Do often find yourself spending all of your spare time searching for the perfect bread recipe or tweaking your grandmother’s already legendary chocolate cake? If so, you may have at one point or another considered turning your baking hobby into a business. So what’s stopping you?
If you think you’ve got all the right ingredients to turn your passion into a successful business, we say go for it! At McDonald Wholesale, we want to help you join the nearly 6,000 bakeries nationwide generating approximately $3.8 billion in revenue every year!
Let’s start by exploring some of the things you’ll need to turn your tasty treats into a promising business.
Location
We’ve all heard the saying, “Location, location, location!” Location is one of the most important aspects when planning to open any retail business. However, finding the perfect storefront for your bakery also means carefully balancing the location, size and cost.
Keeping this in mind, the most successful bakeries are generally located on busy streets near restaurants, schools, and other businesses. These locations not only tend to have busy street traffic, but high foot traffic as well.
Bakery Supplies
There’s a huge difference between baking at home for friends and family, and meeting the demands of hundreds of eager customers daily. Even if it’s a small business, your bakery will require specialty equipment and a lot of it. From commercial-quality ovens that allow you to produce baked goods more efficiently to duplicates of the pans you use to keep production moving — having the proper equipment and bakery supplies is a must.
Before you go spending all of your savings on new equipment, consider equipment financing. Financing some of your larger items like ovens, mixers and refrigerators will enable you to save what cash you have for other expenses down the road, seen or unforeseen.
Baking Ingredients
Choosing the right bakery ingredients can quickly make or break your business. Whether you’re selling low-cost baked goods or fine-artisan delicacies, don’t sacrifice quality for savings. You need to purchase the products and brands that will satisfy your customers’ demands while keeping costs down. If you’re in the Northwest, establishing a relationship with a Portland wholesale distributor can help you do just that.
Legal Requirements
As with any retail business, there are certain licenses and permits that your bakery will need to obtain. These licenses and permits will vary from state-to-state. Thankfully you can use the Small Business Administration site to clarify which you will need.
There are also specific equipment and procedures that your bakery must follow to satisfy local health safety laws. The process generally includes a state inspection to ensure the environment is suitable for food production. Failure to adhere to these requirements could cost you your license and result in hefty fines.
Branding & Marketing
Branding and marketing are two sides of the same coin, both equally important. But before you begin marketing, make sure you’ve come up with a suitable name and logo for your bakery.
You want to choose a name that’s catchy and easy to remember. After you generate a few good options, do some research to make sure the name’s not already taken. If the name you like is still available, secure it and start designing a logo. A strong logo should convey who you are and what you’re about almost instantly.
Once you’ve selected the perfect name and logo, you should turn your focus towards marketing your bakery. Keep in mind that not all marketing needs to cost an arm and a leg. Generating word-of-mouth is one of the best ways to get any business off the ground. Consider hosting an open house to allow potential customers to taste your products for free. Attending trade shows is another cost-effective way to meet potential customers and spread the word about your new business.
Whether you’re in need of quality bakery supplies, equipment, marketing support, or any other product or service to begin your journey to bakery success — McDonald Wholesale can help. McDonald Wholesale has been delivering food distribution and restaurant supply solutions to customers throughout the Northwest for nearly a century. Regardless of your size or need, you have our commitment to help you succeed.