In the spotlight today is young passion driven and energetic Shamendri Fernando, speaking about her home bakery, which yields cakes and desserts. Shamendri is a baker, teacher and an administrative specialist at a leading Telematics Solution Company in Sri Lanka.
She obtained her degree in Business Administration from Birmingham City University, United Kingdom and is currently pursuing the International Masters in Business Administration at the same university. She is the proprietor of Dessert Station, an online dessert and cake store which was founded in 2019.
Q: What inspired you to launch Dessert Station? And how long ago was that?
A: Actually it was my Thaththa’s idea. I would say about 10 years back, in 2012. I used to make a traditional dessert which I refer to as my Thaththamma’s chocolate biscuit pudding and over time I made a few changes to the original recipe.
After tasting my version of the CBP, Thaththa suggested I should go commercial with it. I was not interested as I was working for a company at the time, but later I realised that it will be successful in the market as the current trends are more towards healthier food options. So, I decided to start my own business in the aim of selling my version of chocolate biscuit pudding, which is a vegetarian dessert option with low-fat and low-sugar. That was the beginning of the business. I also created a Facebook page.
Q: Do you prefer decorating cakes or cupcakes?
A: I have no preference. I enjoy decorating both. At most times my cakes are of unique design, customised for the client. It all depends on the time and the effort that I put into it. Of course I would spend less time decorating a cupcake compared to a cake. But it changes with the design and the quantity.
Q: How do you market your products?
A: I started with my Facebook page ‘Dessert Station’ and then created an account on Instagram under the same name which are the basic platforms that I use to market it. But to tell you the truth, I am a stronger believer in branding than marketing. Yes, you must market your products, but what if your branding is in lower standards compared to marketing.
I believe that one should capture a strong customer base. It cannot be done overnight. It will take a lot of time and you may need a lot of patience. But if you have captured your customer base with the quality of food that you offer you must never be worried of marketing nor competition. In a nutshell, I market Dessert Station through the Branding of the food that is sold and through my customers’ word of mouth.
Q: As you are a single baker what happens if you get overbooked and have too many orders going at one time?
A: I am involved in many things at once. So, I do not overload my orders, but I always inform my customers that I accept only on pre-order basis, minimum of 24 hours notice. Of course, there are orders which pop up at the last minute sometimes from the most regular customers. In that case, I do not disappoint them either, so I rush out with the rest of the work I am engaged in and most of the time I stay up overnight.
Amma plays a major role when it comes to balancing the workload. She does all the preparation and I do the rest. So, pre-ordering, scheduling and planning are always involved in my business which would not make me worried about the loads of the orders I get.
Q: How do you stand out among your competition?
A: I stand out among the competition mainly due to the product branding as I always try to meet customer satisfaction. I attempt my best at giving them what they exactly need. I am 100% concerned with its quality, taste, looks and I always try to make the cakes unique.
Sometimes I get the same design again and again, but I always try to suggest changes to make their cake unique. I make a lot of customised and personalised cakes which taste good and that are made of good quality ingredients. Therefore, I believe that the word of mouth will do the justice.
Q: Any last thoughts for our readers?
A: The food business is a highly competitive industry to enter and sustain. But, if you do what others do without coming up with your own ideas, think of earning a higher profit than serving high quality food and focus on quantity without considering the quality; believe me it will be difficult for you to sustain., Target on earning people and not money. Focus on seeing the smile on your customer’s face and eyes when they eat your food. Concentrate on your journey, not on your competitors. Stay steady, remain calm and give your best shot at what you are doing.