4 MYTHS About Starting a Home Bakery Business
Home Baking Businesses are incredibly fascinating and they come in ALL shapes and sizes! I’ve had my own successful Home Baking Business for 6 years now and I’ve loved pretty much every second of it.
Every job (whether you work for yourself or not) has its ups and downs, but I’m SO exceedingly grateful for my little Home Bakery!
Over the last year in particular, I’ve realized that so many passionate bakers have talent, but they don’t pursue their passion/dream of having a FULL TIME Home Bakery because of FEAR…
Fear that they don’t have the “required” specific skill set it takes to have a successful Home Baking Business.
A skill set that has FALSELY become synonymous with the term “Home Baking Business”. These are nothing but MYTHS.
These Home Bakery Business Myths Are:
- You need to have studied formal pastry/chef/baking courses at an institution.
- You need to have studied some kind of entrepreneurship/business courses at an institution.
- Being a master at Fondant work, gum-paste details and sugar art is ESSENTIAL. Being a master at creating detailed designs to match whatever theme a client wants is ESSENTIAL.
- And then also this belief that you need heaps of capital for expensive kitchen equipment, branding, packaging, advertising etc.
I’ve grown SO deeply frustrated with these beliefs, because they really are TOTALLY false. Today I’m hoping to expose these myths once and for all.
Without becoming too feisty.
I’ll try my best.
But I might fail at diplomacy here.
The reason WHY I want to expose these myths is because I keep coming across amazing, passionate, GIFTED Home Bakers that are actually very unhappy – for various reasons. And they often lack confidence because they don’t fit the brief listed above.
It breaks my heart, because they don’t need to feel this way.
There’s another way!
BUT FIRST, let’s start by breaking down the myths. Sound good?
MYTH # 1: You need to study formal pastry/chef courses for your Home Baked products to be “GOOD enough” to Sell
There’s this old mind-set still hanging around in society that makes life and growth quite difficult. It’s the belief you need to formally study and have some kind of qualification before you can work in a certain field.
Over time, some new shortcuts have been created (like short courses) which aim to condense your learning experience into a shorter span of time.
Although I love the idea that you don’t need to put aside YEARS for these courses, they still have major flaws.
I’ve wanted to do a thorough course in Pastry for 5 years now. Unfortunately, all the options would require of me to set aside a minimum of 6 months to complete the course. 6 Months of FULL TIME study.
This means no work and no income plus a mild expense of $ 5000. How is this sustainable or even possible?
My friend, this is a different time. The online world has opened up doors for all of us to learn almost any skill and excel at it.
You don’t need to study a formal, expensive course for your Home Baking Business to succeed. AT ALL.
If a cake tastes amazing and rocks your world, then no one cares if the baker has a qualification or not!
You can learn and grow into the BEST baker you can possibly be without any formal training. I’ve developed 5 FUN weekly habits over time that keep me sharp and constantly evolving as a Home Baker.
These 5 Weekly Habits Include:
1. Watching an inspirational dessert show. Shows like Unique Sweets, Great British Bake Off, Zumbo’s Just Desserts etc. NOT decorating shows. Watch shows that focus on flavour! I always keep a notebook handy to write down which new flavour combinations I’ve learned, which new techniques I’ve learned and how I could implement them in a bake I’m comfortable with – like brownies.
2. Conquer something technical that has EPIC flavour (typically spaced out over a month, with research on the specific bake every week). Perfect Baked Cheesecake, Flawless Cupcakes, Perfect Lemon Meringue Pie… these are all very technical desserts, yet I’ve managed to master them through extensive ONLINE RESEARCH and then practicing baking them. It’s all you need. Really.
3. Eat something that gives you a YUM-high! Hard Work, right? ๐ Eating YUM-high food/treats is essential to keeping your flavour edge sharp in your baking. Eat something every week that inspires you! It doesn’t have to be expensive either. Get to that baked thingy that everyone in your town/city is talking about!
4. Follow GREAT bakers (not decorators) online. You will learn something NEW every time. I still do.
5. Use seasonal ingredients for inspiration. Fresh, seasonal ingredients can inspire you to create bakes you’ve never tried before. Search online to see what other herbs/spices/nuts go with that seasonal vegetable or fruit.
These habits have grown me into the baker I am today without ever needing to pay a cent for training.
I’ve explained the core concept of each habit, because I don’t want to be stingy, but if you want to, you can download the full, free, 5 page guide in my Free Resource Library. I’m confident that you’ll love it!
Another super effective strategy to Grow as a Baker (for free) is to volunteer at any restaurant/eatery/bakery/suppliers that do anything related to baking. This includes breads, pizzas, doughnuts, pastry, cakes, etc.!
You get to learn, hands on, on a schedule that works for you. Since you are volunteering and providing them with free labour, they can’t exactly make demands on your time. I recommend doing weekends or like every second weekend.
This way the restaurant/bakery gets FREE extra labour and you learn for FREE – TOTAL win-win!!
I’ve explained the basics without being cryptic, but if you want to read more on this strategy of mine you can download my full guide from the Free Resource Library.
MYTH #1 BUSTED!!
MYTH #2: You need to formally study business/entrepreneurship for your Home Baking Business to be successful
Once again, my friends, this is a different time. The online world has opened up doors for all of us to learn almost any skill and excel at it. You don’t need to study a formal, expensive course in business for your Home Baking Business to succeed. AT ALL.
