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Cakes 'n Bakes
Meet Niki Paolin
Niki Paolin (33) is a creative mother of two from Genk, Belgium and is the face behind Cakes 'n Bakes. With a love for baking and an eye for detail, Niki creates beautiful baked goods for her customers every week. In addition to her passion for baking, she also works as a teacher in a secondary school, which provides a nice balance and variety between her two jobs.
“The balance between baking and interacting with young people creates a nice balance,” Niki says enthusiastically.
The start of Cakes 'n Bakes
Baking is in Niki's blood. At a young age she experimented with cakes, brownies, macarons and cake pops. After graduating, she dreamed of opening a coffee shop with pastries. This dream remained unused for a long time until her sister-in-law gave her the push she needed.
“When I got the push from my sister-in-law a few years ago, I started Cakes 'n Bakes. It started with cakes and cupcakes for people I knew through friends,” Niki recalls.
In the four years since its inception, Cakes 'n Bakes has grown and Niki continues to see year-on-year growth. Her style is classic, feminine and refined, which is clearly visible in her creations. Each pastry gets the love and attention it deserves.
"They say less is more, but not for cake in my eyes. I love cakes with a WOW factor," says Niki with a smile.
Life as a baker
Niki enjoys the creative freedom that baking offers her. She can make what she finds beautiful and tasty, but sometimes requests come in that don't quite fit her style.
“I even reject some orders, because it is important to maintain your individuality,” Niki explains.
Although she is mainly self-taught, she has taken the Don't Tell Charles online course, which has helped her immensely with recipes and finishing techniques.
The best thing about being a baker for Niki is the freedom to decide for herself what she does and does not do and the happy faces of customers who come to pick up their cakes.
However, there are challenges. Long working days are tough and people often underestimate the amount of time and effort that goes into handmade baking. Especially delivering wedding cakes is very stressful.
Tips for aspiring bakers
Niki's advice for bakers who want to start their own business is simple: just start. Find your own style and flow, and grow gradually.
"There's room for everyone. You can find someone making cakes on almost every street corner, and yet everyone has so much work," Niki encourages.
The role of Instagram
Instagram plays a crucial role in Niki's business, responsible for 90% of her customers. Although it has become more difficult to get good reach, Instagram remains an important marketing tool.
Creating content based on photos is faster and your kitchen doesn't always have to look perfect. Making videos is something I don't like as much. I don't like being on the video myself and editing the videos is also something that takes up a lot of time. Unfortunately, the reality is that you reach a lot more people that way. Where I got 100s of followers a day a few years ago, I now lose dozens a month. Despite this, I won't complain, the agenda is still very full.
The importance of packaging
For Niki, the packaging of her products is very important. It reflects the quality that she offers as a company. She finds it essential that the packaging supports the appearance of her baked goods.
"I sometimes see people who are so expensive and then don't even give a decent box to pack the cake in. In my opinion, this is really not done," Niki emphasizes.
Price and quality are the most important criteria when choosing packaging. Her favorite packaging is the high cake box , which fits her style perfectly.
“I personally use stickers with a logo, because cake boxes with the logo printed on them are very expensive,” says Niki.
Future plans and dreams
Niki keeps dreaming and has big plans for the future. She wants to keep growing and improving herself in all areas. She also hopes to inspire other bakers with her story and tips.
“Just start and find your own flow. There is room for everyone in this creative world,” Niki concludes with an encouraging smile.
For more information and beautiful cakes, visit Cakes 'n Bakes and follow Niki on Instagram or Facebook .
This section offers a glimpse into the lives of talented bakers like Niki, and hopes to inspire and encourage fellow bakers. Stay tuned for more inspiring stories and tips from bakers sharing their passion and creativity with the world.