Bamboo Business of the Week – sharing the financial culture and business of the average Bamboo user.

What’s your name? Tell us about yourself

I’m Khadijat Abdullahi, a 20-year-old student of Federal University, Lokoja studying Computer Science. I love being independent and it’s something I’ve always wanted to be right from childhood which led me to start my business. Though the ASUU strike is affecting my studies, it’s giving me more time to work on my business.

What has been your financial culture like?

Khadijat: Right from childhood, I’ve always wanted to save but I only always saved with a goal in mind like buying a gift from my sister or getting something for myself. I haven’t ever saved just because I want to save – I didn’t really have much of a savings attitude. But as I grew older, I thought that I need money for my personal things instead of having to ask my parents for money. I wanted to get part-time jobs like working as a receptionist and all, but I never got one, so I decided to start my own business.

Tell us about your business. What is it about and Why did you start?

Khadijat: Kray’s Bites provides small chops, cakes for events, and gift packs; basically helping you to share love and relax. For example, someone can be having a bad day and you send them small chops and this will help make them better. At Kray’s Bites, we help to share love in boxes. I started the business because I didn’t want to be bored and there are some baking YouTube videos that were too cute to ignore. I’ve improved from the first cake I made, from making a stone cake to having to tell my friends to post on their stories to also being an inspiration to people. It’s been a journey the past two years.

How did you start your business?

Khadijat: I was watching some baking YouTube videos and got inclined to start but I was scared to start. At first, I was discouraged because most people staying in Lokoja are civil servants who have to deal with incessant salaries, so I thought I won’t be making sales. This discouragement took a toll on me for a long time till lockdown. During the lockdown, when the boredom got too much, I spoke with my friend who sent me some money to start. This money gave me all the encouragement I needed because now I didn’t want to disappoint my friend. I went to the market to get measuring cups and other baking equipment and got started. From one order to another, now my name at school has even changed to Kray’s Bites. It wasn’t easy because I didn’t get my first orders till 2 months after I started.

Wow! It must have been frustrating

Khadijat: It was. When I started, I thought orders will be rushing in, even my sister was around to help out. We didn’t get a single but no order till after 2 months.

That must have been hard.

What’s been one of the hardest times in your business and how did you manage it?

Khadijat: After the hurdle of capital and customers passed, I will say inconsistency due to school. I was starting in my 100 level and I had to reject orders because I was having classes and this didn’t go down well with some customers because they had the impression that I wasn’t serious. After this was settled, price hike came into play. Baking ingredients like flour, butter, and other items I use, became double the price I started with. This had me increasing my prices every now and then, and my customers didn’t like it, because you can come today to order at 1,000, three weeks later, the price has increased – which was no fault of mine. I understood their complaints and decided to look at my business expenses and see how I can make it reduce it. Now, my prices are set to a point to accommodate for supply price hike till a certain period.

How did you manage your finances before & after Bamboo?

Khadijat: Before Bamboo, I wasn’t so keen on saving, because I used it to buy new tools and reinvest in my business. After getting the basic tools, I came across an IG post talking about investing and that’s how my journey with Bamboo started. I use Bamboo to not only invest but also save my money from inflation with the Wallet feature. This has helped me raise my financial goals and be strict in my savings and investment culture. Also, the Bamboo Breakdown videos help me to understand investing and also share with my friends without having to say much.

What are some of the best things about your business that separates you from the competition?

Khadijat: My packaging. This was intentional. I wanted to use packaging that doesn’t have plastic, foil or nylons, because of their effect on their hazardous effect on the planet, so I decided to go with paper packaging and this has separated me from my competitors. Another will be how I take my business. I take my business very personal, I like to break down the prices for my customers, so they understand what they are paying for. I also ensure my customers are well-attended to, making sure they get their orders on time and go the extra mile for them and they love me for it

That’s really good! Wishing Kray’s Bites all the very best!

Thank you very much for your time, we enjoyed this.

Here’s Khadijat’s business contact:

Social media contact: https://instagram.com/krays_bites?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

WhatsApp Business Number: https://wa.me/message/SEPNYOMSCUKQN1

Contact number: 07060955605