Bake sale tips! Small (very small) business starting tips?

[Shay]

anyone have tips on starting a bake sale in your community? I’ve relocated to Florida, and read that licenses aren’t necessary in homemade food sales. Anyone have insight in how I could go about having a bake sale?

anyone have tips in starting a small baking business, small treats and what not? Long term I’d love to have a small business, so I’m trying to take the baby steps. (Any potential partners out there)??

 

[ShuBunny]

Hey Shay,
I had a small bake business last year. Food licenses are not strict in my country.

best tips I got was from Norcalbaker.
1. NEVER ever give discounts to friends and family unless I am giving same discounts to everyone.
2. Perfect your recipe that you intend to sell and make sure you can repeat it EXACTLY.
3. find out the the competition prices and price yours CORRECTLY.

I fed my test bakes to close friends until the bakes were fine tuned. Then counted my costs and profit and started selling to wider network of friends.

due to covid then, I didn’t get sell at public places.

but someone got me to supplmuffins to a small bakery.

My tips for you:
1. start with a VERY small number of bakes that you have perfected and are memorable.

For a home baker, a few favorites seem to do better than many but meh.

2. Remember to include packaging into pricing.
Ribbons, boxes, paper dollies, carrier bags. Gift tags. Your name cards. Heating instruction cards. Bubble wrap. Etc.

These cost add up! Especially for a small baker ordering in small volumes.

My friend priced her delicate cookies at $10, got some orders. Found that paper boxes crushed them. Orders plastic boxes at $8 each. Made a loss.

good luck! Happy baking

 

[ShuBunny]

Sorry! No bake sale experience

 

[Shay]

Hey Shay,
I had a small bake business last year. Food licenses are not strict in my country.

best tips I got was from Norcalbaker.
1. NEVER ever give discounts to friends and family unless I am giving same discounts to everyone.
2. Perfect your recipe that you intend to sell and make sure you can repeat it EXACTLY.
3. find out the the competition prices and price yours CORRECTLY.

I fed my test bakes to close friends until the bakes were fine tuned. Then counted my costs and profit and started selling to wider network of friends.

due to covid then, I didn’t get sell at public places.

but someone got me to supplmuffins to a small bakery.

My tips for you:
1. start with a VERY small number of bakes that you have perfected and are memorable.

For a home baker, a few favorites seem to do better than many but meh.

2. Remember to include packaging into pricing.
Ribbons, boxes, paper dollies, carrier bags. Gift tags. Your name cards. Heating instruction cards. Bubble wrap. Etc.

These cost add up! Especially for a small baker ordering in small volumes.

My friend priced her delicate cookies at $10, got some orders. Found that paper boxes crushed them. Orders plastic boxes at $8 each. Made a loss.

good luck! Happy baking

Wow thank you so much for this insight, this is extremely helpful <3!

 

[georg2344]

Hello, the best way to sell your baked goods is to set up a website and advertise it, this is probably the only best idea because I don't see another one, unless your friends tell other people and come to you

 

[Shay]

Hello, the best way to sell your baked goods is to set up a website and advertise it, this is probably the only best idea because I don't see another one, unless your friends tell other people and come to you

I was thinking of doing this im just unsure about what platform to set it up on, but I’ll keep on with the research. Thank you!

 

[ShuBunny]

I was thinking of doing this im just unsure about what platform to set it up on, but I’ll keep on with the research. Thank you!

Hey Shay.

If cost is a an issue - go with free to use platforms first.

a website has
- annual domain name cost
- web hosting cost
- design costs,
- design updating costs etc.
and no one will find your website unless you are
1. Writing shit loads of blog articles to get the search bots to rank your website highly
2. Paying a digital marketing agency to buy digital ads to advertise your website.

companies with websites tend have a viable biz first before they spend on a website.

but this depends on your pockets.

going with free to use, such as Instagram/ Facebook/ Twitter or whatever is popular in your are. I love Instagram for food. And
Extremely importantly - using hashtags. They will bring likeminded browsers to your instragram.
eg: #floridahomeba

this keeps costs Low at the start, and gives you a public link that you can pass on.

when you business picks up, consider e-commerce sites.
I don’t have Florida context, but www.Shopee.com is popular where I am at. The platform takes a fee. But you just need to focus on getting your orders out.


Finally, when you are ready for a website, instead of designing from scratch, consider Shopify - they are semi ready made and intuitive for small biz owners dOing retail

good luck.

 

[Shay]

Hey Shay.

