Tony skinner 00:02
Hi, and welcome to the podcast channel for podcast my business.com.au and content made easy.com.au. And today we have a unique guest someone who we haven’t had their type on the show before. And this is Zara, from embellishmentEmporium.com.au and Zara has just started her first business at 15 years of age. How are you Zara?
Zara 00:34
I’m great. Tony, thank you so much for having me on your show.
Tony skinner 00:39
What we’re talking about just before we started the show is I get lots of guests on that have started their new business or the entrepreneurs just starting out after many years of working with somebody else, or even older than you not by much these days. So you are quite unique. So what I wanted to know is I’ll ask you some softer questions to start with. So what motivated you to start up the business?
zara 01:07
So really, I when I was growing up, I guess I never Well, firstly, I grew up, I did ballet I did swimming, you know, that was great. And then I moved to New York when I was about, let’s say, I think it was nine years of age nine to 11.
zara 01:23
And then I came back and you know, the whole thought was, I was gonna continue swimming and continue doing sports. I mean, I didn’t, because I don’t know, it’s just no time and just the effort and they’re changing. And then I did gymnastics for a while. I admit, I did do gymnastics at a very late age normally supposed to do gymnastics when you’re like five. And then that that was a very short lived phase. And then I kind of realized last year, I had nothing really to do in my spare time. I had no extra curricular activities.
zara 01:54
I was just really at home. So I actually, I was just surfing the internet, really what to do when you’re bored. And they were like, Okay, maybe do a blog, maybe do a YouTube channel or like, blogs, I feel like people they don’t really want to sit down and read. And then YouTube channels. Maybe that’s not my thing. I can’t you know, edit a video to save my life.
zara 02:14
So I was like, huh, business? That was one of the little ideas. I was like, hmm, maybe maybe I would actually like to do something related to business. And so that’s how it started there.
Tony skinner 02:27
Okay, so what you have is that you have a cake decorating ingredients that you buy. Yes, and the video instructions of how to make the cake. So how many cakes? Do you eat a week? 
Zara 02:41
Oh, that’s a very embarrassing question. No, I I eat cakes, maybe Really every special occasion and isn’t something I tend to do every day. It would be good for my healthy though.
Tony skinner 02:56
Yeah, yeah, exactly. I mean, one of those sites Sesame Street that the Cookie Monster now says, you can only eat cookies as an occasional treat.
Zara 03:04
Yes, teaching kids
Tony skinner 03:07
stuffing your face with them. So you’re like, you can’t eat lots of cake you can’t eat but it’s great for special occasions. So why was it that cakes you decided to get into?
Zara 03:17
So I actually mentioned on another podcast that you know, I grew up with a lot of people are in baking and cooking. And so that’s how it really started. I there’s really no to something really complex. It just started there. And that’s I just grew up with it.
Tony skinner 03:35
Okay, so do you know we’ve got so how are you generating new sales? At the moment?
Zara 03:45
Yes. So I’m just trying to market myself out there. Get a lot of people to know about my business word of mouth is very helpful. Like, yeah, just basics like that. Really?
Tony skinner 03:58
Okay, so I know there are you’ve heard somebody last week who does healthy sweets is such a thing as healthy sweets. But I mean, yes. Developed by dentists. So they are literally healthy. It is natural sugars that are sugar
Zara 04:17
Okay, so we’ve got natural sugars aren’t sugar as such. So what? That was an eight year old girl that came up with an idea that,
Zara 04:40
wow, I am being beaten by an eight year old
Tony skinner 04:43
Well, competition. But she’s American. Isn’t intriguing that you were in New York for a couple years. New York’s a place I’ve been to in America a few years ago, because of COVID haven’t been able to go back. So do you think that would have influenced you a bit.
Zara 05:02
Living in New York. I think the whole hustle and bustle of the city potentially could have, it could have inspired me. When I was actually in New York, my mum had a little cake business. She had make cakes, terrific cakes, mad. All these amazing artworks. And yeah, that’s I, you know, what potentially could have actually, something could have happened. But yeah.
Tony skinner 05:26
Okay, so you will be too young to notice a difference in the market. So so. So I gave you a list of questions. What was the list of questions?
Zara 05:38
What challenges have I faced?
Tony skinner 05:41
Challenges? There we go. So what challenges have you faced starting up the business?
Zara 05:46
Yeah. So I think something is that I’m 15. If you, you talk to people, and you’re trying to talk in such a way where you, I guess you can say a sound does an adult but like, also act your age. It’s just that trying to get people to take you seriously, is a struggle, because a lot of people are like, Oh, well, you’re 15 you don’t know what you’re talking about? And you’re like, but I have this interesting idea. And I think you’d be interested. Like, it’s just the way that generally people look at, you know, like at 15. They don’t know what they’re talking about. Yeah, whatever.
Tony skinner 06:17
What was interesting, because of course, is the 15 year old. No, I have a daughter as a 15 year old, you know everything?
Zara 06:27
Yes, yes, sometimes.
Tony skinner 06:30
Yeah. So that’s a bit of a counterintuitive, 15 year old, think they know everything they can’t possibly know everything. But they can know something that they like, and their friends will like, and we know all of the value of maybe it’s an old core pester power, but something similar influencing and influences and all of that. So I see you’ve got insta and
Zara 06:57
Pinterest.
Tony skinner 06:59
Pinterest. Does anybody still use Pinterest?
Zara 07:03
Well, I think, you know, the mums out there. I’m sure they do. I mean, some of my friends do. So you know, it’s it’s just another I guess, platform. I think it’s just a lot focused on like the imagery, which is really nice with my business as well. So
Tony skinner 07:21
Alright, so let’s go a little bit more deep diving into the business itself. So you provide the ingredients to make the cake. Is it that simple?
