Interview Guide (Protocol)

The interviewer initially tries to gain rapport through careful use of icebreaker questions. A few warm-
up questions including mini-tour, grand tour and taxonomic questions listed below were asked to put
the interviewee at ease and to acquire an overview of the nature of their business. Throughout the
interview, effective use of interview prompts, probes, verbal and non-verbal cues were implanted in
conversations to induce confidence in an interviewee. Effort has also been made to ask factual questions
before opinion eliciting questions.

Q.1 Please describe the nature of your business and its history. [Probe] Would you like to share the
business story, if there is any?

I am running my own small business for 2 years of making Teamed cakes with the name of Cake
Monster. After doing my MBA and learning a lot about marketing, plus baking was my passion so I
thought to convert my passion and skills gain through MBA into a business.

Baking was always my part-time hobby. I used to bake different things just for my family. And gradually
when people around me convinced, that I have such a great talent and should convert it into something
productive, start I was a bit nervous as it was just a hobby, but then by the support of my family I started
and Alhamdulillah Results were beyond my imaginations.

Q.2 What products and services do your offer currently in your product line?

Currently, I am offering different kinds of classic cakes, cupcakes, cookies, themed cakes, and macrons.
We make cakes for different occasions including weddings, birthday parties or bridal showers, depends
upon the customer demand.

Q.3 What is your business Model? How do you create value for oneself and value for others? [Hint]
Value for oneself calls entrepreneur a taker and value for others refer to situations where the
entrepreneur acts a giver.

I started my business using my home kitchen and developing a website with pictures of my work to
attract my different customers. As a business person, you should understand one thing that it’s very
important to market your work correctly. So for this, I used social media Facebook and Whatsapp.
Nowadays different food groups are running on Facebook including ESR-Eat sleep and repeat. These
kinds of groups create enough traffic and give me a good number of customers and in the end, the
positive feedback is given by customers ultimately increase my ratings.

I make fresh cakes on the order of the customer and deliver them. The customer usually has to book an
order two days before the delivery. The customer can order using the website page or can call me on my
number for the order. My ultimate end goal is my happy customer. The happier my customer is the
more satisfied I am.

Q.4 Did you encounter any emotional setback which unfolded during your entrepreneurial journey?
What did you learn for them?
Emotionally set back …Hmm, it was more like I was new and not have much idea in a start that how
would I manage my business in the start. I was not sure enough if anybody would really order from me.
But to my great surprise within a month I have my first 5 orders. So it was a little difficult to take the
time out of my routine and give my best so that ultimately I have happy customers. Plus to bake for
your family and for a customer was a totally different experience.

I learned that it’s only your hard work that pays off at the end. Hard work never gets wasted and if you
are passionate about something you would definitely achieve that just don’t lose hope, try even if you
have to try 100 times. And the learning process will continue, each day I learn new things from my
customers or from my suppliers.

Q.5: Could you describe the role of your parents in this entrepreneurial venture creation? [Probe] Was it
facilitative or restrictive?

My parents play a very positive role. They were actually one especially my mother who convinces me
yes I have this talent and I can convert my talent into a successful business plan. They support me in
every step of my life and I am very blessed to have to such loving parents.