By Allison Albery
Can you tell us about yourself and your company?
My name is Maneeka and I am a mother of three. I currently hold 5 degrees, one of which came from Grand Valley! I started my entrepreneurship journey as a home based business in 2016 where I did everything from custom cakes, to cupcakes, to anything in between. When COVID hit for most people it stopped their world, for me it gave me a moment to sit down and strategize not only my life, but also what I wanted to do as far as my road for entrepreneurship.
I still work in healthcare alongside of owning my business. That way I’d be able to build a legacy for my children and their futures. I’m getting older, they’re getting older, it’s time now to go full force. I knew I didn’t want my business to be in a home anymore. I knew I wanted to be licensed. As my passion and business idea began to grow I realized I needed to think strategically. I focused on one product and made it strong and ready for success, I also began to experiment and test my products more publically and see the reactions it would receive.
So in 2021 I just went full force and started remapping my whole career when it comes to my business. I re-enrolled in a refresher class in Spring. I made sure I had a solid foundation when restarting this business. Then I got licensed in 2022 and launched “Cakes by the Jar” and we’ve been going strong now for two years.
Did you always see yourself becoming an entrepreneur?
I did not come to Grand Valley thinking I was going to be an entrepreneur one day. I came to Grand Valley for healthcare and knew I wanted to be in that field, I knew I had passion and drive for it. I always had a fear of owning my own business, I got scared away by the outside noise, taxes, and the negatives of becoming a business owner. My drive that pushed me to pursue entrepreneurship stemmed in 2014 by my two boys.
I remember them coming to me one summer in 2014 and they said, “Mom, we want to sell something so we can make some money to save up for something we’ve been wanting. Can you make some of your cakes for us?” So I made some cakes, they set up a little table, and people were actually buying the cakes from them. That’s when the idea sparked into this becoming a real business idea. I owe it to my boys because after my aunt passed away in 2016 I was grieving and out of my grief came this talent that I didn’t even know I had. So I showed this talent of making custom cakes to others by doing small bake sales and selling them in places near me. I experimented in a home base for a couple of years before I decided I wanted to go full fledged business and have not looked back since.
What was your first motivator to keep going down that path?
My relationship with God and putting my trust in his path for me. I know nothing isn’t easy, but it feels easy when you put God in the midst of it all. When I saw myself putting him firsthand, I was always seeing the success that came afterwards. So I always tell myself this isn’t my business, this is God’s. If you just put your time, consistency and hard work into it, you can keep seeing a drive to the next level.
What makes your business unique?
There is diversity found in all my cakes, between the portion sizes, the different flavors, and the packaging. I feel as though it outwardly showcases who I am and what my business is. I love being able to make people feel good about themselves just by eating a cake jar, it brings joy, it brings happiness, and brings peace at times, because it’s a slice of heaven to share with them and bringing that experience to the customer at all times makes it all worth it.
What do you have planned for your business moving forward?
Keep expanding. Our goal is to get in a few more retail spaces and increase online sales more. I found my passion for what I really liked the most, which is teaching. I do that part time, but more in the aspect of teaching other entrepreneurs how to be successful in their businesses. So my goal is to become a personal coach and business mentor in the next couple of years full time. I do it part-time now but full time is something I am striving to do later.
What advice would you give to others in earlier stages?
My advice to anyone starting a business would be to know yourself first, to really sit and think about if this is really what you want? Because entrepreneurship isn’t an easy thing to do. I will always tell them to make sure you focus on yourself and self care. To be successful, stay consistent. Don’t give up. Even when you think nobody’s watching, they’re still watching. Keep doing what you have set in your heart and have a plan to accomplish those goals as you move along.
NEU 