Zara 07:33
Is it that simple? Well, I think that in general, making a cake is never simple. You have to measure out all the ingredients, you have to get this amount of milliliters of milk. So I guess my aim was to make it in such a way improved, and not as hassle and like all that, all the complications and all that. So yeah, it’s just making something easy as well, because we sell a little array of tools. I kind of recognize that I wish I actually saw a product like that because, you know, I have to go somewhere else to buy a spatula, or then I have to go somewhere else to buy. That’s the good little three sets of spet like little decorating things like it’s, I think just having it all in one place is something that I’m aiming for, because I understand the struggle.
Tony skinner 08:19
Okay, so I was gonna say, can I possibly do it, but you don’t know me. So you don’t know if I cook or not, but I do cook. I’m not a chef. But do I have to supply the eggs?
Zara 08:30
You only have to supply the eggs, oil and butter. And obviously the cake tin itself to actually bake the cake.
Tony skinner 08:37
Cake tin. i dont think I’ve got a cake tin
Zara 08:40
Ah, well you see, maybe that’s a great idea from Bozeman and Portland, you just gave me an idea. actually, I just thought of it. What you could do is you could couldn’t you possibly have ones made? I’d often say cardboard, but of course you can’t. So catch fire.
Zara 08:56
Yeah. Well, to be sustainable in such a way. Um, well, you know, that’s a great idea. Really, just to develop that further. You know? Yeah.
Tony skinner 09:10
Well just done. Is that how that’s how ideas start. Right. So you come up with an idea. It germinates because you don’t have any blocks from prior experience. Then you’ll go I’ll give it a go. Yeah, exactly. What not? Yeah. And it’s the same with Richard Branson. So Richard Branson, who? I’m sure you’re okay, well, there you go. So he has a book that I love, which I can’t use in his podcast, it’s not overly rude, but you are under 18. So and he was just saying, well just do it. Just go for it. And one of the main things about being successful in business is the concept of failure. Yeah, yeah. You haven’t failed enough yet? Yeah. So So when you say that you’re not taken seriously, and I would say one of the main reasons that you haven’t failed enough. So when you fail more on in fact, Dyson, right, it’s one of the books by James Dyson. Talking about they did hundreds of prototypes, like hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of them. So now you’ve got, you’re saying before about the website, and you’ve got more stuff on the website than you had before? Yeah. So how do you develop new products or new ideas?
Zara 10:32
I think it’s just like something. Well, I guess the way of how I do it is I think of what do I want? What do I kind of, what do I find that I need? You know, it’d be great to get a little hamper that sells the cake, mix a little batch of cake decorating pools, and then Tada, that’s what’s on my website. Currently, it’d be nice to have already pre made cake decorations, because I didn’t have the time to make the fondue by hand, but I’ve time to bake the cake. Uh huh. I might be doing that in the future. So just the way of how I go through it is how I expect my customers to want.
Tony skinner 11:11
Okay, and what you’ve just talked about is exactly right. And what’s going to ask you about was your passion, you’ve just demonstrated your passion. A good lesson, be passionate about what you do enjoy it. So you don’t think that you’re you’re turning up to work and be worked for another man or woman or person or whatever? Step? Where do you see your future in? Let’s just say five years continuing beyond you even contemplating
Zara 11:41
five years, I hopefully see myself in uni, hopefully doing a course that I like, mostly business, I’ll be quite sure, I can probably bet on it. I’ll be doing business. But yeah, just definitely youth striving through uni life, you know, overdue assignments, hopefully, are not overdue. But, you know, just,
Tony skinner 12:00
they will be just,
Zara 12:01
you know I just hope that I’m enjoying life. At that point where I, you know, I’m happy with what I have, you know, I tried to business, depending on how we see the notion of importing goods in the future. But you know, just trying everything really.
Tony skinner 12:12
And this is a good thing about doing some podcasts or what have you, because it’s a bit of a marker for you, you can look back in five years or 10 years. And in fact, you can then use it in uni, if you study business, that this will be something you can use in a presentation for assignment, so forth. Yeah, you’ve already thought about, maybe that’s okay. All right. So anything else you’d like to add?
Zara 12:42
Well, I think just in general, if you’ve seen all those cliche, quotes on Instagram or Facebook, do what you love, but seriously, do what you love. Because, you know, if you don’t, I’m sorry, your life is gonna be really boring. You’re gonna be you know, just going through life, just you know, working for someone else, or doing a job that you hate from nine to five, seriously, do something you’d like and just seriously, put that foot through the door and just start it because just waiting for the right moment. There’s never going to be a right moment. Just do it. And then you’re pretty much committed now. Like, you know, signing for your ABN. You’re committed now you have an ABN you can’t do anything about it, you know, just starting really?
Tony skinner 13:24
Yeah, that’s quite wise. That ABN? That’s interesting. There’s reasons for getting an ABN, but I’m sure you’ve been advised of those reasons. So hopefully, you get to that level where you have to start paying GST that would be nice. Is that your goal for this business over the next couple of years? What is it 75 grand, isn’t it in turnover?
Zara 13:49
Yeah, I think so. I think it is, you know, you’re probably let’s, let’s see how, let’s see how we go.
Tony skinner 13:56
Alright, so what I want to see in other people can’t see it. But on the wall behind you. You could set up a barometer. And work your way out. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Yeah, that’s a traditional tool. Okay, cool. All right. Look, thanks very much for your time, Zara.
Zara 14:14
Okay thank you so much for having me. Yeah, that’s fine.
Tony skinner 14:17
I mean, it look, it’s been good. It’s good to get an insight into somebody that’s new to business and really new to business. Yeah, yeah. You know, so when, if this one or another one doesn’t work out. Just remember, failing is part of success. Part of the process. It is part of the process.
