Tips For Starting Your Own Cake Shop
If you have a passion for baking and have been learning cake decorating techniques, you might want to start your own cake shop. You can either open up a local shop or from home. Either way you go, the following tips will help you get started.
Choose Between a Home-Based or Local Shop
The first decision you need to make when you intend to open a cake shop is where you will operate the shop from. Many cake decorators and bakers are now working from home, decorating cakes in their home kitchen and doing only custom work. You can also list some of your favorite bakery items on a website and ship to your customers. Another option is to have a local cake shop, where you not only do custom orders, but have walk-ins as well. Once you decide between these two options, you can then make your other decisions.
Get the Legalities Out of the Way
Once you know where you will operate your business, you can then figure out the legal aspects of starting a cake shop. The types of permits and licenses you need vary based on running the business from your home or a local shop. Either way, you will likely need a food handling permit, though this varies based on where you live. For a home-based business, you might need a special permit for that. In either case, having a business license for your cake shop is a good idea so you can pay your business taxes.
Create Your Menu Options
Start working on your cake shop menu, including how to order a custom cake and what pre-made cakes you want to offer. For a home-based business, this is also when you should decide whether or not you will ship items, or if you only want to sell to local customers for drop-offs or pick-ups from your home. With a local cake shop, your menu should include bakery items you can keep in the shop that are baked fresh each day and ready for purchase. This also helps you determine if you should learn more baking and cake decorating skills before opening your shop.
Start a Website and Advertise
With either cake shop option, you need to have a website for advertising your services. This isn't just important if you want to do online orders, but also to show a portfolio of what you can do. Take pictures of your best cakes, cupcakes, and other bakery treats, as well as showing a portfolio of some custom cakes you have made in the past.
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