The web is absolutely TEEMING with online entrepreneur & business coaches who are giving away a WEALTH of info – for FREE.
I’ve learned all I need to from these peeps. Their free stuff has made me a savvy entrepreneur with a successful Home Baking Business even though they never speak about baking.
If you have a little bit of money to spend on this, it will definitely help though. I HIGHLY recommend “The $100 start up” by Chris Guillebeau.
This book has genuinely smashed my concepts of business and redefined my home baking business’s focus. It’s really inexpensive and amazing.
So yes, it’s paramount that you learn about business and entrepreneurship, but you don’t need to do a formal, expensive course at a university or institution.
MYTH #2 BUSTED!!
Myth #3: You need to be a master at fondant, sugar art and themed designs for your home baking business to succeed.
Now this is where I get very VERY feisty.
As any “normal” baking nerd would do, I’m part of a few Baking Facebook groups. On these groups you typically see folks posting these AMAZING wedding cakes with mountains of fondant work, sugar flowers and modelling chocolate details… They are works of art.
One day I posted a photo in the one group of the types of cakes I do. A rustic, purist, cleanly presented carrot cake.
This Carrot Cake Recipe has generated $5000+ in sales for my home bakery business. I asked in the group if anyone does cakes like these because everyone’s work seems so “wedding-cakey” or “themed”.
Everyone’s responses SHOCKED ME.
Here’s what the fellow Home Bakers said on the group:
“I love baking cakes like yours for myself, my friends and family. But in order to make a living from baking I have to make fondant cakes.”
“LOVE these kinds of cakes, but fondant cakes are what customers want, so that’s what I do most of the time.”
My heart sank!
Is this is truly what most Home Baking Business owners believe??…
It does not have to be this way. I would just curl up in despair if the only way to make a living off baking was to make fondant, themed cakes.
Here’s why…
In general, ANY creative enjoys creating something that THEY actually want to buy themselves. As soon as you start just creating for “whatever anyone wants”, you quickly get frustrated, bored and burned out.
“In order to make a living from baking I have to make fondant cakes…” But it’s not what she enjoys doing at all. She feels she HAS to do it.
TRUTH IS that there’s a WHOLE other market today that is into QUALITY and FLAVOUR. This is what I’ve discovered & experienced over the last 5 years of building my own Home Baking Business.
FLAVOUR and QUALITY (taste) create more concrete memories than sight. It’s been scientifically proven.
When more of your senses are involved in an experience, a more solid memory and rich the whole experience.
If you eat a cake with an awful flavour (includes both your taste & smelling sense) and texture, the only sense that the memory can stand on is SIGHT.
SIGHT does not create a very solid memory to begin with since it is a sense we use 16+ hours per day.
BUT if you eat a cake with a glorious flavour (includes smell) and beautiful, fresh texture then you already have 3 senses involved in the experience and memory!
That’s why the desserts and bakes from our childhoods are forever seared into our memories.
I’ve NEVER heard anyone say: “oh do you remember when we ate that green fondant?! It was the most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten in my life!” “Yes! And those silver deco balls, how divine!”
Nope. Never.
Over the last decade, the cake decorating scene has exploded on television and social media. It was always there, but shows like Cake Boss, Ace of Cakes, Charly’s Cake Angels etc. opened up an exciting new world to the public and bakers.
Overnight, super decorated, fondant cakes became the new beacon for “baking”. People were loving them on TV (and social media) and demanding them from their local bakers!
Now, I am not saying there’s no need for cake decorating (that would be foolish and ignorant). It’s an amazing art!! I’m just saying that the cake decorating “hype” has gone completely out of control and created this stigma that
BAKING = DECORATING and DECORATING = BAKING. This is FALSE.
You can be an amazing cake DECORATOR, but this does not make you a great BAKER.
In the name of “You eat with your eyes!”, super pretty, BUT terrible tasting, dry, tough, stale cakes have been served to the masses for years now.
I have been on the receiving end so many times… I’m sure you have too?? It totally sucks. It ruins everything.
Bottom line: lines have become blurry and the concept of actual BAKING has been severely compromised by an exterior decorating obsession.
Ultimately, WE ACTUALLY EAT WITH OUR MOUTHS, NOT OUR EYES.
And, believe it or not, there’s a whole market just waiting for someone to produce DELICIOUS cakes, FULL of FLAVOUR, that give them a yum-high and leave them in a daze. Great, full on BAKING. This is what I’ve done and you can totally do it too!
Now obviously the cake needs to be neat and presentable, but all this means is clean lines. A neat finish on something HONEST, HOME MADE and AUTHENTIC.
You never need to make sugar flowers, or spend hours kneading purple fondant, or bake a cake a week in advance so that you have enough time to put the 1000 modelling chocolate ornaments on the cake IF YOU DON’T WANT TO.
So yes, I’m going to say it OUT LOUD:
You CAN make a comfortable living as a home baker without EVER baking a wedding cake or a themed cake!
MYTH #3 BUSTED!!
Myth #4: You need loads of Money to start a Home Bakery Business
SO, totally and completely false.
