Even as a young lawyer, Isa Lepera always loved to bake for friends and family. After several years perfecting her treats — which combine a passion for American confections and her late grandmother's recipes — she left her law career in 2016 to launch Cupcakes by Isa, an online, made-to-order sweet shop in her hometown of Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.

As her tasty American-style cupcakes, cookies, donuts and signature pizza brownie — a brownie shaped like a pizza and topped with icing and candy — have grown in popularity, so too has her business.

“In 2018, sales increased by 37 percent,” says Isa, adding that today she closes 60 percent of her sales via the WhatsApp Business app.

The private messaging service offers Isa the tools she needs to save time and stay ahead of increasing demand.

She describes the labels feature as her main organizational system, helping to sort and tag all of her orders — from the minute they are placed to when they are ready. Isa also uses the quick replies feature to handle the growing number of customer inquiries. “People expect a company to be very professional and be available at all times,” she says. “But I work alone.”

“Everything was done on WhatsApp... It was cool; so easy”

Customers also like the convenience of interacting with Isa via WhatsApp.

While traveling in Australia, Tayla Faleiros used WhatsApp to order a pizza brownie for her friend's birthday party back home in Ribeirão Preto. “Everything was done on WhatsApp,” she explains. “It was cool; so easy.”

In 2019, Isa relocated to São Carlos, Brazil. Her top priority is to grow her business, and thanks to the WhatsApp Business app, she now has time to expand her menu and share more of her grandmother's recipes with the world..