Why we all love a Micro Bakery
Although the term Micro Bakery is just making it’s appearance, I think for a long time so many of us have fantasized about having our own little baking business! In one form or another, we’ve all dreamed of having the quaint little kitchen where we roll dough and shape bread all day to hand out fresh and warm baked goods to excited customers. But for many of us, we hesitate just long enough for the idea to pass, and we move on with our lives. Maybe you’ve had a similar thought, but the list of obstacles always seems too long, or you’re afraid it might not work.
If creating your own little home bakery has ever been on your bucket list, I’m here to tell you that it has never been more possible. We live in a world where communication is so easy. Social media allows you to share your story and products with potential customers. Sourdough is a household word and so many people have a gracious appreciation for small businesses and locally sourced food.
But even more than all of that, I think that we all are craving that real interaction. That connection that comes when we are handed a fresh loaf of bread by the individual that toiled over it. We long for an artisan product that is formed by hand. Most of us no longer have that little bakery on the corner where we pick up our baked goods for the week, and I think we’re missing it. There’s something a little romantic about a micro bakery. If you’ve been thinking of starting one yourself, this is a wonderful time to get started and really make it your own.
Starting your Micro Bakery: Set your Goal
Once you decide to take the leap, the most important step when creating your micro bakery is setting a goal. What do you want to accomplish with your new business? Because as much as we want to feel like we’re baking for the fun of it, your bakery will not be sustainable unless it’s working for you in some capacity.
When I first started thinking about opening a bakery, I was leaving my full-time job to stay home with my new baby. I was so excited to enter a new stage of life but wanted to see if I could find a way to supplement my husband’s income. My goal at that time was to earn enough money to continue to pay into a retirement account that I had started while working full time. It wasn’t a lot, but it would help us in a meaningful way and it gave me a concrete goal to build the business around.
Decide how much money you want to be making in order for you micro bakery to be worthwhile for you. Is this a side job meant to supplement your income, or do you want to create a livelihood? This answer will be different for everyone, but it’s the key to making so many decisions as you get started.
Creating a Micro Bakery that Fits
After you have an idea of what you want to gain from your micro bakery, you can start to decide how you see it fitting into your life. I think the biggest questions you’ll want to answer are how many days per week and how many hours per day would you like (or do you have) to devote to baking. Is this going to be your full-time job or is it maybe a way to earn extra money while staying home with your kids? Do your children go to school during the week or will you be fitting your baking into nap time?
Making a Plan
Create a schedule that works for both you and your product. For example, at the Flour Barn we started out selling cinnamon rolls. We knew early on that we wanted to sell our products on Saturday mornings. It was when our customers most consistently wanted to purchase baked goods, and it was easy to create a baking schedule that worked towards Saturday morning.
At the time, I had little babies, and my sister would come home from college a couple of days a week to help me out. We developed a schedule that allowed us to get a lot done in short windows of time so that the cinnamon rolls were ready to bake early Saturday morning. Earlier in the week, we would make the brioche dough and get it in the fridge to start the slow fermentation process. Another block of time would be used to make a large batch of buttercream frosting, and the cinnamon sugar filling. On Fridays we would roll and assemble every cinnamon roll so that the next morning all we had left to do was bake, ice and box.
Prepping Ahead
As we’ve grown and added items to our weekly menu, we always focus on finding ways to prep ahead as much as possible so we have plenty of time to bake everything fresh on Saturday. We schedule each step of building each product so there is no guess work, and nothing is left to the last minute.
Maybe in your Micro Bakery, you’ve determined that you need to sell 40 loaves of sourdough bread a week. In order to do this you’ve decided to sell your bread on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Create a detailed schedule that outlines when each step of the baking process will occur. When will you feed your sourdough starter and how long will that take? When will you mix the dough? Shape it? When will you bake and how long will it take? Once you have all of this written down you will be able to visualize exactly what needs done to make your micro bakery a reality.
