Whether you’re a huge fan of sweets, or you’ve always wanted to get into the business of selling cookies, cupcakes, and pastry, then this year might be your shot. The demand for dessert shops nowadays is rising as people are looking for places to satisfy their sweet tooth.
Putting up your very own bakery might sound intimidating or scary. But with this guide, you’ll be well on your way to sharing your baking skills to the market. Here’s how to put up your bakery.
Decide on the type of bakery you want to open
There are so many options. You can open a cake shop, a cupcake store, a doughnut stall, or all of the above! Choose your specialty. But don’t just rely on what you want. You have to consider external factors as well.
Think of your budget, location, and market. The most important step is market research. Look around and figure out what the people want. If you find that there’s a high demand for cookies, then you should get in the business of selling them. If your target market is not fond of sweets, then serve pastry instead.
Remember that if you don’t serve what people want, then no one’s going to come waltzing in your bakery — no matter how soft or moist your cookies are.
Go back to school
Even if you bake the best cakes or add a secret ingredient to your bread, you might still be unprepared to take on the food industry. Home baking is different from baking on a business scale. You’re going to have to meet demands and generate big supplies daily. Don’t make the mistake of being unprepared.
Enroll yourself in baking classes. Be open to learning and improving your skills so you can have a successful business. Broadening your skills will also help you innovate and come up with new products periodically to meet consumer demands.
Plan your expenses
Along with putting up a business comes shelling out funds for initial costs. You’re not earning anything yet. So you’ll need to have enough resources to set up your shop. It can be exciting to start shopping for the things you need. But before you make any purchase for your shop, you have to plan your expenses. Otherwise, you might find yourself going above your budget and running out of resources.
List down everything you need to pay for, like rent, staffing, ingredients, materials, etc. Calculate all costs and get a scope of how much you’re going to have to pay.
Find a location for your shop
Location is a vital factor to consider. You want to put your shop somewhere visible enough for people to see. Find a strategic location for your bakery. By strategic, we mean taking into consideration your target market, the cost of rent, the quality of the area, accessibility, etc.
Be picky in choosing the right spot. Don’t settle for a commercial space just because the rent is cheap. You have to look ahead and determine if you can grow your business in that area. If not, keep looking.
Start small but be prepared for growth
In the first few months after opening your bakery, you’re not going to know if it will be successful or not. Things like this take time and effort. To reduce risks, start small and test the waters first. Doing this will enable you to gauge your next steps to growing your business.
It’s the best time for you to turn your passion into a business. With these steps and your determination, opening your bakery will be a piece of cake.