If cost is a an issue - go with free to use platforms first.

a website has
- annual domain name cost
- web hosting cost
- design costs,
- design updating costs etc.
and no one will find your website unless you are
1. Writing shit loads of blog articles to get the search bots to rank your website highly
2. Paying a digital marketing agency to buy digital ads to advertise your website.

companies with websites tend have a viable biz first before they spend on a website.

but this depends on your pockets.

going with free to use, such as Instagram/ Facebook/ Twitter or whatever is popular in your are. I love Instagram for food. And
Extremely importantly - using hashtags. They will bring likeminded browsers to your instragram.
eg: #floridahomeba

this keeps costs Low at the start, and gives you a public link that you can pass on.

when you business picks up, consider e-commerce sites.
I don’t have Florida context, but www.Shopee.com is popular where I am at. The platform takes a fee. But you just need to focus on getting your orders out.


Finally, when you are ready for a website, instead of designing from scratch, consider Shopify - they are semi ready made and intuitive for small biz owners dOing retail

good luck.

Thank you so much, you have no idea how helpful that is! I was told Facebook marketplace might be good to start. I had Instagram but deactivated it I feel like Facebook may be more productive. Thank you again

 

[ShuBunny]

Hi @Shay,
Yes! Facebook marketplace! I forgot about that.

And the fact that Facebook and Instagram have merged will make it easier for you to post pics in those two platforms - using Facebook Business Suite. That’s is free to use too.

happy holidays!

 

[Ladylivesfree]

How's Florida? I want to move to freedom soon as I can! craigslist. local community center, donate to kids pta with little name cards so parents can sample. good luck

 

[retired baker]

Miserable For baking.
I worked a season in Sarasota, the humidity played havoc with everything.

 

[GrowthBakeryBusiness]

Hi @Shay,

If you need to grow your business, you need to start doing the following things:

1) Create your e-commerce website
2) Blogging
3) Google My Business Page
4) Create a Facebook and Instagram page, engagement
5) Advertisements

Let me explain in detail,

1) Create your e-commerce website
You can create your e-commerce website on WordPress or Shopify platform,

For the WordPress platform, you need to buy a domain name and Webhosting on a yearly basis
A domain name is a unique IP/name on the internet that can your target customer search for your brand name.
A Webhosting means a small hard disk space in which your website is stored.

You can buy a domain name and web hosting for Godaddy or Bluehost, services of both are excellent.
After you buy a domain name and web hosting you will get a control panel login detail -> after login you can install the WordPress
->completations installation the WordPress you can log in -> install the Woocommerce plugins (for e-commerce) ->
Now you can add multiple products with price.
Note: Upload high-quality images)
(If you still don't understand don't worry I already attached the PDF guide)

The Shopify Platform is very simple and easy to use. Only you need to pay monthly fees.
It has already many goods apps, you need to install apps. My recommendation is "Store Pickup + Delivery by Zapiet".

For Payment Gateway, you can use Paypal or Stipe integration.

( I know it sounds more difficult and technical but I tried as short as possible! )

2) Blogging
Blogging is the best method to get more visibility to your local clients. Google likes fresh and unique content. So if you update the unique post about your new order, events, or news Google starts ranking your e-commerce website, and result you will get tons of new clients.

3) Google My Business (GMB)
Do you 4 out of 5 people online searching for local intend only. If you do not have Google My Business Account then you are losing 80% of your customers.
Make Google My Business profile for your business...
Update regularly photos of your products or new orders, clients photos...
Ask for good reviews from clients...
These strategies will help you boost your GMB page and rank #1.

4) Create a Facebook and Instagram page, engagement
Don't ignore the power of social media platforms Facebook and especially Instagram.
Create the Facebook and Instagram pages...
On Facebook, your will cover most of elder traffic while Instagram helps you to cover mostly young traffic...
Post regularly new order photos or events...Keep engaging your audience...
Use popular community hashtags, Geographics/location hashtags, don't forget to use your brand hashtags for every post...
Don't use hashtags on Facebook it never works as per my expertise...

5) Advertisements
For getting more clients and sales you can start advertising on Facebook, Instagram, and Google My Business.

PRO Exploding Marketing Tips:
During making an order, post every photo after a certain interval on Instagram and tell your customer to check his/her order on Instagram and follow the page. It will create more engagement with your followers and increase more visibility.
Don't forget to share the link of GMB or Yelp for review.

If you have any queries, you can ask me. I am happy to help you.

 

[cheesycorn]

Thank you so much, you have no idea how helpful that is! I was told Facebook marketplace might be good to start. I had Instagram but deactivated it I feel like Facebook may be more productive. Thank you again

Highly recommend going with a platform like Hotplate - no hosting fees, any technical skills to set up, etc. And it's specifically designed from bakers like us. It has all the features you need as a baker selling goods, from the get go, takes 10 mins to set up, and super affordable.

