Want to start your own bakery? If yes, then this article is for you. Are you the one who bakes an amazing cake and often hear complimenting suggestions for opening a bakery which makes you think about the possibilities? Well, why not start it right away. The love for confectionaries and baking items are on the top list of favorite items for people. Precisely a bakery is an establishment that produces and sells flour-based food baked in an oven.

Nowadays the bakery business is a very popular food service establishments that may be owned by companies or private owners. The variety and people’s liking over fancy deserts are in trend. Online courses, demand for cakes and baking services for occasions are over the top in demand.

Also Read: 50+ Small Business Ideas in 2020

If you are new to this field of business, it better to let you know that with higher demands there is also a rise in the competition. That is not something to worry about. There are many ways in which you can make your own one unique and fulfilling.

1#. Start With Meeting Some Bakery Business Owners

Meeting with some of the bakery business owners can be a very exciting first step towards your journey. Select a few of the owners from your nearby shops and talk to them. It will be better if you select both big owners and small bakery owners as well. So that you get to understand both the pros and cons of the two types of businesses.

•  If you have relatives and friends who are in this field they can help you out as much.
• Talking with the owners will help you to chalk out a plan for proceeding in the baking business.
• You may also get references regarding your raw materials, machinery and other useful goods for the business.

2#. Steps For Starting Bakery Business

1.  Write A Business Plan

The first step to open your establishment is to write up a plan for the business. It is an integral part of a business as it sets the type of business you want and how you want to proceed to it. You can do your research and asses upon a few of the main ideas like-

• Type of Business– will it be an online business, takeaway, a small joint or a store upfront. For either of them, you need to think about the future and the cost ahead of your decision.
• Company Description– After you’ve decided on the type of business ownership, you will have to create your company’s overview and description. If you get partnerships, what are the shares? How will you plan the working days and so on?
• Market Analysis– this is a very important part of your business which might seem dull, but getting a goof analysis of the present market situation will enable you to understand what you want and how you want to do it.
• Management Plan– You need to think about how are you going to manage the business. Shall you be hiring people for doing your finances? Or looking over the counter? Or serving? For all these, you need to put all your management skills and plan properly. You must finalize in detail about the ownership of your business and how are you going to make room for the profits.
• Right Strategy– Thinking about your strategy right ahead of your time can be very beneficial. Even if you need to scrape and bring a new one, that is fine. Revising your way of running the business and providing incentives during occasions and many such offers can be a part of your plan.
• Marketing Strategy– Think about your advertising processes. You always have your local stores for that purpose, leaflets, and recommendations from friends. You can also post online for reaching out to more radius.
• Financial Projection– your decision upon the financing type is a very important part of the plan.

2.  Obtain Capital

While opening the bakery there few main things you need to think about like, leasing a commercial space, getting insurance, fitting your machinery, hiring and training staff, checking the counter and lastly dividing the profits. If you and your partner are not able to fund the business it is likely to take loans. There are three common ways of getting bank loans: Traditional Commercial loan, Small Business loan and Business line of credit. Planning properly will help you in dealing peacefully with bank loans.

3.  Look for A Suitable Space for Setup

Once you have secured your funding resources, it is time to look for your space of work. If you have enough space at your backyard, or a family house, you can build your initial setup there. Or the better option would be to find a place at lease. It is okay to be picky, look round, compare prices, talk with neighboring people. Look at the size of the kitchen and its position on your overloading roads. Always get clear about he a places’ legal licenses.

4.  Permits and Licences

This is a very critical and crucial part of your business. Do not let any scrap or sloppiness come your way when getting the paperwork done. The costs of licensing may be pretty high, but that is a one-time investment.

5.  Designing Your Layout

Make sure to have proper back-door and front-door spaces. Organize your kitchen in such a way that there is enough region to move about. There must be god ventilating systems and fire exits must be a primary lookout. You can get hold of an interior designer and prick his/her mind on the designing stuff. If you have any theme in mind, just go for it.

6.  Buying The Machinery

The types of baking pieces of equipment you will require depends upon the type of baking that is going to happen in your kitchen. According to the purposes, you may have the following type of equipment :

Dough preparing mixers, work tables for kneading, dough sheets, and an individual dough storage unit.
Storge is important for keeping your space organized. Shelves and many storage racks are essential in a bakery. Carts and dollies can be used to move about bulk materials around the kitchen.

In baking equipment, a convection oven is an all-purpose piece of machinery. If you are planning on preparing loaves of bread of different kinds a deck oven can be the one to look for.
Cleaning and washing equipment should be abundant. The washes station of 4 men can be useful. Most of the machinery is available online

7.  Setting The Price

Many retailers set the price of their items based on the raw materials needed to prepare it along with a profitable amount to add. But experts say, that bakery should include the cleaning up time, packaging, time spent in promoting your business. The most precious item in the bakery is time. So never overlook it.

8.  Have a Defined Friends and Family Policy

Before selling a cupcake, you can be sure that people who know you will always ask for discounts. Make a clear cut declaration from day one. It might feel bad to take the cost from them but then as you proceed you will understand the need for this. If you badly want to give discounts to your family and very close ones make sure that is not more than 10% and are consistent about it.

9.  Hiring and Training Staff

The number of your staff you need will depend on the size of your bakery. First, try to focus on the culinary division. Then see how many you will need in the front desk and serving purpose. Have at least two formally trained bakers, and for other purposes, you may hire unskilled people. Do not take anyone out of pity, look for quality. Once you become established you may try to take chances with hiring people.

10. Be an Original, be Unique

You need to remind yourself that you are here to layout your own dreams and plans. Do not get carried away with the trend and temporary demands. Keep a track of your every week’s work. Which items are liked most? Which batches are remaining consistently. This is your project so you can alter and combine the items in any way you want.

11. Marketing and Advertising Strategies

The best way to have a good advertisement is to first conduct a market survey of the product in different places. Look out for potential places and try to know your audience. Create a social media page and update it with recent developments. Share them with your friends. Involve the elderly people of your neighborhood in the market survey, see what they think. You may also start by writing a blog about your journey. This is an interesting way of keeping yourself on track as well.

12. Have a Grand Opening

Finally, start your journey with a blast. Have a grand party at the spot. invite all your loved ones, with their wishes to guide you, enjoy the first day and grand opening of your dream bakery.

Conclusion

Setting up a bakery is very unique to a restaurant. Stay patient and always do what you enjoy.  Keeping a positive and hopeful mind is the key to success.