When I started my home baking business I had almost nothing. I had a $10 hand mixer, 2 cheap plastic mixing bowls, 1 square tin and 1 muffin/cupcake tin (and a $5500 student loan to pay off, lol!). That’s it! That’s all you need. I didn’t even have an oven, so I baked at my (then boyfriend) husband’s student house and then decorated the baked cupcakes back at my own student house. You can make it work!
I know there are so many gorgeous kitchens on Pinterest, blogs and magazines, but don’t fall into the comparison trap.
A beautiful, fully equipped kitchen is not essential to your home bakery’s success.
Remember, this is good, honest HOME BAKING. When your mom or gran made your favourite birthday cake, could they manage without the $1000 Cuisinart Mixer? Was the cake memorable even though they mixed it by hand?
I’m betting YES.
Focus on the quality of your bakes, not the aesthetics of your kitchen and I promise that your home baking business will be successful.
Beautiful branding and packaging can also be a very tempting expense. If a wrapper is beautiful, but the candy tastes bad, will you ever buy it again? No.
Just go for simple packaging to start off with. You can seriously get away with 50 cents per cake box. To add a personal touch, get a logo stamp made for $10. It looks super rustic and cool!
A simple, affordable logo design solution is to do a trade exchange with a local graphic designer. Creatives really look out for each other and are keen to help where they can! Offer them a cake in exchange for a logo.
If they are super good, maybe offer them a $100 voucher/credit at your home baking business. It’s a wonderfully enriching experience working with any other creative! Give it a try ๐
The last area where big spending can be super tempting is advertising for your home bakery.
Take it from someone who has done this for 5 years…
When it comes to baked goods, ONE word of mouth referral from someone who has actually tasted your bakes is worth more than 1000 flyers or 2000 views on a Facebook ad. The proof of the pudding is in the eating.
Also remember to keep the “home” in Home Bakery. Your clients want a touch of “home”. Focus on retaining your clients and build genuine relationships with them so that you become their GO-TO Baker! Loyal clients are the backbone of any Home baking business.
MYTH #4 BUSTED!!
I hope that this post has been helpful to you and that it has also LIBERATED you as an authentic home baker. Please be YOU. Your gifts and talents are SO needed!
What’s next?
If you can relate to what I’ve shared, then Philosophy of Yum is exactly what you’ve been looking for. I’m so excited that you are finally here!
I’ve created a Library of FREE Resources specifically for current and aspiring Home Bakery Owners because I want to see you succeed!
This Library is filled with my BEST downloadable tools, tips, guides and my Home Bakery’s TOP SECRET Recipes to provide you with everything you need to build your own SUCCESSFUL HOME BAKERY BUSINESS.
Click the button below to take a FREE peek inside the Library – no strings attached!
Please comment below if you have any other struggles or doubts about building your own home bakery business because I would LOVE to help!
Chat soon,
Aurelia ๐
POPULAR BAKING TIPS
POPULAR BAKING TIPS
Got a question? Something to add? Letโs chat in the comments section down below! (I respond to every single comment)ย 
Wow ! you really open my mind with this , now im really excited to start, thank you !
Hi Shirley! Oh that is so wonderful to hear!! ๐
What about licences and health inspections?
Hey Beryl! I have a whole blog post about Home Bakery Certificates, Licenses and Insurance for you to check out ๐
Hi Aurelia!
I’m Portuguese living in France, i love making cakes at home made like my mother did to us wen i was a child!
Portugal as a lot of different cakes and deserts, so believing that there’s a market for them i opened a shop in Etsy in December 2017.
I’ve made some home made cakes and give it away free to people that would talk about it and help advertise my shop.
Although they all loved the cakes!…. I have not made any sell yet. It’s so frustrating!
I keep thinking I’ve miss something in the process, is it my cakes or my entrepreneur & business field that went wrong?!
Maybe your course will help me believe in me again!
Thanks
Hi Marina! Thank you for sharing your frustration… I’m so sorry to hear that it has been difficult for you ๐ Home Baked Confidence course will definitely be a great start for you yes! It’s difficult to be a confident baker (which you absolutely need to be – especially in France!) if you don’t know exactly what to be confident in. An Etsy store might not be the best route to take. But we’ll chat more about that over email ๐
This is great and Inspiring but when you say home baking do you mean you take orders in advance or do you always have baking ready to sell (like a bakery)?
Hi Pippa! Thanks for asking ๐ A Home Bakery is not a shop, so it is baking for orders yes. It can be for direct clients and/or restaurants.
I’m so glad I came across this article. I have been baking for the past 3 years, mostly just for family and friends. A lot of them have been telling me to quit my day job and start my home baking business, but as it says in your article, fear, I have not done it out of fear..fear of failure and yet deep down inside I know I will not fail.
Oh Taahira your story makes me so excited!! I’m sorry to hear that you’ve been struggling with fear of failure… I really know how difficult it is to live with that fear. You are not alone! Best advice I have is to start SLOW. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing! Bake for just 1 day in the week to start off with (as an extra income). Don’t leave your job just yet. Take your time.
What a wonderful article. I live in Pakistan and there are many bakeries making fondant and truly wonderful cakes. Whereas I want to make flavorful cakes and desserts.. I think I’m going to start..
