You love baking. You’ve been doing it since you were old enough to operate an oven. The colors, the textures, the aromas: everything that makes life beautiful and worth living is right there in your kitchen.
You wear your apron and then you create art. Up until now, you’ve been doing it for the sake of the pleasure it entails. Making people happy with your cakes, pastries, and banana breads is what makes you happy too. But at this moment in time, you’re running low on money. So you’re looking around helpless as a single mother with loads of expenses. What to do?
Why not convert your passion into a career? It’s not as difficult as it sounds. Thousands of people have set up an office at their home so they could run their businesses right from their own premises. And with commerce going online, it’s become really easy to create awareness for your products and to connect with clients worldwide. It’s got a great scope for growth, and all it requires is some technical thinking and a bundle of confidence.
Think you got what it takes to convert an idea into a practical, workable venture? Then go through the following tips, which will guide you on your journey to monetary stability. If anyone can do this, it’s you.
Look for Need and Niche
Business is a two-way process. I’m sure you already know that. There are people who need something, and then there are people who satisfy that need. Supply and demand – simple as that. Before you launch your baking business idea, you need to first sit down and do some research. Is there a market for your product? What other firms do the same thing as you’d be doing? Are they doing better or worse? Is the consumer crowd happy or not? This is how you’ll find your niche, your gap, your relevance, and a unique position only you can fill.
Set Up a Platform
Once you’re sure of your place in the market, it’s time to set up infrastructure, both virtual and physical. Start with a name. It’s what will attract people to you and make you stand out in the sea of other bakery businesses.
Then, purchase an online domain. Get your own website, and make it what they call “eye-candy,” with colors, graphics, and a customer-friendly interface. Something that smoothly guides the user through the buying process. Next, purchase the physical goods, like first-class baking equipment, if you don’t already have it. You’ll be baking like crazy once the orders start coming in.
Take Care of the Official Stuff
Once you initiate your business, there are a few official things you need to take care of. For example, if you’re hiring employees, you’ll need an employer’s identification number, which helps sort out federal tax. It can be set up in minutes. As you’ve come up with a name for your business, you’ll need to trademark it by registering it.
Another important thing to do is to get a license for your business to make things formal. You’ll be running the business from home, so sort out the business-personal property tax requirement as soon as you can. With funds flowing in as revenue, you’ll also need a separate bank account and a certificate of resale for your business venture to keep track of every transaction.
Market Through Social Media
Gone are the days when businesses had to go the extra mile with posters and newspaper advertisements, just so they could spread the word about their products. This approach is traditional, and frankly quite outdated in light of what’s being accomplished virtually now. Social media is the giant of all giants when it comes to marketing. It is a cost-effective way of reaching out, which only requires the power of the internet. And considering the sheer number of people that use social media on a regular basis, it is an incredibly efficient way of maintaining links with consumers.
Keep Proper Records
You might feel that you have to do so much all at once. Don’t let the pressure overpower you. Recruit people to help you out. Maintaining official records is one of the most important steps of running a successful business. Keep track of financial transactions with clients with spreadsheet software. Keep tabs on your budget, expenses, loans, investments, insurance, and data management.
Ensure Security
Safety and success go hand-in-hand. Given the number of criminals roaming around, you should guarantee both physical and virtual security of your business. Get an encrypted connection, protected with a VPN, when you connect with clients online. Reinforce your website with anti-spyware and anti-malware software, so no one can tamper with your progress. Not only that, shield your home office with a Vivint security system to make sure that no burglar can break into your home and steal your private financial records or other valuables.
Thus, with the aforementioned tips, you’re ready to start your small-scale business right from the comfort of your own home.
