So, you want to start a bakery.
Your bakery-starting desires may have first bloomed alongside the first blooming of a home-made loaf; alternatively, the success of your cupcakes at a local fair might have cultivated some deep-seated love for batch-baking. Whatever the (sourdough) starter that bubbled up your intentions to go commercial with your craft, you might be needing some pointers on where exactly to begin.
After all, despite the many baking-related puns you can squeeze into an instructional on starting a customer-facing business, there are some key undertakings – and even a few skills – you’ll need that don’t quite carry over from the art of baking. In order to ensure your hot cakes sell like hot cakes, consider bearing the following steps in mind…
Location and Market Research
The foundation of any good business is knowledge, and not just knowledge of your product. You could be a Great British Bake-Off star-to-be, but your masterful creations won’t break even if you don’t know where to sell them – or indeed who you’re selling to. Many independent bakeries start from domestic kitchens, but if you want to properly scale up your bakery – and build relationships with customers face-to-face – you need a customer-facing retail outlet from which to sell your creations.
You’ll need a strategic location with high foot traffic to increase your chances of success; good shop-fronts may be found near schools, offices, or residential areas. In picking your retail outlet, you’ll also need to consider the local demographic. Will they respond favourably to your baking, or do you need to consider a different angle to capture as many customers as possible? This is where good market research to understand customer preferences and price points can pay off.
Quality and Unique Offerings
The success of your bakery is contingent on a great many variables, including the state of the economy itself – but one of the few variables you can actually control is the quality of your offering. High-quality baked goods with a unique twist are more likely to stand out against a crowded field of passable breakfast pastries! You may already have your own USP, be it themed pastries or vegan cakes that are actually good; whatever it is, make sure there’s a market for it.
Customer Experience and Service
The customer experience is another key aspect you can control, and itself contingent on a few things. Friendly, knowledgeable staff are crucial for building relationships with customers – and building relationships means repeat custom. Make sure not to exclude customers that can’t always visit your shop-front, too! An online store-front with same-day delivery options could enable you to tap into a much wider customer base, and win more people over to your baker-ly cause.
Marketing and Social Media
This is where good marketing is essential. Great packaging design is one part of the equation, and can be a great starting point for building a stand-out brand. The same design that adorns your packaging can be used on social media and your website to set you apart; of course, your baking’s will absolutely speak for themselves…