Hey Taahira! It’s so great to hear that you are passionate about baking flavourful cakes and desserts! Glad you are going to start baking these goods in your city ๐
Thanks Aurelia for sharing all those advise, I am passionate cooker and I would love to start my business from home since after I lost my job in 2016 I was detected with Cancer going through to different up and down and that makes me think a lot about to start something I love and give me the freedom to be with my family, Let me know if you have more information and suggestion how can I make people taste my food in Canada
Hi Glenys, I’m so sorry to hear everything you’ve been through… Life can be so difficult sometimes. It’s great to hear that you are a passionate cook! I focus more on baking, but my free course (Home Baked Confidence) will definitely be the perfect place to start. It will help you discover your best assets, how to incorporate that in your cooking/baking and how to be super confident in your home-based business ๐
Great article time to show off hidden talents with confidence. 5stars for your brilliant knowledge thank your for sharing.
Thank you so much! You are most welcome ๐
Hi Aurelia! Wonderful and helpful post for everyone who decided to divert from fondant cakes to make living!!!Thank you for saying out loud what I was thinking all along. So helpful!! Baking is my absolute passion but there was never a right time to pursue my dreams to make it as a business. 4 years on and 3 kids in tow ( inc. set of twins) and the time has come! In the past I started with good old fashioned biscuits and various range of cakes but then focused on novelty cakes because, as you mentioned, that’s what was the demand was for. Did it make me truly happy? No. Working with fondant is not my thing and whilst I was able to create nice fondant cakes I could feel it wasn’t IT. You just know it’s not your niche. It might to do with the fact that I don’t actually know many grown ups who like the taste of fondant or the bright colours….sure, people love the creations ( because let’s face it, it is a proper art and I admire people who can enjoy and do it well – hence why I want to leave it to them)..it’s just once you start cut into it it’s a just a cake in the end. And the cake needs to taste good. I quickly got bored of it, didn’t really enjoy the process ( although loved the look when my cake was finished), found the whole decorating stressful and prospect of another order filled me with dread instead of joy. That’s when I knew I need to focus on doing what I love…artisan biscuits of different flavours, shape and textures. I only decorate with chocolate, or sprinkles… sometimes there is no need for any decoration at all apart from dusting of icing sugar or peace of nut…but I love it that way. I love that people don’t have the need to peel the fondant off my biscuits but instead enjoy the biscuit as a whole. I agree with you, I think the whole artisan good old fashioned baking is underrated. And it’s as challenging. You need to bake well. You can’t hide behind any decoration…I’m planning on starting my business next month so I will need every advice under the sun. I’m a decent baker but never done marketing and running business in my life so I expect a huge learning curve and lots of ups and downs + occasional loss of motivation :))
And although I live in UK, I find your post really helpful!! Thank you xx
Hi Stania! Oh I just LOVED reading your comment! Naturally, I TOTALLY relate to your approach and philosophy of baking ๐ And I’m SO HAPPY to hear that you’ve found your niche. It can be very tough (and a long journey) to discover what kinds of bakes really make you tick. Life’s curve balls can be quite intense – like twins for example! But well done for embracing it all with so much gumption. I’m so excited to see how your baking business starts and grows! Chat soon ๐
Thank you this was so helpful I have been truly strongly with these biased beliefs. I appreciate sharing all information that you have
Such a pleasure Iashia! Glad that the information has helped you ๐
Hi, great article! How about food liability insurance? I guess liability insurance will be needed right? what are the cost? what does home bakers need to insure?
Hi Melly, thanks for your comment. I recommend applying for your country’s equivalent of a “Certificate of Acceptability” and a “Hawking Meals Business License. They are super cheap! An inspector comes to your home just to make sure you have adequate washing up facilities. Not a big deal. You don’t need insurance. I do have a disclaimer on my site though, encouraging clients to take responsibilities for their own allergies. I can’t be blamed for an allergic reaction to nuts for example, because my disclaimer says that I work with nuts in my kitchen.
dont you need a busines license and what about the health department? any inspections to go thru??
Thank you for your comment Shelly! You do need a license yes ๐ I’ll write all about this in my next blog post!
Aurelia, thanks so much for this blog. You have actually pointed out the real pain points of every home baker. Something that even I struggled to find a solution to. You have really helped me boost my confidence.
Thank you!
Lots of love and good wishes <3
Hi Dackshta! Thank you so much for your kind words – I really appreciate it! I’m so happy to hear that I’ve helped to boost your confidence ๐ xxx
So glad I found your insight! Iโm not the only one who isnโt into fondant ๐ you were a breath of fresh air. Hopefully we can connect as I am looking into starting my own little home bakery. ๐
Hi Crystal, thanks so much for your comment! So glad to meet a kindred spirit! Will be happy to connect yes ๐ What’s your Instagram handle?
Hi there! I was literally two seconds from practicing how to make fondant!!! I’ve been baking as a side gig for the better part of 5 or so years. It started with co- workers in a small office. Now I’m with a larger company and now im the building’s baker. I was also on the hunt for storefront opportunities, but was afraid of the major responsibilities that come along with it. I’m glad to know I can stick to my passion with is simply baking and decorating. People love my icing and I kinda hate fondant to be honest ๐
Hi Stephanie! Oh thank goodness you did not fall down the rabbit’s hole! Lol! Your situation is SUPER fascinating… The building’s baker – awesome!
