Taking advantage of her summer break from home schooling during lockdown, 11-year-old Mira Ramchandani discovers the pleasures of baking, and hopes to turn her leisure-time hobby into a home-based business.
Mira Ramchandani readies her baked goodies in the kitchen
Baker & Smile Maker — these words hit you like an instant sugar rush when you visit Mira's website called Miracle. "After recently completing 5th Grade, I decided to make my summer worthwhile and to start a little catering service to allow other families to experience a little sunshine in these trying times," writes the young entrepreneur on her website.
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Mira is a budding baker of course, but is also the 11-year-old daughter of fashion designer Payal Khandwala. Mira came up with her confectionary enterprise entirely on her own, explains Khandwala, including the name, and designing the publicity poster and website. "I don't know how to bake!" Khandwala says. "I guess she gets it from my mother and mother-in-law with a lot of technical insights from The Nerdy Mummies Cookbook [a New York Times Bestseller by Rosanna Pansino]. She has even created an Excel sheet to keep a record; can you believe it? She is treating it like a proper company," Khandwala adds fondly. Mummy's role is limited to helping out with presentation, ordering baking equipment, and packaging and delivery logistics. The short-and-sweet Miracle menu features red velvet, chocolate and butter cakes, and cupcakes, brownies and sea-salt chocolate-chip cookies.
The two-week-old operation found its feet almost by chance. An enquiry about a birthday cake from a building member on a WhatsApp group is when Khandwala suggested placing an order from Mira. "She has got more than a dozen orders till now, purely by word-of-mouth recommendations. Every order goes out with a little note on a unicorn printed paper," laughs Khandwala.'
Payal Khandwala
The designer reasons how it's important to instill the value of money in children early on. "I wanted to encourage the spirit of independence in Mira. When she asked for a laptop, I told her she could have one if she sticks to baking [since Mira loves it] and if she manages to get 900 orders, she can have one," she says.
Mira has also introduced Bake Along, where she will post a video of her baking a signature chocolate cake on her website, and she is inviting you to bake along. "Please do join me for a chance to bake with me!" Sweet.
Log on to https://sites.google.com/view/miracle-cakefoolery/miracle (For more info about menu, price and events)
Email miraclecanbefound@gmail.com
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