What was my bakery like and why do I want one?

I have recently stated my intention to create a true campaign to raise funds with the aim of being able to start a small bakery from my home. I got a couple of comments and between them from @wakeupkitty. I want to try to answer many of your questions through this article and it will also serve me for myself and to have things clearer in terms of how can my small bakery work at home?

I think the first thing to understand is the situation in Venezuela and my personal situation. Venezuela is a country with a politically, economically and socially weakened state. We are talking about a country that in recent years has emigrated more than 5 million people looking for a better life. Most of these people are young people. Hyperinflation, unemployment and destruction of the country's productive apparatus. It is the general situation of the country for years that over time has only worsened.

In Venezuela, there is also widespread corruption, which results in injustice when applying the law. In this context, you can basically have an informal business anywhere without much problem: without paying taxes or any other expense that a formal business deserves. At home, on the avenues, in the squares or simply walking on the sidewalks of any street. Of course, as long as it is not frowned upon by the government or some corrupt official tries to take advantage of the irregular situation of the business. Many Venezuelans in the midst of a pandemic have decided to start small sales from their homes to their neighbors as a way to overcome low incomes and hyperinflation. These businesses are just for daily living: candy sales, household items for retail, cakes ... among others. They are small sales to survive.

Well, now my economic situation does not escape all these realities that every Venezuelan lives. I am a 26 year old, until a few years ago I was still studying two university degrees and I tried to keep my days at university with one of these businesses: I sold sweets and bread to my friends from the university and to my neighbors. Until one day, hyperinflation simply ended all that: I went to restore my small inventory and everything was worth twice as much. Those times were very hard for me and my family, not only did I have to leave university, I also didn't have to eat at home. It was marked in my memories, three days when there was nothing to eat, I just went to the fridge to drink water and my mother, my brother and I did not talk to each other about anything. It was immensely sad. We were embarrassed to ask for help from our neighbors and family (how could we not be able to feed ourselves? The first time we went through such a situation), it was a great lesson for me: now when I need help I really ask for it, without feeling shame on nothing. And I tell you, if you need help do not hesitate to ask for it without fear or shame life is one and it is worth fighting for. Okay, keep going; Over time, I have realized that it did not just happen to us, many other Venezuelans went through those same bad days.

At that time I started working to bring food home, and I started in a restaurant as a kitchen assistant, washing potatoes and dishes. There I had my first close encounter with gastronomy. Since university days I have been interested in cryptocurrencies and thanks to my publications in YOURS and BCH, Steemit and Steem and other cryptos I was able to partially finance my studies as a cook. I could not finish them, however, it opened many doors for me to continue carving out a gastronomic career. The jobs here have always been poorly paid, in one of the best restaurants I managed to earn just $ 2 a month. For my last job, the salary was already better: I started with $ 40 per month until hyperinflation led me to earn $ 20. Before entering my last job, I started a bakery course and this one I did. In those days I was already planning to quit my job to start a bakery business at my home. It really is more profitable than working for a salary.

I have skipped many things that I could tell you about my condition, but here I will make a summary:

My name is Ramón Oropeza, I am 26 years old and I still live with my mother. We live in a residential complex of lower-middle-class apartments. We can hardly pay for the maintenance of the common areas and pay for the necessary food. For several years now the refrigerator in my house stopped working and it has been impossible to buy another one or fix this one, my mother's car (Aveo Chevrolet 2005) has been damaged for 2 years and it has also been impossible to fix it (I wanted to sell it, but my mother refuses because they would pay very little for him). We have different problems in our apartment. With a paid job in Venezuela, I can't even dream of eating well, much less could I manage to pay to solve various problems. My mother also has health problems and I must buy her treatment (today she has not taken it for 5 days). Despite all this, I am grateful to life and to God for everything I have. I am a man who is in good mental and physical health who can do his job. I have the affection of my friends and family and I am very positive to achieve my goals in life. I still don't have a partner, but I want to have my own family.

Well, after this long but sincere introduction! Hahahaha I'll explain how, then, did my bakery work?

I will try to be brief. The lady who is still my business partner is also my neighbor and my friend. So we decided with the oven that at that time we had borrowed to do everything in her apartment. We had no table for kneading dough and bread, so I asked my mother for our borrowed dining table as well. The trays we used are on loan. Several of the instruments were borrowed from friends and family. Our only thing was a bowl and a scale.

Everything was handled by both of them. However, the leader was me. She learned everything from me. Instead, I learned a lot of order and discipline from her. Great virtues. The administrative part and the purchases I did. Many times I had to go shopping walking carrying kilos of materials on my back. Later, I got a good supplier once we had enough money to make big purchases. This was done only one day a week (Monday) to ensure all production for the week. We work from Wednesday to Sunday, Mondays were shopping days and Tuesdays were rest. She arranged everything for bread and maintenance and also wrote down bread reservations. Between the two of us we sent messages to sell the bread. I kneaded and baked everything. She helped me form and organize the packages to distribute. I would distribute them once I baked all the breads. I distributed all the breads at dinner time.

We managed to buy several things together: 2 baking sheets, 2 scales, 2 bowls, a rolling pin. We increase inventory and sales. All this thanks to a lot of sacrifices. Basically, we only got a small salary and I was reinvesting the profits. Until my friend's friend asked us for the oven back. There everything went to the ground.

In short, all this worked in a small room in a 70-square-meter apartment. With many borrowed and household instruments. We made between 400 and 500 loaves a week. And the earnings were $ 15 to $ 20 a week. Of course, this thanks to many convenient factors: it is our home (we do not pay rent or taxes), gas and water are cheap (although there is a gas shortage at certain times in the fifth country in gas reserves, this problem is often solved buying on the black market).

In short, my dream is to build a real bakery from below with my work. The impulse that I hope to obtain is to start from my house and progress at my own pace in time. To grow the bakery while I can give my family a better life. Simple dreams of youth ...

Thanks for reading, do not hesitate to write any comment and express your opinion.