 

[Mona]

Starting a bake sale in Florida is a great idea since you don't need a license for homemade food sales! To get started, plan a simple menu with popular treats like cookies and cupcakes, set up a nice display table, and promote your sale locally through social media and flyers. Make sure your prices are fair, and package your goods attractively. Use this opportunity to connect with your community, gather feedback, and build relationships. If you're thinking long-term about a baking business, this is a perfect way to start small and learn as you go.

 

[SPB]

anyone have tips on starting a bake sale in your community? I’ve relocated to Florida, and read that licenses aren’t necessary in homemade food sales. Anyone have insight in how I could go about having a bake sale?

anyone have tips in starting a small baking business, small treats and what not? Long term I’d love to have a small business, so I’m trying to take the baby steps. (Any potential partners out there)??

Hi. Carefully research how saturated the market is in your area. The freeze dried candy fad hit here in Vegas and the next week there were so many vendors at events with the same products

I hate to say it but people are now trying to sell the freeze dryers because the fad is almost over.

Some craft shows and night markets limit the number of vendors they will rent spaces to so even if you want to compete against others, you may not be able to get in.

Also, Florida, like Vegas, has temperature issues depending on what you are making. Our issues are extreme heat and low humidity. Chocolate is a nightmare in the summer as are frostings and cream fillings

Lastly, even if you don’t have to be
Licensed to make/sell, make sure your
Food handling protocol is at or above local industrial health department standards. The health inspector here randomly goes to night markets and will check holding temps etc.

Las Vegas had/has a real problem with unlicensed street food vendors. Lots of food born illness because products are not at proper holding temps.

 

[Jessie_Roos]

Hey there! Welcome to Florida and congrats on taking the first steps toward starting your bake sale and potentially a small baking business!

For your bake sale, here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Local Regulations: Even if licenses aren’t necessary for homemade food sales in Florida, it’s a good idea to check with your local health department or city regulations to make sure there aren’t any specific rules or permits you need.
2. Location and Promotion: Pick a high-traffic area like a local park, community center, or even a popular farmer's market. Promote your bake sale through social media, local community boards, and word of mouth.
3. Baking and Presentation: Make sure your treats are not only delicious but also attractively presented. Packaging can make a big difference!
4. Pricing and Inventory: Keep your prices reasonable and prepare a variety of treats to cater to different tastes. Also, consider having a small inventory of baked goods to ensure you don't run out.
5. Feedback and Networking: Use this bake sale as a chance to get feedback from your community. Connect with other local bakers or food entrepreneurs—you might find some potential partners or mentors!

For starting a small baking business:

1. Market Research: Understand your target market and what they’re looking for. Look into what other small bakeries are offering and find a niche that sets you apart.
2. Business Plan: Develop a simple business plan outlining your goals, target audience, and financial projections. This can help guide you as you grow.
3. Legal Considerations: When you’re ready to formalize your business, research the necessary licenses and permits, including food handling certifications if needed.
4. Branding and Marketing: Create a brand that resonates with your target audience. Invest time in social media and local advertising to build your presence.
5. Starting Small: Begin with a manageable scope, like small treats or specialty items, and gradually expand as you gain experience and customer feedback.

Good luck with your bake sale and future baking business! If you have any more questions or need further advice, feel free to ask.

 

[Mona]

That sounds like a fantastic idea! Here are some tips to help you get started with your bake sale and your journey toward a small baking business:

Bake Sale Tips:​

1. Know Your Local Regulations: While Florida doesn’t require licenses for homemade food sales, it's always good to check with your local health department to confirm. They may have specific guidelines you need to follow.
2. Choose Your Location Wisely: Look for high-traffic areas like community centers, parks, or local events. You might also consider partnering with local farmers' markets or craft fairs to set up a booth.
3. Promote Your Sale: Use social media, local community boards, and word of mouth to get the word out. Creating eye-catching flyers can help grab attention!
4. Offer a Variety: Bake a mix of items—cookies, cupcakes, brownies, and maybe a few gluten-free or vegan options to cater to different dietary preferences.
5. Packaging Matters: Invest in attractive packaging to make your treats stand out. Consider eco-friendly options if that aligns with your values.

Starting a Small Baking Business:​

1. Start Small: Focus on a few signature items that you can perfect before expanding your menu.
2. Test the Market: Before committing to a full-scale business, try out your treats with friends and family. Gather feedback and adjust your recipes accordingly.
3. Build Your Brand: Think about a name, logo, and online presence. Creating an Instagram page to showcase your baked goods can attract potential customers.
4. Networking: Connect with other local bakers or small business owners. They can offer valuable advice and might even be interested in collaborating.
5. Consider Online Sales: As you grow, you could look into selling your baked goods online, either through your own website or platforms like Etsy.

Starting a small baking venture can be so rewarding, and who knows—this bake sale might just be the first step toward your dream business! Good luck, and happy baking!