What type of cake Business you are looking towards?

Primary things to consider will be the budget and time you are ready to invest?

Will it be full time business? OR Part Time? OR Occasionally

1. Business on web store.

2. Tie up with bakeries, event organizers, restaurants and so on.

3. Opening a store with proper sitting arrangements

4. Just a cake order shop.

5. Just a participation on events.

6. Cake baking as well as teaching classes

7. Chain Store or Franchise business. Eg. Twelve cup cakes

Considerations – Business Type 1WEB STORE

• Ecommerce website, with the payment integration and Social share features.• Should have expressive pictures of your cake work• Should have testimonials of your friends as well as clients• Should have Contact Details• Should have user friendly and most interactive ordering form• Should provide customize designer personalized cake packaging.• Should have calculator which allows the user to understand their requirement of cake.• Information on the products and services you provide.• Terms and Conditions• Cake categories, should be named very efficiently… Like Healthy Cakes, Customized

Cakes, Special Birthday Cakes, Memory Cakes – Anniversary, Farewell, Office Party Cakes, Special friend Cakes, Event wise category – Valentine, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and so on…

• Can even introduce voucher/discount system for future purchase, which shall encourage them to buy products from the same shop.

• Should always highlight on the delivery selection.• Don’t forget to include google analytics

Expenses on Business Type 1

• Website Development – 1 time cost

• Domain and Hosting – Yearly expenses

• Annual Maintenance – Yearly expenses

Considerations – Business Type 2Tie up with bakeries and event organizers

BAKERY• List out the bakeries surrounded by your area. Filter the cafe’s and bakery stores

providing the cakes, what is your baking forte.• After the merger with one, try to provide consistent and extra service to the tied

up seller. Then after having friendly relationship, try and get the testimonial of your service from there.

• Always try and make the brochure, highlighting with all your skills and work.

Event Organizers• List out the event organizers of your town and try to filter the type of occasions,

they generally organize, which shall help you to judge your business category.• Always introduce your cakes following the event organizer’s brochure. E.g. if their

menu includes organizing Baby Shower functions, as part of their service… Try and highlight: “we have specialized designers working only on the baby shower cake decorations, with fresh cream and fondants. We are even skilled with the special figurine requests.

• You even need brochure to showcase your products.

ALWAYS INCLUDE A CLAUSE OF ORDERING MEDIUM : ON PHONE, THROUGH EMAIL, PORTAL

Expenses on Business Type 2

• Brochure printing

• Business Card

Considerations – Business Type 3Store with proper sitting arrangements

• Store locations: around schools, colleges, commercial areas, near restaurants. Consider the parking facility as well.

• Store Display i.e. interiors.• Facilities, like sitting arrangement, free Wi-Fi…• Human Resource plan• Payment modes• Cakes to display• Display marketing collaterals, for the customer to check, while you are packing or

getting their goods packed. There should always be interaction with the customer, to prepare them for their next order.

• Facility to host parties in the Cake bar• Try to gather the user feedbacks and suggestions• Have promotions for students and corporates

WEBSITE SHOULD ALWAYS HELP YOU TO GAIN MORE BUSINESS INQUIRIES AND ADVANCE BOOKINGS

Expenses on Business Type 3

• Rent of a store or loan on the shop purchased

• Shop licensing

• Salaries – Man Power

• Electricity

• Water

• Phone

• Internet

• Printers

• Credit Card and Debit Card Accepting machines

• Remaining Cakes

Considerations – Business Type 4Walk through cake order shop

• Shop or hire a truck.

• Analyze the foot space for the people to stand until they are not filled with the order requested.

Expenses on Business Type 4

• Rent of a store or loan on the shop purchased

• Shop licensing

• Salaries – Man Power

• Electricity

• Water

• Printers

• Credit Card and Debit Card Accepting machines

• Remaining Cakes

Considerations: Business Type 5Participations in events

• Should always be aware about the other stalls exhibiting the cake store.

• Always have a back up plan. Man power, right no of packaging's(disposables, paper napkins).

• Should always have cash with different and available change.

