Home Baker - Start Over Success

Start-Over Success Business Under $500 - Home Baker

It’s like the Pillsbury DoughBoy said, “Nothin’ Says lovin’ like somethin from the oven.” But, before you start your home baking business, search “Cottage Food Laws” for your state and city. On that site, you’ll learn what, where, and how much you can produce as a home baker.

These laws limit what products you can offer. A lot. But, it leaves some of the foods people love best: baked goods, cakes, cookies, and more.

What must your business make, after all, costs, insurance, and taxes, on an annual basis? To cover all those costs, what must you charge per item? You must learn to figure out all your costs per item, including ingredients, gear, equipment, electricity, and any other expenses.

You’ll also subtract any helpers you pay, your labor, administrative, and marketing work.

EXAMPLES

Who is your market, what do they want, and how much will they pay?

With this business, don’t start by only thinking of what you want to bake, think about your market.

Now, marketing usually looks for a problem and then offers a product to solve it. When it comes to baking, it may be that wonderful vegan, keto-friendly, or gluten-free options are lacking. Bake great treats to solve that problem and you may have your “winning recipe.”

But, when it comes to baked goods, there’s often not a “problem,” but there is a big “desire”. Sometimes wants can be so big that they feel like needs. When it comes to baked goods, your market must include people for whom price is of no (or little) concern. After all, you’ve got to charge enough to cover the ingredients, the cost of baking (electricity, equipment, etc), and your time. When it comes to ingredients, you do not have volume pricing on your side.

In fact, your market will dictate to a large degree what you should make, how you should make it, and where you sell it. Not only that, you must determine the market demand. They have to not only love what you can offer, they must be willing to buy it!

Instagram and Pinterest shows what people want. But are enough of those people near you? Or can you sell online?

Start with two or three products. Is it cakes? Cookies? Breads? What flavors? We don’t want to offer 12 flavors and have 5 of those flavors spoiling on the shelves. No, we can determine the most popular two or three flavors, and focus on doing those amazingly well.

3- Depending on your market, plan your bakery menu. Consider what you can make to give your market what it needs and wants.

There are different types of markets:

> People for home events and more
> Events and Holidays
> Business office
Donuts or Muffins in the morning or for meetings

> Restaurants
Bread
Cakes
Cookies and/or cupcakes
Decorated treats

What you must have:,
> Kitchen with
oven,
appliances,
utensils

> Work Space

> Packaging

> Transportation for delivery

(Any Cottage Food Business requirements

WHICH APPS WILL HELP YOU WORK YOUR BUSINESS?

Being a baker involves more than baking. You’ll wear many hats.

Tell family, friends, neighbors about your baking and BEG for work, testimonials, and reviews

Tell everyone you know about your business, give business cards

Choose a catchy, memorable business name and tagline.

Business cards to use everywhere

Add a QR code that goes to a page with pictures, humor, and an enticing offer.

People want to know and love their baker; be lovable.

When it makes sense, give samples of your work.

Show your work. If you must, bake cakes and other products to take pictures and showcase them.

“Stage” your work to get the best pics. (Google it & do it.)

On NextDoor.com/yourcity, post your contact info and pictures of your work. AND when someone asks about a baker, post your contact information and pictures.

Facebook business page.

Start a Facebook Business Page.

Post on Instagram, Tic Tok, and Pinterest.

Make vertical videos to post on those sites an YouTube #Shorts

Make YouTube videos to increase your cache and be seen online!

When you can, build a website so you can showcase your business and your work,
Use your Website and Facebook to promote live events