Sam’s Cake Factory—A Delectable Journey of a Woman Entrepreneur

Abstract

The case reflects on the life of a woman entrepreneur, Sumaira Waseem, who had set up an online cake business by the name of Sam’s Cake Factory. Sam’s Cake Factory was a start-up, which was only four years old but had become the preferred choice amongst the consumers looking for customized fondant cakes in Karachi. They offered bespoke creatively designed cakes, handcrafted to perfection using premium quality ingredients. The case describes the entrepreneurial journey embarked upon by Sumaira who, through her passion, resilience and creativity, turned a home-based small business into a full-fledged growing enterprise. The case further examines the vision Sumaira had of expanding her business and taking it to the next level. It was Sumaira’s dream to see herself established as the most famous cake designer in Pakistan. The case is extremely pertinent because of the dearth of literature available on female entrepreneurs in Pakistan. It aims to shed light on the mushroom growth of the women-led online business sphere in Pakistan.

Heteronormativity and the (re)construction of gay male entrepreneurial identities

“…a business that sells cakes) can be constructed as 'feminine'. The discourse of femininity associated with the activity of baking cakes has sometimes diminished female entrepreneurs in this field by identifying them as 'kitchen-table entrepreneurs' (Zulfiqar et al, 2016). Joseph is vulnerable to being positioned within a similar discourse of entrepreneurial femininity, noted in his concern that a 'poof' who bakes cakes is not a credible entrepreneurial identity as it encourages a feminine reading of gay male sexuality.…”