• Analyze the location of the exhibition, before actually participating in it, that will allow you to take decision on keeping stock and setting prices. Always request for the earlier foot fall of the same exhibition.

Expenses on Business Type 5

• Stall Renting fees

• Transportation expense

• Man power

• Disposable

• Waste Bins

• Brochures

• Name Cards

• Sitting arrangement

Considerations: Business Type 6Cake Baking as well Teaching

• For teaching you should have enough kitchen space for the participating candidates.• Always keep the recipe guide ready, printed(to save the expenses you can also ask for email)

and handy.• Try to gather all the contact details, to introduce future class details.• Always give the detailed information about the class in email, including: Date and Time,

Location for the Class.• Detailed information on what your class will provide them: Raw ingredients, tools, Why you

should join the class? , Who should join the class?• After the class, always encourage them to prepare at home and share the picture. Also can

share your student’s work on the website as well as the brochure. Even assure them if they can make a good product, you can also give chance for the next order and earn money.

• Always take the pictures, when you are teaching. Make the email template with the group picture and thanks message.

• Ask your students to fill the feedback form and try to gather the details, what class they are next looking for?

• Encourage them to introduce it to more of their friends, give benefits on bringing their friends.

• Can even encourage the students to buy raw materials from you.• Don’t forget to give special tips to students, as that is the only way you can impress the

candidates and can stand out from other classes.

IT IS RECOMMENDED TO HAVE A WEBSITE, AS THAT CAN BRING IN MORE ALERTNESS TO PEOPLE.

Expenses on Business Type 6

• Overall expense is the tools, baking ingredients you provide it to students and use for baking and decorating.

Key points

• Do not forget to follow the food licensing policies

• Always use the ingredients, after checking the manufacturing and expiry dates.

• Do not forget to mention the ingredients used on your product.

• Do not forget to mention the expiry dates.

• Guide your consumers with the right storage tips, at the time of collection.

• Will there be home delivery option available? Will it be Free or chargeable

• Order cancellation policy.

• Order revision policy.

• Always keep your working hours well follow able.

Tools & Appliances

1 time Cost

• Ovens

• Refrigerators

• Baking pans

Minimum requirements• Baking Sheets• Cake Mixtures• Essence• All purpose flour• Butter• Icing Sugar• Eggs• Boxes• Tray• Sinks• Weighing Scale• Cake Decorating tools• dough cutters, flour sifters, spatulas

Analyzing Crowd characteristics

• Always analyze the consumers coming to your store. Always try to analyze what type of cake taste, will impress them.

Example: Indians – More Sweet

Americans –Moderate

Singaporeans – Less Sweet

Australians – Moderate

• It is always advisable to ask for the choices, if you are not really into guessing.

Few General Tips

• Try to always search on the competitors as per the mode of business you select

• Always have your name card with the details of all your products and services.

• Always take follow up on the open inquiries.

• Try to analyze the customer needs (includes budget, purpose, people involved in buying decision, choice)

• Every quarter you should be analyzing your growth, competitor analysis and loop holes.

• Always try to put the short term goals.

Tips to decide on product price

Provide the best cakes with cheap rates

Provide the best cakes with premium rates

1. Ingredients(Baking material and decoration details)

2. Baking Time, Frosting Time and through out time consumed to finish the actual product.

3. Overheads(Man power, electricity, storage cost)

4. Time of expiry

5. Delivery

6. Packaging

• After calculating the above details, come up with the reasonable price and try and compare with few of your competitors. On the initial stage, you have to be pretty reasonable and attractive with offers.

• Once you are well known within your prospect market, you can then start using your expertise to fasten the process and gain more profits.

• Try to always check for the best supplier for baking ingredients.

Points to consider while taking an order

• Before finalizing an order:

1. Always check about the flavor of cake layers.

2. Decoration with fresh cream or fondant, ice cream or extra toppings

3. Budget of the cake

4. Quantity of the cake

5. Purpose of the cake, will help you decide the theme as well the cake value

6. Always ask about the date they want to really celebrate with the cake and the date they can do collection for the cake.

7. Always collect all the ingredients and deco material on the table, before actually starting to prepare.