Thankyou, thankyou and thankyou for this. I’m a fresh graduated architect who just started a cupcake brand focusing on flavours since I’ve always had a passion for baking. Your article just relieve all my insecurities of not having the qualifications of a professional baker. I’ve always thought that I’m not good enough to compete with all those executive pastry chefs until I started to join a local pop up market and the feedback of the customers were overwhelming. What you say about we eat with our mouths, not our eyes is definitely true, when we focus on the taste, texture, the looks doesnt really matter to the customers, they came back for the taste experience. Thanks for this inspirational article! Love from Indonesia :))
Hi Ilona, thank you so much for your wonderful comment! I am SO GLAD to hear that it has meant so much to you! I’m elated to hear that you’ve started selling your bakes at a market and that the responses have been so positive! ๐ *High five!*
Such an inspiration..Thank you soo much for the boost I needed. ๐
So happy to hear that Furia! Thanks for your comment ๐
I LOVED your article! I’m cameroonian but only came back home a few years back. I am currently selling ginger flavoured madeleines at my parents bakery and I spent months trying to find the right texture, flavour, the hump, it was just an obsession. I have dedicated clients who show up at the bakery just for those madeleines, I’m really happy about that! I don’t care much for fondant either, I’m much more about taste and mastering techniques even for the simplest pound cake and also including local products or diy substitutes. Just like Ilona in the previous comment, I was thinking about getting a qualification, but you clarified that for me too, exprience is worth more than a diploma. I won’t stop at madeleines, I do a lot more stuff at home that my family loves, but trying
my hands at that gave me more confidence to continue on that path. Thank you again for taking the time to share that with us, few people give away such thorough knowledge for free.
Hi Eva! Thank you so much for your comment – I’m so happy you’ve enjoyed the article! ๐ I LOVE how dedicated you are to perfecting the quality of your bakes – it will take you very far in your baking career!! You are 100% right – with baking, experience is worth so much more than a diploma! xxx
Hello,
So I was wondering does anyone know if you have to obtain a license for an at Home Bakery?
Hi Nadia, thanks for you comment! I’ve written a post on that as well – Home Bakery Certificates & Licenses.
Great article! My best friend and I have recently started our at home bakery and are doing all the research we can! We’ve had several orders so far and we just make sure that what people want is within our wheelhouse. We don’t pretend to be able to do it all, but it’s so much fun to create. I think our biggest struggle is pricing right now. Do you have a blog post where you discuss that? Thank you!!
Hi Summer! Thanks so much for your comment ๐ SO excited for your new home bakery!! Well done for taking this bold step into a new season and what a blessing to have your best friend by your side. I actually have a whole free email course on pricing yes – Home Baked Confidence!
Hi Aurelia, I loved your article, and I came across it while I was searching to idea for cupcakes with fondant for a client and I was not so happy about it because I love to bake things as u said that taste great more than it looks …
but I have a question… how did u managed not to to be dragged from your clients to that corner of green fondant and roses ,,,,do you say no to this kind of orders??
Hi Sarah! Thank you so much for sharing your struggle. I totally understand how you feel. It’s scary to entertain the idea of saying “no” – especially if you’re a new business and/or need the money. But if your passion and forte is flavour, then you owe it to yourself AND the client to say no.
Why you owe it to yourself:
Your business will not start attracting your ideal clients while you keep saying “yes” to the wrong clients. It may be hard to hear, but saying yes to these clients might be a short term cash fix, but on the long term you are busy tanking your own business by changing your mind about what exactly you do and don’t bake. You cannot (and don’t have to) please everyone. I encourage you to start trusting and believing that you were made with a passion for flavour-focused baking for a reason. Honour who you were made to be. Pursue who you were made to be and say “no” to the rest. We cannot hold on to our past AND grab our future at the same time. You’ll end up getting hurt.
Why you owe it to the client:
The purpose of businesses is ultimately to serve their clients and meet their needs as best as possible. If fondant goes against your beliefs, then you probably won’t put your heart into a fondant-focused order. The client will end up getting a product that has not been made with love or joy and that’s unfair to them – don’t you think? Even though we feel they’re a bit crazy to like fondant, that is still their choice and they still deserve to get their needs met ๐ A baker who LOVES working with fondant will be able to meet their needs quite a bit better than you’ll be able to. It’s just the right thing to do to say “no” and refer them to someone else. It means you have their best interest at heart!
You might also enjoy my post on 5 Mindset Shifts of Successful Home Bakery Owners – I go into more detail with what we just spoke about in this thread.
This is exactly what I needed to read!! This addressed all my concerns about starting a home bakery that didnโt touch fondant ๐ I hate the stuff with a passion. My concern is that I live in humid/hot climate. Do I have a disclaimer address is appropriate storage in the heat??
I am so glad you enjoyed this post Bonnie! I also live in a hot & humid climate – South Africa. In the middle of summer it is best to bake early in the morning and start again late afternoon, but it’s absolutely doable yes! Obviously you will use your fridge a fair bit, but I’ve coped with just 1 domestic fridge for 5 and a half years now. You don’t need massive fridges and freezers.
