Indra knows what she wants to focus on. She chooses to focus on making good food for the customers, instead of settling the operations and logistics aspects of the business.
We spoke to Chef Indra, a home business owner on Phoodee, to understand her pain points of running her own home business. Cooking and baking are something that she loves doing. However, running a business demand attention to a few other aspects like operations and logistics.
Chasing for payments from the customer and arranging delivery often take more time and brain space than making the food itself. Hear more from Chef Indra and how Phoodee helps her run her home-based bakery business.
We have Clovie (C) here with us, while Chef Indra (I) shares her story
C: Tell me. What made you get into the home-based business?
I: 1989 was when I started. When I went away to live in Paris, I missed Mom’s food. So, I called my mom and asked her for the recipe for something that I love. That was Sambar, and that is an Indian dish. I tried it out, and it turned out quite well. Not exactly how Mom made it, but it’s not too far from it.
That gave me the impetus to want to cook. From then on, I started cooking as a way of life. The passion just grew and I kept going.
C: Now that you’re back from Paris, what made you want to start here?
I: Everyone was saying, “Why don’t you take part in the Masterchef?” I was like, “You’re kidding me?” And he replied, “No, you’ll win it.” I said, “No, I won’t.” He then suggested, “Try home-based cooking business, then.” I thought that’s something I can try and that’s how I started.
C: Oh, I see. So, how did you manage your personal time and work?
I: You see, home-based business is one which is very flexible where nobody dictates the timing but you. You decide how many cakes you want to bake in a day. If you feel like working hard, you can go ahead – just say you are available to take orders. If you want to go on a holiday, you can just shut your kitchen and go away. That’s the beauty of working as a home-based chef.
C: Can you tell us a little bit more about your food specialty?
I: I love baking now, but I do love cooing as well. I realized that when you cook and deliver, the food has to be hot. It’s challenging for certain dishes. So, baking is the best for me, I thought.
C: What does it take to be a home-based business owner, like yourself?
I: It’s actually quite easy. You just need to apply for the food and hygiene certificate, which can be done online easily for a minimum sum.
C: Would you have any advice for other home-based business owners?
I: Keep going, don’t give up. There is a market for it. Home-based business has picked up, thanks to Covid-19. Small businesses are able to thrive and there are a lot of people who opt for home businesses more than retail outlets.
C: Why would you recommend Phoodee?
I: Phoodee basically handles everything for me. I just do the baking. Somebody will come and pick it up to deliver it to the customers. Payment is already made by the customers on the platform. I can just go in to retrieve the amount and bank it in. They take care of the business and logistics, which are things I don’t want to focus on.
You can also watch the full interview on Youtube.
Note: Phoodee champions home-based businesses and helps them scale their business. Don't worry, just Phoodee