‘Cakes’ for babies By SHERYL G. LAUDATO
Manila Bulletin - 27 August 2006
Cakes are made to be eaten, but NappyCakes are decorated stuff made of bibs, blankets, diapers, pacifiers, feeding bottles, among others, to be used as gifts for baby showers, baptisms and birthdays. Kaye Catral, 32, a graduate of AB Economics from Ateneo de Manila University, and a full time brand manager for a local distribution company was inspired by a 2003 episode of the sitcom "Sex in the City" where the character Miranda received one for her baby shower.
 | | KAYE CATRAL | |
When Kaye made a trip to Seattle in May 2004, she was influenced by her aunt Edith Lopez who makes "cakes" out of diapers in the U.S.
"Since I love artistic stuff, my aunt pushed me to establish a diaper cake business and gave me an initial capital of P50,000. It is very hard to start a business but I learned from my aunt that if this business doesn’t work out in the Philippines, at least I enjoyed doing it and I should think of the money as a gift," Kaye said.
Back in the Philippines, she worked on the plan to make non–edible cakes without giving up her full–time job. She used her aunt’s money to buy baby supplies such as towels, hairbrushes, teethers, rattles, receiving blankets, diapers, among others.
"My marketing job helped me get various high–end products from distributors at a lower price. And I made sure that quality is on top of my list," Kaye noted.
Kaye made her first two layered diaper cake and presented it at the baby shower of a friend, Tiffany del Rosario.
"My friend really loved my gift for her. That was why she kept it intact even until after her daughter was born. It’s what motivates me most about this business," Kaye said.
After the shower, orders for diaper cakes started coming, so she officially launched NappyCakes in July 2004.
"My officemate bought one of my cakes for her friend’s baby shower. When the host and guests saw the cake, they started passing out plates and dessert forks until they found out that it was only made of nappies," Kaye said.
At first, Kaye priced her two–layered cake at P700. but she later realized that she should increase it to P900. When she started to get 10–15 orders a week, she again increased her price to P1,000. She now has have a gross sale of 30 orders monthly.
Single–tier cakes cost P850, P1,000 for two–tier, and P1,500 for three–tier cakes and clients can choose from cartoon themes such as Winnie the Pooh, Baby Mickey, Baby Minnie, Sponge Bob, Precious Moments and Carebears.
"People think that my products are expensive, but the same stuff goes for about $70-$200 in the States. I already adjusted to my customer’s budget so more people can afford my products," Kaye said.
Information about Kaye’s business spread by word of mouth, and in e–groups. In early 2005, she had over 30 buyers including Makro and PLDT, that made her earn a monthly profit of R30,000.
"It’s quite hard for me because I have a daughter and a full–time job. I spend more than three hours a night finishing my orders. That is why I also taught my daughter’s ‘yaya’ so she could help me make the stuff," Kaye said.
Kaye shared that she once made a cake in just 16 minutes when actor Marvin Agustin rushed his two–tiered cake order for the baptism of a friend’s baby.
She was also challenged when another client wanted to buy all the baby stuff and put them all together in a cake.
"Sometimes I ask myself how I made it. I got about 12 spin–off arrangements from that cake alone, until I finished it," Kaye said.
Soon, Kaye discovered that there were businesses that copied her idea. She was forced to register NappyCakes at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
"When I was about to register my business with DTI, I had a hard time registering the name NappyCakes because they didn’t understand that I’m selling non–edible cakes. They thought I was trying to mislead people. Until now, I still have to explain my products, which allowed me to use my marketing skills," Kaye said.
Kaye also started attending baby and kids shows twice a year, and forges tie–ups with event organizers, and uses different venues to promote and sell her products.
"I know I still have to learn and discover a lot even if I’m designing my cakes all alone using my imagination. Especially there are so many ‘copycats’ now. I have to improve my stuff and use quality materials. I don’t want to be embarrassed by the quality of my work," Kaye noted.
Kaye used to sell handmade hair accessories at bazaars. She’s been into crafts and cake making since childhood that helped her run her business.
"Being a mom, we always want the best for our babies, so I made sure that everything that goes into the cake is usable. I made sure that all materials are sanitary and contains everything which can be used for my baby’s care," Kaye said.
Kaye also plans to open her own shop in Pasig area next year.
Visit www.picturetrail.com/nappycakes or e-mail nappycakes @gmail.com.
