Beautifully decorated and tasty cakes are valued by many people for everyday consumption as well as for special occasions. After all, brides seldom order a wedding pie and it is virtually impossible to place candles on a plate of birthday cookies. They are just as popular for celebrating the weekend, a good report card, or the start of vacation.
Cake baking is one possible home income opportunity. There is no immense start-up cost, and you can work at something you also enjoy during the hours you choose. Naturally, you will need to contact your local zoning and health departments first to make sure you are not violating any laws. However, it is typically easy to obtain a health permit if you comply with established food handling, storage, and preparation techniques. Some cities have zoning codes that restrict how much traffic a home based business can generate, though. Typically, a few clients picking up orders or consulting with you each day does not constitute a violation, but it’s best to check.
You may need to take one or more cake decorating classes to perfect your skills. Despite appearances, the fancy trims are normally the result of the proper tip for the frosting bag and some practice. If you cannot locate a class locally, you might check some of the online videos that demonstrate techniques. There are also many excellent books that offer, in pictures and words, step by step instructions.
In addition to a supply of raw ingredients, you will need to purchase certain equipment. Cake pans in various sizes and shapes, a durable mixer, large mixing bowls, and frosting bags with tips should be high on your list. You probably will need a supply of basic boxes, doilies, and cardboard liners. If you plan to provide specialty cakes, you may want to purchase some popular novelty pans and support columns for wedding cakes.
Whether you plan to start a business to make money online or plan to restrict sales to customers referred by your friends and family, you need photographs of your work. These need to be full color shots of your actual work, taken to show it in its most attractive setting. You may opt for a professional photographer or snap them yourself.
An accountant or a small business advisory agency can help you establish your costs related to every type and size of cake. If you are your own accountant, be sure to include overhead such as utilities, ingredients, manufactured trims, and the time involved. Establish a profit base that lets you purchase upgraded or replacement equipment when needed.
Decide on payment methods and terms before your first day of business. Terms should be stated clearly on your order form, website, or both. You may choose to make all purchases payable in advance or just the larger, more time-intensive types such as wedding cakes. A small, simple cake might be one that you would bake from a telephone order and allow payment when the customer picks it up. Consider how much money and time you will lose if the customer fails to show, as well as personal factors such as whether the customer is a trusted relative. You will also want to make decisions on whether to accept credit cards, personal checks with a local address, or checks on out of town banks.