Business Spotlight: Dimple Bakes
Interview by Annaëlle Barreau
This week,I had the pleasure of interviewing my friend and bakery owner, Catherine Ndiaye. I share with you her answers to my questions!
Catherine is an incoming 2nd year student at McGill Law and is the owner of Dimple Bakes, a small home bakery. Dimple Bakes mainly sells cupcakes, but they also make loaves, bread, roll cakes, mille-feuille, brownies, bars, roll cakes and bundt cakes. Additionally, they offer catering services for events like small weddings, engagements, birthdays, etc.
When was the first time you remember baking something?
“The first thing I remember baking on my own was a bundt cake. My mom has a family recipe, which she passed down to me. I was in my late childhood around 9-10.”
Tells us a bit about how you started your business and what inspired you
“I have always been passionate about baking. During my early childhood I would help my mom bake cakes for guests by whipping the egg whites. Later on, I started making the cakes on my own, and soon enough I started making other desserts, namely cupcakes and cheesecakes. Throughout the years, I diversified my baking skills and learned to make a wide array of desserts for my family and friends. However, with my busy high school and CEGEP schedules I no longer had time to bake and eventually stopped. When the pandemic occurred, I was bored and had a lot of time on my hand. That is when I got back into baking and started my Instagram page (Dimple Bakes) to post the desserts I made. However, my family and I had to eat whatever treat was made and I eventually found that I was always baking the same things. As well, many friends and family members were offering to pay me for some of my desserts. I finally started my small business to diversify and perfect my baking skills as well as monetize my passion.”
Did you ever get any formal training?
“No, I have an aunt who bakes leisurely. She taught me how to make good cake icing, but other than that, I am self-taught!”
Why did you decide to monetize your passion through entrepreneurship?
“Seeing many acquaintances and friends bet on themselves and start their Instagram business during the pandemic motivated me to start my own. I became a business owner because I wanted to work on my own schedule while doing something I love. Also, I liked that I have complete creative freedom and get to choose the design and invent cupcake flavours, which is all mentally stimulating for me!”
The bakery has an adorable name! How did you come up with it?
“The bakery is called Dimple Bakes because many family members call me “dimple” due to my big dimple on my left cheek. I chose that name because I have often used baking to bring joy into people’s lives, and a dimple is a symbol of happiness.”
What are the challenges that come with juggling law school and the bakery? How do you operate and market your business?
“Being a full-time student while operating a part-time business (can become full-time at times) is no easy task! I started the bakery the summer right before I started law school, so I had a lot of time on my hand then. But when law school started, I was overwhelmed; I was struggling to adapt with the workload and staying up to date with the orders, and developed an unhealthy sleep schedule.”
She laughs and admits that she actually considered closing the bakery after a month of school! She explains that learning time management skills, prioritising self care and establishing boundaries with customers was essential. For instance, she started doing her readings in advance, and if necessary, she would make cakes in advance and assemble them later. Additionally, she implemented a 48h notice policy, ensuring she could balance orders and a healthy sleep schedule.
“I started prioritizing self-care; when I felt overwhelmed and stressed I took self-care breaks and spent the evening watching TV or doing face masks, or both. I also did not hesitate to block off my calendar during busy weeks like midterms or finals or if I just needed a break from baking.”
What is your favourite product to bake and/or decorate?
“Cupcakes! I love making them because they are cute, not too time consuming, and overall just fun to make. I get to create flavours that people never thought were possible, which is what attracts!”
Catherine made cupcakes, as the ones pictured above for our first Alumni Cocktail, and they were a delight!
What is the most rewarding part of owning your home bakery?
Definitely client satisfaction. I love it when clients tell me that they loved their treat. They always have a huge smile on their face and I find that very wholesome, it just warms my heart.
What do you consider the most important skill to have in this line of work ?
Perfectionism and ability to present food well. Baking is very delicate and always “perfect”, so it is important to present your dish in an elegant way to entice people to eat your dessert.
What are your goals for the near future for Dimple Bakes?
Gaining more customers and collaborating with other small Montreal businesses. I have other plans for the bakery, but cannot talk about them at the moment, but definitely more growth. This past year has really been about learning; learning how customers operate, when I should post content for a certain holiday, etc. Now that I know what I am doing, my main goal is really to have greater outreach in Montreal and Toronto as well!
Do you have any tips you’d like to share with young or student aspiring entrepreneurs?
Owning a small business is about trial and error; some things will work others won’t, but it is important to not beat yourself up when you make mistakes, but learn from them
Get a mentor; a mentor will give you valuable advice on operating a business
If fear of failure is the thing stopping you from starting your business, take a leap of faith and start it! I remember being terrified of starting a business only for it to fail, but instead the opposite happened.
Know your worth and the worth of your product and do not underprice your stuff!
Do not operate in a “what if my customer leaves” mindset because it will lead you to disrespecting your boundaries for the sake of keeping a customer.
Prioritize self-care; operating a business is a 24/7 job, so it is important to take breaks and do something to take care of yourself!
Have fun; it is your business and your rules!
As Catherine told us, we can expect a lot of growth from Dimple Bakes! Stay updated by following her on instagram @dimple.bakes and visit her website at https://www.dimplebakes.com.