I so appreciate this post and am glad I found your blog. I have been a sahm for 14 years and am trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up ๐ I’ve always adored baking and have had a home baking business for a short while, but life got in the way and I didn’t get to pursue it the way I would’ve liked. I would like to eventually have a bakery in our little town, but wanted to start with a home bakery first. You’ve given me great encouragement and I appreciate your knowledge! =)
Hi Lauren! I’m so excited to hear that you feel encouraged to pursue your baking dreams again! A Home Bakery is the perfect business for a SAHM to pursue because you decide your work hours based on your needs and you get to be at home for your family as well. All of this while generating a great income! I’m here for you if you have any questions ๐
You don’t need a sanitation liscense? How do your customers know your house is clean? Pets?
Hi Sabrina! I’m glad you’ve asked ๐ I’ve written a whole post on Home Bakery Certificates & Licenses. Enjoy!
Thanks for this article! My biggest challenge is getting people to leave reviews on my FB page. They will rave about our cake pops but when I ask for a review, I don’t know if they just don’t want to take the time? I’m looking for tips to figure out how to motivate customers to leave reviews.
Hi Stephanie – thanks for your comment! As a general rule I do not ask a client to write me a review until they’ve ordered from me at least 3 times. You need to have built a slight relationship with them before you ask them to do you a favour like writing a review – because it is a favour. If you need reviews urgently, you could offer them a 10% discount coupon on their next order. That should get them excited to do it! ๐
Hello Aurelia,
Thank you so much for your post.I have always wanted to start ahome baking business,but I havent been confident enough to start.But reading your post has been very helpful.Thank you so much. This is what I really needed.
Thank you for your comment Folasade ๐ I’m so happy to hear that the post has been helpful and encouraging to you! Please let me know if you have any questions.
Hi Aurelia! Would you happen to have this info in a paperback? So much insightful information I would love to have at my fingertips! Thank you so much for sharing.
Hi Contina! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed this post so much! I unfortunately don’t have a downloadable version. But this blog post will always be here for you to refer back to ๐ Maybe bookmark it for quick access.
Hi Aurelia,
First off, I love your name! Thank you for these articles. Your positive energy and encouragement are exactly what I needed. I will definitely apply these principles and am hoping for a successful home bakery also. Thanks!
Elizabeth
Hi Elizabeth! You’re so sweet – thank you! I’m so happy to hear that you feel encouraged by the post. Let me know if you ever have any questions; I’ll be happy to help ๐
Hello!
My 5 year old would like to start a baking business because she has never been able to eat pastries from a bakery. She has life threatening food allergies so her pastries will all be dairy and nut free. Iโm wondering if you can give her advice on how to start. Online resources can be overwhelming. She has her recipes developed but thatโs about it. Just wondering what she can do to get started and keep the momentum going. Her name is Olivia and sheโs been baking since she was 2. Thank you! Sandra
Hi Sandra! It’s wonderful to hear that Olivia is so passionate about baking ๐ A great place to start is to create a business plan for your Home Bakery. I’ve written a thorough blog post on how to create your own home bakery business plan – click here. Completing the business plan template will help you so much to figure out which steps to take next!
Hi Aurelia,
I agree with everything stated here! One hurdle I have yet to get over is insurance. I have been able to find a business insurance policy but I’m unable to find a home owners policy that will cover my home should something happen. Did you run into this at all?
Thanks for your help!
Hi Megan! Thanks for reaching out ๐ Totally understand your frustration with insurance! That’s why I’ve written a post about it – Home Bakery Licenses, Certificates & Insurance ๐ Let me know if you have any other questions!
Thank you for your post! So excited to start. One question.. where do I find insurance to cover me to keep from getting in trouble if something comes back on me say if someone has an allergy or something.. just if anything happens. I am covered. Thank you. This post is great. Very helpful. Bless you.
Hi Jana! So glad you’re excited to start your own Home Bakery! ๐ And yes, there’s a lot you can do to protect yourself from such cases. Click here to read about Home Bakery Business Certificates, Licenses & Insurance. Scroll down to the Insurance part ๐
Thank you for this post Aurelia!
Love it!
Such a pleasure Silvana! Glad you enjoyed it! ๐
Such a pleasure Silvana! Glad you enjoyed it ๐
Great article. Can I make a good go at it as a home baker if I just want to specialize in Wedding cakes? Or do I need to bake other goods to be successful?
Hey Heather! GREAT question. Truth be told, wedding clients are NOT ideal for Home Bakers because more often than not, they are ONCE-OFF buyers! A Home Bakery needs CONSISTENCY to succeed and that’s why it’s a better long term strategy to find a different niche than wedding cakes.
Hi Aurelia,
I was on pintrest and found this. It was great to have some answers. I have a house cleaning sevice. I cleaned houses since 2003. But on the side l always baked for family and friends. Always baking my carrot cake to everyone. I told my clients always that l baked and christmas cookies. I gave them out to them for Christmasas a gift. I used to tell them l can bake them for you . But no bites. For my friend just this year she asked me to bake a strawberry shortcake. I left extra so l can try it and l thought it was good. She paid me 40 dollars for it. It was a big cake. My thoughts l think she didn’t care for it . She paid it anyway. I guess she didn’t want to hurt my feelings. I know lm a good baker. But how do l start all over ,my cleaning business is ending. I had a terrible fall broke two ribs and my knee is out. While cleaning a clients house. But anyway.
How do l start with baking, l love it. Sometimes I think of something to make late in the evening and bake it.
How to get my cofidence to start going out. Should l get business cards out. And a list of cake and cookies that l make. Christmas is coming up l think it might be a good start to get out . Sounds silly to me but just the cofidence thing. I’m ok with my family and friends l don’t have a problem.