The Logistics
While most home bakeries will fall under cottage food laws, it’s a good idea to contact your local health department. They can tell you specifically what local regulations govern a home bakery business. One of the biggest challenges to starting your own business is taking that first step to meet the legal requirements, but once you get started they can usually walk you through the process fairly quickly.
What Equipment do you need to Start a Micro Bakery?
When thinking about what specific equipment you might need in your micro bakery, I think it’s so important to go back to your goal. Sticking with sourdough bread as our example, let’s say you’ve decided that you need to sell 60 loaves of bread to meet your goal and make your business worthwhile. The equipment you invest in should reflect this goal. Do you want to mix 60 loaves of bread by hand each week, or should you invest in a commercial mixer? Will your current oven handle the amount of baking you plan on doing?
Alternatively, maybe you just want to make a little extra cash and see where things go. In that case, you may want to start with as little overhead as possible. Knowing what your goal is and keeping it in the forefront it key to making these decisions.
Over the past few years, we’ve learned that having the right essential equipment can be so helpful in keeping you from getting burned out. While we have always tried to minimize our overhead, a couple of purchases have proven their worth over and over. I would encourage you to have patience but be willing to invest in pieces that save time and increase production.
What about Pricing?
The first step in pricing your baked goods is making sure you have a product you’re really proud of. If you feel fully confident in what you’re offering, then you’ll feel much better asking what it’s worth. It can be so difficult to price something that you’ve created, especially without other artisan items in your area to compare it to.
Ultimately, you want to price your item so that it is worthwhile for you to continue making it. Look back at your goal and your business plan. Ask yourself, at the quantity of items I’m able to produce, what would I need to charge in order to reach my goal? Baking is such a joy, and being able to share what we make with others is so much fun. However, there may come a time when running your micro bakery requires a sacrifice. In that moment, if baking is not helping you meet your financial goals, it might be hard to push through.
The Micro Bakery Experience
When you start a micro bakery, you have an amazing opportunity to provide your friends and neighbors with a wonderful experience! You can offer them the chance to connect with real food on a different level. Micro bakeries can help a local community thrive and are just a fun way to shop. You want your customers to feel that excitement each time they interact with you! Creating a unique and inviting experience encourages people to spend a little extra on their bread or go out of their way to pick up baked goods.
Sometimes I worry that customer service is a dying art. But when you do have that wonderful interaction with someone that smiles at you or goes the extra mile, you really remember it and hold onto it. Starting a micro bakery or any small business gives you the unique opportunity to provide so many people with that wonderful interaction. They will remember it and they will come back for it. Often, we emphasize the product and yes, you should have an excellent product. But personally, I’ve found that people will drive out to the middle of nowhere for baked goods if you always try to be good to them.
Get the Word Out
The plan is in full swing, your recipes are perfect, and now you need to get a lot of bread into the hands of some new customers! Social media has really made reaching customers so much easier and opened up tons of opportunities for small bakers. Your social media presence is the first window into your business, whether that be a bakery website, YouTube videos, Instagram, or Facebook.
One of the first things you’ll want to do is take some high-quality pictures of your menu items. They don’t have to be professional but spend some time looking at food photography (or Pinterest) and get a feel for what is appealing. Make sure you have good lighting and everything looks clean and professional.
Next, decide how you want to offer your product. What business model will you go with? Will you be taking orders for delivery or pickup, or are you planning to have a pop-up sale during a set window of time? Many micro-bakeries have a lot of luck selling off of their porch. Facebook has always been the most effective way for us to reach customers in our community. Join community Facebook groups to get the message out.
Old-Fashioned and In Person
If you are having a difficult time reaching people, one of the best ways to advertise is to get your product into the hands of potential customers. This might look like taking samples to your neighbors and allowing word of mouth to work for you.
Another great way to sell everything from artisanal breads to cinnamon rolls is the local market, or farmers’ markets. This is an excellent way for home bakers to reach their target market and local customers. Don’t forget to gather an email list to keep in contact with your customers. When you start with a product that you’re really proud of, it won’t take long for them to find you!
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