Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Gabriela Ziomek, owner of Eye on the Pies, located in Toronto, ON, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Eye on the Pies is a small-batch bakery specializing in mini, single-serve pies of various flavours. The signature feature of our pies is the buttery crumble that tops all of our sweets, no matter which filling we're talking about. We serve the Toronto area and source our ingredients from local businesses, using only fresh fruit for all of our flavours. So far, we've sold our pies at various markets, held pop-up events at collaborating Toronto businesses, set up regular orders with local coffee shops, and sold for private orders. We aim to branch out further into catering for events
these pies are really perfect for birthdays, baby showers, dinner parties, you name it! Our customers are anyone who loves quality baked goods. I personally find these pies satisfying at virtually any time of day for breakfast, dessert, or as an afternoon snack with a coffee.
Tell us about yourself
I started baking at a young age, working with my mom in the kitchen to make all sorts of goods. This included pies; in fact, Eye on the Pies sweets are all made with my mother's recipe. Of course, as we develop new flavours, things are tweaked here and there, but the base ingredients and proportions are consistent across all of our pies. While I really love to bake, the problem I encountered most often as an amateur baker was that I had limited opportunity to try out all of the ideas I had. With it just being myself and my husband at home, there was only so much baking I could do at any given time without the baked goods overwhelming us. So, what really got me started working on my business was the desire to have more people try my baking.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment thus far is having secured spots for our pies in multiple Toronto coffee shops with semi-regular orders. Personally, I skew towards the shy side; putting myself and my business out there to connect with customers and other small business owners have really been a big step forward for me. I love the idea of someone taking a chance and picking one of our pies out of a selection of pastries in a window or display case. I can only hope that they come away feeling they've found their new favourite Toronto baked goods.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
One of the things that I've found most difficult so far is getting our tiny business out there. While the tools are available, what with social medial, search engine optimization, etc., it's definitely a struggle to do all of the baking and organizing and still have the time/energy to focus on marketing our pies to potential customers. We currently have a very small and loyal following, which of course, we hope to be able to expand over time.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Keep on top of your finances! I'm guilty of putting some of the finer details aside to deal with later, but that always comes back to bite me.
- Don't be scared to put yourself out there. As an introvert, I know that it can be really difficult to reach out to people you don't know and start a conversation that can end in rejection. It is very much worth it, though, when an order or two comes out of it!
- Have a support system. As a small business owner, it often feels like everything rests on your shoulders and yours alone. Especially if your business involves making perishable products, like fresh baked goods, it is not going to be possible to do the prep, the baking, the packaging, the delivery, and so much more all on your own. Make sure you secure the help you need before it all gets to be too much!
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
I just want to thank everyone who took the time to read about us. I hope that you all take a closer look at our little business and think of us when you're next feeling like some freshly-baked sweets!
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://eyeonthepies.ca/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eyeonthepiesto/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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