The information you gave out is great.
And that fondant l tried a small cake for home it was OK. But it’s what everyone is asking.
Hope you can answer any questions.
I found this on pintrest.
Thank you so much for the info
Happy Bakers
Sandy Pittman
Hi Sandy! Thank you for your message ๐ I’m so sorry to hear that you’ve had so many physical challenges this last while with your ribs and knee… But make no mistake; Baking is ALSO a very physical job! Less labour intensive than cleaning, but still it’s hard on your body.
If you struggle with confidence you can go read my guest post on my friend’s blog called: “How to Become a more Confident Home Baker”
And if you’re keen to get started with your Baking Business you can work through the Home Bakery Business Plan Workbook in the Free Resource Library (I sent you the link in an email yesterday).
If you want to grow your baking skills and bake better, then you can work through the Guide called “5 habits to unlock your full potential as a Home Baker” ๐ This is also the the Free Resource Library.
xxx
Aurelia
Wow, Thank you Aurelia for this information. I have started a business 3 different times and have crashed each one for some reason or another so I finally decided that maybe I do need some professional training to be able to be successful. It is interesting though how it seems that I am learning a list of what I need to learn. I only have 6 months left before I have a Bachelors degree in Business Administration, but I am no more qualified than someone who knows the things that need to go into building a business and learning it through various sights like Youtube and etc. what is interesting to me is the fact that pretty much every instructor I have had through collage uses videos from youtube to teach about each subject.
I plan to start up my business again in the Spring and this time I have a list of what I need to know to run a successful business, but I can sincerely say that it isn’t the degree that will help me be successful, it will be how persistent and organized I keep things so that all the laws and regulations of running a business are taken care of properly.
Hi Emma! Thanks for sharing your story ๐ It’s amazing to hear your experience about studying Business Administration… But WELL DONE for taking action after your crashed business startups! It’s great that you took it upon yourself to learn more about business. And if this business degree has given you more confidence I feel that it’s been worth it ๐ I have a signature course on Starting up a Home Bakery >> Enrollment is closed at the moment, but you can join the wait list here.
Hello! I am finding your website A-MAZ-ING!! seriously, so helpful.
I am just a simple home baker, trying to turn my hobby into my profession around family life. I know this isn’t typically related to this post BUT we have a basic, small kitchen, I know once I register with the council I will have a food regulations check, and I was wondering if you have any tips on making sure the kitchen is up to standard. I am going to try and build my own like “Baking area” and have all ingredients and utensils separate from my normal ones and stuff but I have no idea what else they will look for…
I know this depends from country to country but any advice would be great.
Also what documentation are you expected to keep?
I also don’t have any food safety certificates or anything, I am looking at courses but does it matter instantly?
Any help would be great!
Thank you so much xx
Hey Melanie, thanks for your feedback! So glad the content is helpful to you ๐ And YES I have a whole blog post about Home Bakery Certificates, Licenses and Insurance! It will give you great pointers (I’ve gone through the process twice – once for every different place we’ve lived in) and practical advice about the processes.
wow! finally i found a write up that exactly matches my beliefs and oassion with baking. We are one in mind .. made me cry actually reading your write up. im actually in the planning stage of building a separate space in our house for my baking .. thank you so much for your thoughts.. feeling blessed! all the best to you and your business
Thank you so much for your sweet comment Ellen! I’m so glad this post meant so much to you ๐ Super excited to hear that you’re currently planning to add a baking space to your home! Please let me know if you ever have any questions throughout your Home Bakery endeavours.
This is such an inspiring article! Unfortunately, though, I live in New Jersey, the only state in the US that will not pass a cottage industry/home baking law that allows it. HUGE obstacle! I make delicious cupcakes that I have made for peopleโs parties and events, but itโs a bit scary, since itโs illegal!๐ณ. Go figure, NJ will probably legalize marijuana, but not home baked items! I am keeping the faith and look forward to following your story! Sherri
What a bummer Sherri!! So sorry to hear that… I’ve recently heard about some states relaxing their cottage food laws a bit. Maybe New Jersey is next! ๐ You never know.
Thank you for the great summary of several things Iโve thought about as Iโm getting my home-based (for now) pie shop started – 1) whatโs most important are the amazing flavors in your pie (or cake), not whether itโs camera-ready and 2) there are plenty of people and resources to help with business details as long as they see you are passionately invested in creating a quality product – thanks for the encouragement from RSA (a beautiful place Iโd like to visit again!) to the USA –
Hey Allen, thanks for your comment ๐ I’m so glad my post has been useful to you! You are 100% right, amazing flavours are what counts in baking. Keep pursuing your baking dreams!
Hi Sherri!
Our little baking world needs amazing cupcakes! Commercial Kitchens can be an answer to your obstacle! If that’s too expensive, check out your local churches, schools, or even a Senior Center. Hopefully, they may rent to you!
Waw! Very inspiring piece. I love this, I am motivated. Much tnx Aurelia
Thanks Amuche! Glad you enjoyed it! ๐
Hello Aurelia!
