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By Juanita Metzger

“Beautiful and delicious”… could there be a sweeter, more perfect mission for a custom cake business called The Cakery Zone?

Opeyemi Bamigboye bakes and decorates her bespoke creations from The Cakery Zone studio in Waterloo, Ontario. She takes online cake orders for special occasion: birthdays, weddings and baptisms or any event worth celebrating in life and creates a unique design each time. Opeyemi specifically designed the business to be online so that she could have maximum flexibility for her busy family and be more available to her children. “The business has to fit into my life and family, not the other way around,” she said. Without a brick & mortar storefront requiring open hours, she can set her own schedule.

When Opeyemi made the decision to start her business in 2019, she was confident about her product & service – beautiful and delicious custom cakes - but she needed help with how to operate a business in Ontario.

“I had an online custom cake business back home in Nigeria before coming to Canada,” she said, “and I have a background in science and public health. But it’s a different eco-system here and I needed to learn the regulations and requirements to start a business.”

Opeymi registered for small business workshops at the Waterloo Region Small Business Centre, which is where she learned about the Laurier Women Entrepreneurship Centre. “I applied immediately for the Start My Business program in 2020 and was accepted,” she said. 

When COVID-19 hit, she was relieved that the program went online because it meant that she could learn at home with her children. When the lockdowns continued, Opeyemi jumped right into the Grow My Business program, even though she hadn’t yet launched her business. “It was the middle of the pandemic, and I wanted to take advantage of the online learning, it was so convenient,” she said. She knew she would need the knowledge eventually.

One of the most important things Opeyemi learned from her WEC programs is that her business idea was a feasible one; “it’s not just a fictional dream,” she said, “which gave me confidence.”

Opeyemi counts the expert instructors as another helpful aspect of the program, in addition to learning from other women who are mothers, have families and run a business at the same time. “I’m a person who learns from people’s experiences. I don't have enough time to live those experiences myself… Someone has lived it for you, why not learn from them?” she laughed.

She got advice from others on pricing her products and where to source her ingredients.

Another presenter strongly encouraged her to explore social media marketing. “I wasn’t comfortable, I didn’t think I could to it,” she said, but grabbed “The Cakery Zone” names on all social media platforms, just in case. “I’m trying and I’m getting better, one baby step at a time.”

To stay connected after the programs finished, Opeyemi joined The WELL, an app based community for WEC graduates, advisors & presenters. “I know the WEC staff and other women will share relevant information, speakers, workshops, resources and grants; it’s so helpful,” she said.

Now, two years after completing both WEC programs, The Cakery Zone is fully launched, taking orders & fulfilling dreams with cake and icing. Opeyemi is overjoyed that people can celebrate again in groups because it means a steady demand for “beautiful and delicious” cakes.

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Juanita Metzger is a freelance writer specializing in hyperlocal community features, profiles and travel. She also owns and operates Stroll Walking Tours based in Kitchener, Ontario. 

The Women Entrepreneurship Centre (WEC), as part of the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University, is dedicated to empowering women entrepreneurs of every age, stage and culture to achieve their business dreams. We believe in fostering leadership. We believe that everyone deserves an equal shot at success. We believe in connecting you with the right people, skills and support to make it happen.