The Biscuit Shop

by Jamie and Sarina Sciberras, startup founders from Boolarra

Wholesale bakery specialising in premium handmade biscuits, tarts & florentines

Photo: Aldona Kmiec Photo: Jakub Fabijanski

Jamie Sciberras is a baker and pastry cook with over 20 years experience. The recipes for his handmade biscuits and tarts have been 5 years in the making and you’ll taste the perfection in your first bite! Bringing our customers a quality product with a diverse range of flavours is our goal.

Startup Gippsland: What inspired you to apply for Startup Gippsland program?

Jamie & Sarina: We learnt about SUG through a member of our local council. First thoughts about were this could be something that could really assist our business in moving forward.

Startup Gippsland: Why did you want to join the program? What was the problem you were trying to solve?

Jamie & Sarina: As an established business we were looking for guidance to assist us in advancing the business in the right direction. We were also looking for new networks and mentoring. Our main problem was that we had already outgrown our business and needed to transition part of the business into automation.

Startup Gippsland: What was your experience like in the 12 weeks of the program? 

Jamie & Sarina: We valued the whole experience. The mentoring and support enabled us to gain more confidence to move forward with major decisions. We, also gained the necessary knowledge that assisted with this. When we commenced the program we felt we had sufficient confidence as a business owners, however by the end of the program our confidence had dramatically increased.

Startup Gippsland: What are the biggest benefits of you undertaking the SUG Program? Can you provide an example of how it worked for you?

Jamie & Sarina: Our biggest benefit from the program was we gained the knowledge on how to streamline our business, so we could work on the business, as oppose to working in the business. We would also say having the support network around us enabled us to be confident in decisions we made to proceed with automation. We went ahead and purchased a biscuit depositor which has enabled us to automate a part of our business. Business has increased by 100% in 4 months.

Startup Gippsland: Have you discovered new or different users for your product/service, compared with original expectations? Are you still pursuing your original startup idea? If not, what is your new initiative (name) and where can we find it online?

Jamie & Sarina: Yes we have continued with our business idea.

Startup Gippsland: What was your biggest success after undertaking the program? Personal or professional (or both)! 

Jamie & Sarina: Our biggest accomplishment is the automation of our business. This has allowed us to grow the business in a short period of time. With the automation of the business we now have more freedom to venture into new areas. On a personal level, this has allowed us to take our first family holiday in 3 years.

Startup Gippsland: What was the Nr 1 skill you’ve learnt, and a realisation you’ve had during/after the program?

Jamie & Sarina: As business owners, we were at risk of wearing too many hats. The program taught us to better manage our business. We knew we were onto something good but the program allowed us to see the potential of our business.

Startup Gippsland: Anything else you’d like to add?

Jamie & Sarina: We did not realise how much we needed Startup Gippsland until we completed the program! The program contains essential business fundamentals that all startup business should be familiar with. The support given throughout the program is fantastic, it also enables you to have more confidence in what are doing!

 

The Biscuit Shop: ’A Bit of Sweetness’ from us to our community

Testimonials

“We knew we were onto something good but the program allowed us to see the potential of our business.”

Watch Jamie’s & Sarina’s Pitch

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