I wished I had stumbled across this article BEFORE going to school, this would have saved me over $9000! You have some amazing tips and now that I have my baking business up and running, I can still take a TON away from this website! You now have another follower for life and thanks so much for sharing everything!! ๐
Hey Stacey! Oh dear, that’s a BIG spend! I firmly believe that no skill is ever wasted though, so I’m sure you’re better off with all that extra knowledge and experience. So glad to have you on board! Please let me know if you ever have any other questions xxx
Amazing posts. Please keep up the good work ๐ You have definitely one loyal reader here!
Thanks so much Rebecca! Glad to meet you ๐ xxx
Hi Aurelia! Greetings from Nairobi.:-)Thanks for sharing these wonderful tips and encouragement. I have been baking part-time out of my kitchen for the last 5 years. The orders are sporadic, mostly from friends and neighbors and the feedback is usually good. I’d like to ramp up the orders to a place where I can comfortably do this full time so I can quit my 9-5. I recently saw a local baker post that they were fully booked for the month and I was in awe. Any tips on how I can go from zero to fully booked?
Hey Emma! Thanks for your comment – I’m so glad this post has encouraged you ๐ It’s awesome to hear that you want to scale up your baking and do it full time! The best advice I have to offer right now is to start educating yourself on business & marketing as soon as possible! Marketing is ALL about learning how to make strangers realize that YOUR baked goods are exactly what they’ve been looking for.
The cheapest, quickest way to educate yourself in business & marketing is by reading books. I highly recommend The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau. It changed everything in my Home Bakery! I started reading it just after my baking biz lost a HUGE client and hence 70% of my income – overnight! I picked up this book (thanks to my legit husband), studied it, applied everything I learned, and a year later my Home Bakery was booked solid for 3 months in advance ๐
And then of course there’s also my online course Home Bakery Startup! This course is for home bakers who want to make home baking their part-time or full-time career. We dive deep into business, marketing, logistics, acquiring direct clients organically and through Google, getting wholesale clients, doing food markets and so much more. It’s a course to help you become a confident, equipped Home Bakery Business owner.
This course isn’t currently open for enrollment, but it will open again later this year. If you’re interested you can join the wait list here >> https://homebakerystartup.com ๐
Thanks Aurelia for the tips! I’ve signed up for your course and will look the book up.
Thanks for sharing such a meaningful article. Much appreciated your effort. Its something really amazing and helpful article
I’m so glad it was meaningful to you Harry! Thanks for letting me know ๐
Hi Aurelia! I found this blog post SUPER encouraging and helpful. I have recently decided to start my own home baking business and I look forward to utilizing some of the tips and tools you share. I was SO encouraged to know that I donโt have to be an expert with fondant or even have to make wedding cakes to be successful at this. I have been a cake decorator for grocery stores for the past 5 years and although i still enjoy it for the most part, I get the biggest joys from baking from home for my friends and family.
I have a couple questions that have come up for me as Iโve started this new venture: 1) how do I price my baked goods so that I am not charging too much but still making a profit from what I sell? 2) Iโve noticed a HUGE trend with baking vegan and/or gluten free treats. I am tempted to give it a try but do I need to decide if thatโs what Iโm going to do or is it possible to make both vegan and full dairy, full gluten products to sell from home?
Thanks again for your wonderful knowledge, valuable insight, and encouraging advice!
Hey Taryn
Thanks for your comment! I’m so happy to hear that this post has brought some clarity for you on what types of bakes you do and don’t need to bake to have a successful Home Bakery Business. For pricing tips you can check out this blog post >> https://philosophyofyum.com/cake-pricing-for-home-bakers/. As for baking things that are “on trend” – I honestly believe that if YOU don’t believe in it, you’ll have a tough time selling it. You should want to BUY & EAT everything you want to put on your menu. So just check your heart before you do anything that’s “on trend” because trends come and go…
You can absolutely make allergy friendly baked goods at home yes. I bake loads of gluten free goods AND normal ones. I just make a point of keeping everything separate. In 7 years I haven’t had a single gluten free client with a reaction. So YES, it’s possible. Good luck on your new venture!
Hi Aurelia! I love all of your articles on starting a home bakery. I want to start my own home bakery but I’m not sure where to start once I start to feel confident enough with my bakes. So I guess my first question is how did you first start marketing your home bakery and getting those first initial clientele? My second question would be how to decide on how many things to put on your menu when you first start out without getting overwhelmed? Thank you again for all of the article you’ve provided on starting a home bakery, it really has been a big inspiration for me starting out from the bottom.
Hey Hafsah, thanks for your comment! I’m so glad to hear that you’re enjoying the articles ๐ I TOTALLY understand that feeling of not being sure where to start… Iโll be happy to give you some direction ๐
The best advice I have to offer right now is to fill in the Home Bakery Business Plan Template (you can download it in the Free Resource Library. Check your email for the link) The business plan will help you to figure out WHAT you need to bake, WHO you need to bake it for and HOW you’re going to reach them. It’s the first step to figure out your map for your business and will bring you LOADS of clarity.
You’re also welcome to join the wait list for my next free Home Bakery Business Training >> https://homebakerystartup.com.
And in the meantime you can start educating yourself in business and marketing through books! Hereโs a recent blog post I wrote about the BEST books that have helped to move my business forward >> https://philosophyofyum.com/the-5-best-resources-to-grow-your-home-bakery-business/
Very informative post! Thanks for sharing
Such a pleasure! I’m glad it was informative for you ๐