Meriya Theras - Be Resilient and Open to Learning and Re-Learning

Borma by Meriya is an online patisserie business that saw the need for fresh and promptly delivered gourmet cakes in Kochi. We appeal to the palate of those who want customised, gourmet cakes for their special occasions.

1. Tell us more about your company and your journey.

I always desired to learn and be a part of the hospitality industry. As the name suggests "Borma" was inspired and is a reflection of my heritage and a reminder of my roots but evolved from the the usual store bought cakes and bringing to the customer gourmet cakes with strong French influence.

2. How did you come up with this idea and go about executing it?

There is no "perfect" time to start a business. It might seem true especially during a global pandemic, when businesses all around the world are either slowing down or going through some tough times. The lockdown forced everyone home and to work remotely for the foreseeable future, interrupting the usual pace and routine which woke up the dormant entrepreneur in me.

I decided this was it, it was the perfect time to start my venture and thus "Borma by Meriya" was born. It started slowly, I didn't want to rush to start and I had to find a balance in my pace. I wanted to perfect my craft and started catering gourmet cakes and bites to smaller events.

This exercise build my confidence to start catering to bigger events and with that my customer base also grew. With the current situation, the best solution to make sales was to move it online versus a physical location.

3. What has been your biggest challenge that you faced and how did you overcome that?

Challenges that I faced had to do with finding a balance between business (i.e; operation wise) and online classes as I am in the final year of my graduation. Managing my time and finding the right pace was the learning through this process.

4. What do you think are the most important qualities of a successful entrepreneur?

I was always entrepreneurial. The big plan was always to do something in the hospitality industry. As I mentioned before, it may not have been the perfect time or even ideal but the opportunity was present and ready and I had to be willing to take the big risk and work harder.

Sometimes opportunities don't come well dressed in a bow and tie at the time you think sometimes it comes when you least expect like in a pandemic are you able to identify the opportunity and to make it count.

5. What are some of the most important factors for running a successful business?

Few factors that helps run a successful business -

Don't resort to any shortcuts
Don't compromise on quality, and what makes you happy, it will show in your work and the final outcome will always reflect your decisions and that will also determine the satisfaction of your customers.

6. What are your tips for the first time and aspiring entrepreneurs?

Don't give up! Be resilient and open to learning and re-learning. Millennials are always written off for being superficial, and if you want to be taken seriously, your mindset and attitudes matter it makes a difference and it will show up in your work and what you offer your customers.

7. How can one overcome a hurdle of lack of funds when starting up?

I was blessed to be supported by my parents financially, emotionally and mentally. It isn't easy when you don't have the capital to back up your dream.

Start with assessing your resources and experiment by offering a different combinations of your available resources to see how your target audience responds to different options. Experimenting will help you create an offering that is really viable and valuable to others.