didn't know whether I had made a loss or profit," she says.

FAMILY SUPPORT

It's when she decided to make a wedding cake for a friend that the doors to opportunities opened.

Hope Cakes had begun to run in her house in Ruaka. They had bought an oven and she had added a small mixer at Sh1,500 and other equipment that cost Sh4,000.

Soon after, the orders were streaming in, and they needed to expand the business. Her husband took a loan from his sacco and they opened their first office on Accra Road, Nairobi.

"My baking business revolved around the Christian Union members and their referrals. These guys built me up," she says.

But the work was back-breaking. Maggie would stay as late as 3am with open doors, running machines and baking cakes, something that didn't augur very well with her husband.

The orders had increased to 250 cakes per month. "My husband has been very supportive. He took loans and invested in this business. I am forever indebted," she shares.

MASTERCLASS

Soon after it was time to move again. This time to the City Centre, at Hazina Towers, where they are currently located.

The rent increased from Sh18,000 to Sh45,000 per month. "My initial generosity has paid off. My business has grown largely through word of mouth," she prides.

She now uses social media, trade fairs, and referrals to expand her market share.

After her third born, she birthed another idea. Training. Through a leap of faith, in 2017 she took upon herself to skill others, some of whom are her competitors today. "I don't regret it," she says.

Last year, she formalised the training and started her first class with three students and offered two days of training covering one topic.

She charged Sh4,000. "I love working with passionate people who have no clue about baking. I even gave free extra classes," she says.

The class grew from three to eight and by the end of 2019, she had trained a whopping 250 students. "This is how I am making an impact", she says.

Hope Cakes has grown to be an independent business exclusively dealing with baking. She has well-trained staff who have all gone through her training.

GREAT POTENTIAL

In January this year, she organised the first-ever bakers' convention in Kenya. She wanted to show that bakers can work together and achieve great things.

It is in this convention, which was attended by more than 300 delegates, that Hope Sugarcraft Centre was launched. It is a training centre for people interested in harnessing their baking skills.

"I have mastered sugarcraft and I love it. We teach the latest trends and you are able to make money out of it".

Maggie sees great potential in the industry. "Baking is not capital intensive. You can start at home with what you have. Sell the products and invest back in the business," she advises.