BY SHOREYANN RAGOSO
Behind the home-based bakery Flojee’s Cake, Treat & Catering is 35-year-old mother and entrepreneur Flory Diko, whose love for baking has grown into a small business serving families across the Gizo community in Western Province.
For Flory, baking is not simply about making cakes. It is about being part of people’s happiest moments.
Her business slogan, “Every slice tells a story,” reflects what baking means to her.
Birthdays, weddings, anniversaries and other celebrations often come with memories that people keep for years. Flory believes every cake she makes becomes part of those memories.
Her journey began when she was just 17 years old.
That was when she baked her first cake and discovered that she enjoyed creating something that could bring happiness to others.
After completing her tertiary education, Flory baked another cake for her own birthday. The experience brought back the excitement she had felt as a teenager and strengthened her wish to take baking more seriously.
In 2016, she decided to turn her passion into a side business while continuing with her day job.
At first, most of her customers were family members and friends. But as people tasted her cakes, they began recommending her to colleagues, neighbours and others in the community.
What started as a small hobby slowly became Flojee’s Cake, Treat & Catering.
Flory said she does not come from a family of bakers. Instead, encouragement from people around her helped her continue.
The positive response from customers has also given her confidence to improve her skills and try new ideas.
Flojee’s now offers a variety of products, including birthday, wedding, anniversary and custom-designed cakes.
Customers can also order lamingtons, muffins, cupcakes, cake tubs, pizzas and pies. The business also provides catering for special events.
Birthday cakes remain the most popular orders, but Flory says she is happy to create something special for almost any occasion.
Behind the sweet products, however, is a businesswoman facing many of the same challenges experienced by women entrepreneurs in Solomon Islands.
Running a bakery from home can be difficult when space and resources are limited. Finding ingredients consistently can also be a challenge.
Flory must also balance baking with her family and work responsibilities.
Building a strong customer base takes time, especially in a small and close-knit community where trust is important.
Despite these challenges, she continues to work towards improving her business.
Flory gets inspiration for her cake designs from her own ideas and from themes requested by customers. She also uses technology to improve her skills.
“I use social media as a marketing platform to reach more people. Sometimes, I also watch YouTube videos to learn new techniques,” she said.
“Overall, my passion and the trust of my customers inspire me to do my best.”
One of the experiences that has stayed with Flory is having a customer who has supported her since the beginning.
The customer has continued ordering from her and even calls her her “favourite baker.”
For Flory, that kind of loyalty means more than simply receiving another order. It shows her that the work she started from her home is making a difference in people’s lives.
Support from people in Gizo and across Western Province has helped Flojee’s grow.
Orders, encouragement and honest feedback have allowed Flory to learn, improve and keep moving forward.
She believes supporting local businesses is also a way of supporting the wider community.
For her, when people choose to buy from local entrepreneurs, they help create opportunities and strengthen the community.
Flory now dreams of taking Flojee’s beyond her home kitchen.
She wants to expand the business, serve more customers and offer a wider range of treats. Her bigger dream is to create opportunities for other people while building a business that continues to bring happiness to celebrations.
Running the bakery has taught her that success does not happen overnight.
It requires patience, hard work, learning and a willingness to keep going when things become difficult.
“Even when things get hard, what keeps me motivated is the joy I see in my customers and the love I put into my baking,” Flory said.
“Knowing that I am doing something I enjoy and that helps my family and community inspires me to keep going, no matter the challenges.”
From a first cake at age 17 to a growing home-based business in Gizo, Flory’s story shows how a simple passion can become something meaningful.
Flojee’s Cake, Treat & Catering is not only about cakes and treats.
It is about family, community, hard work and the memories created around every celebration.
And for Flory, every slice still tells a story.
