Has The Great British Bake Off Inspired you?
Yes, it’s that time of the year where the country goes cake baking mad. The Great British Bake Off is back!
They always say at the end of the show:
If this week’s episode has inspired you to get your pinny out and start baking visit the website to get this week’s recipes
But why not go one further? Do you love baking and find it to be more of a passion than a hobby? We have plenty of ideas that you can use to start your own bakery or run your own tea room. Here’s a baker’s dozen of ideas for you right here.
What type of bakery are you going to be?
One of the first decisions you’ll have to make is the kind of bakery you want to open. There are four main choices when it comes to bakeries. Take a look at the list below and figure out which option is right for you.
- Online bakery – You don’t need a storefront to open a bakery. You can start out online. With an awesome website, pictures of your work #instafamous, and a way to place an order, you can run a bakery from your home.
- Counter service bakery – Set up shop on your local high street, customers can walk in and pick up baked goods from an employee-managed counter.
- Specialty service – If you plan to specialise in a certain kind of baked good, doesn’t have to be about cakes, you specialise in cookies or doughnuts. Specialty service is your best option. Whether you run the business from your home or rent a store front, it’s up to you.
- Tea room – Afternoon tea anyone? Why not capitalise on the sit-down and dine option, and feed your customers endless amounts of cake (Heaven). It’s a growing trend in the bakery industry right now. These bakeries have an area to order they’re sweet and enjoy them in a small dining room.
Got an idea of what you want to do? Good, let’s get to the next point.
Write a business plan
Not everyone’s favourite task, but you need to create a business plan. By creating a business plan, you’ll force yourself to look at the business from every angle. This plan defines your business, sets goals, creates a plan to generate revenue, lists expenses, describes your customer base, and examines your competition.
Access your startup funds. As part of your business plan, you’ll dive into finances. One of the numbers you’ll need to generate is the startup cost. You’ll need to compile a list of equipment that you’ll need to make baked goods. From appliances like ovens and refrigerators to smaller items like utensils and pans, make sure you create a full list of tools. The equipment will be a one-time hit, but you’ll also need money to live on while the business gets established. You won’t make profits overnight, so you need to sit down and figure out when you’ll break even and how much money you’ll need to survive until that time.
Download your free business plan template
Finding your store
If you plan to invite customers into your bakery, you’ll need commercial space. Some bakers decide to rent out commercial kitchen space. It’s a good option if you don’t want customers to walk through your shop, and just need a bigger, more equipped kitchen. Whatever your needs, be picky. Shop around, compare prices, talk with neighboring businesses, and research the area to make sure you find the right space.
However, if your baking from home you have your kitchen space sorted but you now have the difficult task of finding the right website and web domain. You need to come up with a unique brand that stands out with an outstanding domain name.
Find support
Opening a bakery is time-consuming. Time spent baking is only half the commitment. You’ll need to market your business, take orders, help customers, and do an array of administrative tasks that will all require your time.
If you don’t have someone cheering you on, it can be hard. Whether it’s you spouse, a colleague, or business advisor.
It’s time to do what you do best; BAKE!
They’re a special ingredient every bakery needs, customers. They are what makes your business thrive.
Be new and unique
These two words do get thrown around a lot and are at the point where they’re losing value, but if your business is actually new and unique and not a copy the bakery down the road you will succeed. Know what kind of competition you have in your area and work to set yourself apart. Your bakery could be the only bakery that sells sugar-free cupcakes; giving your business a unique selling point(USP).
Cake digital marketing 101
You can spend all day and night in the kitchen creating the next best cake, but if no one knows about it, it doesn’t matter how great it is. That’s why you have to set aside time and money to market your business. Being a fabulous baker doesn’t guarantee success.
Here are a few free marketing tools to utilize for your bakery:
- Write a blog – To promote your business, blog is a great idea to bring traffic to the website. You could write a blog showing how you made your newest cakes or how to make cookies like grandma does them. Want more blog idea’s download 250 FREE Blog Ideas here.
- Use social media – Social media is a great way to promote your business. If you’re short on time, take a quick snap and showcase your baked goods on Instagram, there yummier the better.
- Join groups – As with any business, networking can bring in more customers. Join local business groups and forge relationships that are beneficial to your bakery.
Show your customers love
Your customers are your key to success. Happy customers become repeat customers, so work to make each customer experience memorable.
Ask your customers for feedback, talk with them at the counter, and ask for product suggestion once in a while. Make the customer experience count. That’s the best way to get repeat customers and money coming in”.
Cake testing
Cut up your baked goods and take it to the streets, and share it with the public. With every person, you speak to give them a business card or a menu of your products. Should they like what they eat (why wouldn’t they FREE CAKE!) they know where to go.
Local market
Get a stall at a local market and get baking the day before and bring a variety of baked goods. It’s a great way to grow your customer base and you can test new bakes.