You’ve got a sweet spot in your heart for all things baked and delicious. Luckily, theBLOQparq (tBp) has a place in its heart for entrepreneurs ready to turn their dreams into reality and take the giant leap to brick and mortar. With our customizable, micro-retail spaces and high traffic design, tBp is the prime spot for setting up shop and getting baking. But before you tie on that apron, and roll out the dough, here’s a few things to consider before opening your very own bakery.
Putting the right ingredients together.
You may already be envisioning the physical space for your bakery or making lists of people you’d want to hire, but you will want to take a pause and figure out what you’d like to achieve with your business.Creating your business plan is job number one before moving forward with anything else. You will want to identify your must-have baked goods menu, identify your target market, and calculate equipment, packaging, and ingredients costs. All of these factors must be sketched out before taking another step forward. This research will help build a budget for your start-up and the know-how to scale it from the start.
A name that proves you have good taste.
You’ll want your bakery’s name to be original and memorable. It should also be a reflection of you and what you offer. Brainstorm 5-10 different business names and run them by friends and family. Stuck? Try using online resources like Shopify’s Business Name Generator. Once you’ve decided on a name, you’ll want to do a trademark search to ensure it is available. Once you’ve decided on a name, be sure to register the matching web domain, you’ll want to snag the .com version whenever possible.
Knead and nurture your bakery brand.
Creating a brand for your bakery is vital. You’ll want to consider the consistent way in which you represent yourself and your business. From logos and color palettes to packaging and store décor, it all goes into making a brand. Take this time to reflect on the things that make you unique and mix it into how your bakery is represented. It is that authenticity that captivates customers.
Opening a small retail bakery requires less equity and is easier to start. Smaller bakeries can establish themselves with specialty products, such as whole-grain breads, and develop a loyal following of local customers.
Source: smallbusiness.chron.com
Creating your business plan is job number one before moving forward with anything else. You will want to identify your must-have baked goods menu, identify your target market, and calculate equipment, packaging, and ingredients costs. All of these factors must be sketched out before taking another step forward. This research will help build a budget for your start-up and the know-how to scale it from the start.
The three main trends that are driving the U.S. bakery industry are the increasing numbers of health-conscious consumers who are looking for healthier ingredients in baked goods, the changing tastes of consumers who are looking for more exotic and novel products, and the growth in demand for more sustainable and greener products.
Source: askwonder.com
If you are struggling with what you want, reverse engineer it! Think about what you do NOT want. Oddly enough, this process helps narrow down your brand’s identity by knowing what doesn’t feel authentic for you. It may be the baked goods they come in for, but it will be your brand’s personality that will keep them coming back. Branding is like baking a cake; you need all the right ingredients to make it rise. If you feel like it’s a job for a professional, don’t hesitate to enlist help. After all, this is your dream turned into reality.
#quarantinebaking through the pandemic.
The baking industry is poised for continued growth, especially for those that capitalize on health, sales and marketing, and flavor trends. Even during these unprecedented times, people have made a conscious effort to support the small bakeries they love most. It goes beyond food – it’s about feelings of the familiar and savoring the sweetness of life’s blessings (even the smallest, sugary ones).
“When times are turned on its head, we look for ways to cope…the heart of the explanation is that cooking and baking bring comfort. The process helps aid the baker, and the finished product helps comfort the person or people receiving the delicious outcome.”
– Julie Ohana, professional culinary art therapist
In a recent interview, Robb MacKie, President & CEO of the American Bakers Association, revealed that he feels bakers have a tremendous opportunity during this time to tout the health benefits of grains and how baked goods deliver that.
Opportunities for determined and adaptable entrepreneurs like you are still alive and well. Armed with a solid business plan, an ideal shop location like tBp, and a brand that people crave, your future is sure to be sweet.