Juliana Bwanika, the owner of Jules Confectionery has said that as a baker who has spent five years in business, it takes patience for one to thrive in the career.
She was responding to a question by the Groove Cafe host Crystal Newman, in a phone interview about how she has managed to overcome competition in the market that has vastly been broken into especially after the Covid 19 pandemic.
“One essential thing is patience because you can't satisfy the whole Ugandan market. For someone to give you a cake for a big event, takes time. There are so many bakers now, but if you're consistent with your product and people trust your work, it keeps you moving. Even if they aren't many, you have the confidence that they’ll come back to you for orders,” she explained.
Juliana officially started commercial baking in 2017, even though she had begun as a teenager having been inspired by her mother. She used her inspiration to bake for her family and siblings, as she tried out other recipes.
Surprisingly, during high school, she didn't partake in the home management classes. However, while at University, she made and sold snacks such as samosas and chapatis that she’d sell to her classmates.
Juliana pursued a leisure and hospitality management course at University. After searching for blue-collar jobs in the docket in vain, a friend advised her to bring baked snacks for her school’s canteen.
“So I started supplying samosas, chapatis, and Mandazi. I’d make my little money. It was decent but it was hard work. I had to be up by 2a.m to make sure that the things got delivered by 6. am but it was rewarding,” she said.
She continued to say that baking was her dream, that she hoped to do someday. In 2017, she finally got an opportunity from a sponsor who offered to pay the dues for a course in baking where she learned, added, and perfected her skills.
She is also a transcriber and a translator of Luganda to English and vice-versa.
For cake orders, Juliana is available by phone at 0777912389/ 0706420956. You can also reach her over her Facebook page @julesconfectionary.
The Groove Cafe with Crystal Newman airs every Weekday from 4-5 pm on RX Radio.
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