Chiral Desai is a licensed architect, but these days she's building something new: yummy desserts, through Nothing Bundt Cakes, a franchisor she signed up with over four years ago. A native of India, Desai is a talented henna (Mehndi) artist who early on published seven books on this beautiful form of body art to pay for her professional studies. After arriving in the United States at the age of 22, she spent eight years with various Bay Area architectural firms, working on residential and mixed-use projects. When the recession took its toll on that industry, Desai refocused her sights on a business of her own and chose Nothing Bundt Cakes as a "perfect fit for my personality." Today, she's got three bakeries in California and is sweetening the pot with plans to expand to more.

Name: Chiral Desai

Franchise owned: Nothing Bundt Cakes bakeries in Fremont, Sunnyvale and Bakersfield, California.

How long have you owned a franchise?

I have been in the Nothing Bundt Cakes system for about four-and-a-half half years. 

Why franchising?

The day I came across Nothing Bundt Cakes, I fell in love instantly. Until then, I had not considered owning a franchise business or even any business at all. But it’s a great concept and a successful one, as it helps individuals own their business, utilizing a proven success model. Following this model keeps things less complicated for a small business owner like me, and I can focus my efforts on growing my business without having to start from the ground up.

What were you doing before you became a franchise owner?

I am a licensed architect. Before owning Nothing Bundt Cakes, I worked as a designer and project manager with architectural firms in the Bay Area. I am also a LEED-certified professional. I worked on residential and mixed-use projects, preparing designs, construction documents, submittal sets for city and [other] graphic presentations per our clients’ needs. My husband is a mechanical engineer and still works full-time as an engineer.

Why did you choose this particular franchise?

My husband and I are very selective and picky when it comes to sweets. One bite of Nothing Bundt cakes and we knew there was nothing as delicious as this cake!

When I researched Nothing Bundt cakes, it appeared a perfect fit for my personality. We found the business very promising because of its simple and unique concept. I felt confident venturing into this business and felt it was a reasonable investment. During the process of opening our first bakery, the founders Debbie and Dena supported us with each step. It felt very much like we were becoming part of a “happy family” brand. The franchisor's team offers great operational support and helps with marketing training and ongoing support, so franchisees are able grow rapidly along with the brand.

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