Meet Amina Shah

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amina Shah.

Hi Amina, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My journey started when I started making themed baked treats for my daughter. She was born with a gluten allergy and themed birthdays with a dessert table setup was the newest trend. However, at that time no one offered customized gluten-free desserts, and it was very hard to find any that tasted good. So, I started making these things for her at home as I wanted her to have those pretty birthday setups as well. Then, over time, my friends and neighbors started requesting the treats for their children, and it all took off from there through word of mouth. Where I’ve been extremely fortunate and I can’t thank God enough is that I haven’t had to market myself in a big way in order to get orders. This is one side of the business that I think I have left up to God and that has been a huge blessing for me.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I am self-taught so there was a learning curve. A lot of people are familiar with baking, but a custom design with a professional look definitively takes time, practice and technique. Since I don’t offer a set menu, rather I take custom requests, so every order is something new and something I haven’t done before. Initially, that was very stressful. I had to figure out the materials and techniques for each look. Now, I’m more confident with my skills but it took a lot of hard work.

I must give a shoutout to all my customers here as they were so supportive and encouraging throughout my journey. The other thing that is crucial for any working mom is balancing home and business. Our children are the first priority for my husband and I, so managing that is the biggest juggling act for us. After all, while having your own business gives you some flexibility, but at the end of the day you’re providing a service and you have to show up for the people who are willing to give you a chance!

So family is important, and your customers are also important. And in order to be able to be there for both, I must thank my amazingly supportive husband who helps me in every possible way to make both things work out. He will take responsibility for anything and everything at home (even though he works a full-time job) when I get very busy with orders. This helps me to stay committed to my business while the home and children’s needs are also still well looked after by him.

Another great challenge is that this is a one-person setup. I am the front of the store as well as the back of the store. I have to communicate with each customer and understand their unique needs, and fulfill every order that is due; each responsibility taking time away from the other. Because of the nature of the work and depending on how much I take on, business is not 9-5. It is 24/7. So busy waves definitely mean very little sleep and can lead to burnout as well.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I run a licensed cottage bakery from my home called Homemade by Amina. I do wedding cakes, custom celebration cakes and desserts, with cakes and cookies being my most popular items. I also do cake pops, cupcakes, cakesicles and other items for dessert tables. I just came into this more through fate than by design, so I must give first credit to my customers for trusting me to provide items for their most important events.

I do my best to work on amazing taste as well as design so it tastes as good as it looks. I also try very hard to create a neat, clean look and a truly memorable piece for the event.

This means that I will keep working on it until I’m truly satisfied with the finished product. It can also mean that I will scrap it and redo it if it doesn’t meet my personal expectations.

I think this commitment to try to build and maintain a standard and to meet if not exceed expectations is what has given me the most progress.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
People have called me a perfectionist. I don’t think I’m at the level I’d like to be, as the bakers I learn and get inspired by are so much better than I am, but I do try to do my best according to my skill level. I also try to keep improving, learning new techniques and keeping up with current trends.
I rarely repeat designs, and if I do get requests for previous designs, I definitely try to update them and give them a fresh look according to the changing times. I really don’t want my work to appear dated!

My business promise is that I will do my best, and that’s something I take very seriously.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @homemadebyamina
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/homemadebyamina?_rdr