❤ Indulge In The Sweeter Side Of Life

If you haven't already heard about  Simply Edible chances are you will pretty soon. I came across them while browsing through Facebook recently and was amazed at the quality of work they had to offer. I know hey aren't Raw but their work is amazing and needed a bit of a shout out. In the world of Cupcakes it seems like a new cupcakery is being born every month, and getting your foot in the door is no doubt the hardest part of the "game" as we call it. Once inside, the world is yours and from the looks of it Simply Edible is a rising star. Shelly-Anne Gregory, owner and Head Chef seems to have the door open wide enough to take one giant leap inside of it.

Shelly-Anne told us "Cupcakes are my passion, I feel that the presentation is as important as the taste". I would definitely say they got an A+ for presentation, high quality ingredients, made from scratch and baked daily right here in Trinidad. West Indies.. What more can one ask for right?  Shelly says "There's no shortcuts in anything we do. We take pride in every product that leaves our store and love sharing our sweet treats with you."  Their mission statement reads "We love being in the kitchen baking and assembling these delightful treats knowing they will be enjoyed by many"

Shelly, has actually been self taught and started Simply Edible in 2008. A lovely example of what one can achieve once there are set goals.  I was able to catch up with Shelly-Anne and was able to ask her a few questions about her company, her life, goals, influences and aspirations.

❤: So tell us where where you born Shelly??
  A: Stanley's Hospital, Trinidad
❤: Tell us a bit about your family history.
  A:  Father was an entrepreneur and had his own small business. Mother was a stay at home mom . I am one of 6 children. I am the 2nd eldest . I have 4 brothers and 1 sister. All ages ranging from 32 to 15.

❤: What was the business that your parents were involved with?
   A: My father worked for himself selling security equipment etc. and always found ways to sell other things to make extra money to support the household. My mother prior to having my youngest sister used to promote items but became a full time stay at home mother to take care of her children.

❤: What motivates you?
  A: My family motivates me to reach goals I never thought I would reach.

❤: Tell us what inspired you to start Simply Edible?
  A:  I was pregnant with my 2nd daughter and due to my parents divorce I decided to take my 3 youngest brothers under my wing. But the only way to find a balance supporting the household I had to decide and seeing my skill has always been a good cook/baker I decided to go all into the catering business. I had no choice as I could not take any other job due to being pregnant and well under way to having a baby. This was my best option.

❤:  Do you consider yourself successful?
  A:Yes I do and very blessed.

❤: Can you identify the primary reasons why you think you have been successful?
  A: Determination, Strength and Perseverance.

❤: What are the biggest challenges to doing business in Trinidad? A: My biggest challenge to doing business in Trinidad was mainly getting the word out there with no monetary support behind me , I had to do it on my own and that was a lot of work.

❤: How do you handle Quality Control with Simply Edible?
 A:  With a lot of prayers and patience :)
I take bookings in advance from regular as well as new customers but once I have booked there is no way I could take any more orders as I am doing this on my own.

❤: Do you have any expansion plans, Can you tell us about them?
 A: I have expansion plans yes but it will all come into play in the near future.

❤: Why would you say safety and health is important for a small business owner like yourself?
  A:  Health is a major importance as hygiene is always a concern. I have taken the route of getting my health badge to ensure I knew the do's and don'ts of the food industry. Safety is also important but I am mainly concern of issues surrounding the oven as you do get burns on random occasions.
.
❤:  What do you see as your key success factors for Simply Edible?
 A: Key success factors would be 1. Support from my husband 2. Working hard and learning from my mistakes. 3. My customers , I have relied on them in the past and at current times to learn from my faults as well as hearing what they want and what they need.

❤: Who has influenced you the most in your personal and business life?

 A: God has been the one I turn to when things get rough. So I would have to say the almighty man above.

❤: What or who is your biggest competition right now?
 A: I have no competition.

 ❤: What is the closest you have come to business disaster and how did you recover?
  A: I haven't so I don't know how to answer this question.

❤: What is the proudest moment you’ve had as a small business owner?

 A: My proudest moment was seeing my cupcake turned into a work of art. I now proudly hang it on my wall.

❤:  What three words would you use to describe yourself?
  A: Artistic,funny and diligent.

❤:  How would you like to be remembered as a business person?
 A:  Honest

❤:  If you weren’t a businessperson, what do you think you have been?
  A: A teacher.

❤: What is the biggest challenge you face as a small business owner?
 A: My biggest challenge is finding resources . Some items are hard to find so I normally have to import them which ends up being an extra cost to me.

❤: What advice would you give to anyone thinking of starting a business?
A: Have a legit business plan and register your company , do it the right way.

❤: What are you the most passionate about?
 A: My children.

❤:  How successful do you think you have been between balancing work and home life?
 A: I have pushed as much as I can as I do all the cooking,cleaning and pick ups with the kids. I can only do so much at this point in time. Once my youngest daughter hits primary school my time would be more flexible. 

❤: What do you like to do for relaxation?
 A: Go to the beach or planting flowers with my daughters.

❤: If you could not live in Trinidad, where would you live?
 A: I wouldn't mind trying Europe.

❤: Where is your favorite vacation spot?
 A: Antigua so far is my number 1 place.

❤: Are you a collector of anything?
 A: I am in the midst of collecting art. For every place I have travelled I have picked up a local artists painting .


❤: List your top 5 Favorite Things.
 A: 1.Family
        2.Tiramisu
        3.the beach
        4.a good movie
        5. Sleep!

We enjoyed this Q&A with Shelly-Anne of Simply Edible. You can catch up with them on Facebook or go straight to their website.