Why I’m Scaling Down From Full-Time to Part-Time Home Baking

Why I’m Scaling Down From Full-Time to Part-Time Home Baking

Why I’m Scaling Down From Full-Time to Part-Time Home Baking

Hey baking friends 🙂

This post has been on the back-burner for quite some time. I’ve felt so unsure about sharing this important update with you, but I’ve decided to finally post it.

For 6 years I baked out my heart and soul – and my body as well as it turned out!

It’s hard to believe how much I was baking every week from Jan 2013 – Dec 2018. At one point I was baking for 7 Different Coffee shops AND all my direct clients. There was even a time when I was fully booked for up to 3 months in advance!

I’m extremely grateful for my entire Home Bakery Business journey… It’s grown me into the person I am today. Starting my Home Bakery has been one of the most incredible adventures of my life.

However, over the past 2 years things have been changing in my business. That’s what today’s post is about.

I really want to be honest with you about the reality of my baking business. I’ve been so hesitant to share these things with you because I’ve been afraid.

There’s a fear inside me that you’ll think I’m not a “legit home bakery owner” if I don’t bake full-time anymore. And that you therefor won’t be open to anything I want to teach you about the business of home baking anymore.

But despite these fears I still desire to be honest with you, because that’s what friends do.

So here goes…

Here are all the reasons why I’ve decided to scale down from full-time home baking to part-time home baking.

 

1. My ankle (and the rest of my body) is annnnngggrrrry

If you’ve been following me on Instagram you’ll know that my right ankle started giving major trouble in August 2019.

I was just wrapping up a day of baking and suddenly felt quite a lot of pain in my right ankle. With every step the pain escalated severely.

I knew something was VERY wrong.

Less than a minute after the pain started I couldn’t put any weight on my foot at all anymore. I couldn’t even put my foot on the floor.

I went to a physio and apparently my walking action has been wrong for the past 19 years. This made me overuse a certain tendon in my leg & ankle.

For 2 weeks I couldn’t stand or walk. I had to cancel all my clients’ orders and take a month off from baking.

Despite exercises and stretching my ankle still isn’t doing that great. I can literally only bake 1 day per week otherwise my ankle freaks out.

Now please don’t worry that something like this will happen to you if you stand and bake a lot!

You’ll be just fine!

This is just happening because my body is FAR from normal.

Long story short I had a tumour in my spinal cord and brain as a baby. The doctor surgically removed half of it. The Lord Jesus Christ made the other half disappear. The doctor even wrote “miracle” on my file.

I still can’t believe this really happened, but it did. All glory to Father God.

The tumour had grown inside me for more than a year though and in that time it caused a lot of damage to my nervous system.

My entire right side of my body is smaller and weaker than my left side. My right side also has quite a lot less functionality. This is a photo of my feet and ankles.

When I was 12 I also had to undergo surgery on my right leg to make it straight because it was completely skew. During this massive operation the doctors also operated on my foot and ankle.

So with all these operations and permanent nerve damage and scoliosis – it’s safe to say that my body is FAR from normal.

I’ve been trying to ignore this fact my entire life.

All my life I’ve tried with every ounce of will power in me to look normal. All my life I’ve been trying to PROVE to other people (and myself) that I’m normal. And in the process I’ve totally overextended myself.

I’ve been pushing my body to do MORE than it’s able to… For YEARS now.

The TRUTH is that I’m NOT normal.

And I’m starting to realize that that’s okay.

My body is different. It’s weak and limited. And it’s not a reflection on who I am as a person. My body IS just different.

So I’m deciding to finally cut my body some slack. It’s been going along with all the crazy amounts of work I’ve forced it to do.

Now it’s my turn to go along with what my body really needs.

And that’s physical rest.

Over the past few months I’ve figured out that my limit is baking 1 day per week. If I bake more than that my ankle just starts hurting again.

I’m EXTREMELY grateful that I CAN at least bake for 1 day per week. It could just as well have been the end of my Home Bakery Business, but thankfully it’s not.

 

2. Right now, my help is needed more elsewhere

Philosophy of Yum was originally just the name of my Home Bakery Business. I never thought I’d start a blog.

As I kept baking the same things over and over and over again for my wholesale and direct clients I began to discover some fascinating baking tips & tricks!

Baking tips like:
How to bake perfect cupcakes.
How to get a shiny crust on your brownies.
The EASIEST way in the world to temper chocolate.
How to fix split chocolate ganache.
And so many more!

I figured that this info will be helpful to other home bakers out there and a blog seemed like the best way to share this info.

Eventually people started asking me questions about my Home Bakery Business and reaching out to me for help in starting their own.

I then realized that it might be a good idea to show people how to start & grow their own Home Bakery. Online courses seemed like a great way to help home bakers right around the world!

In August 2017 took an online course to help me create my own online courses. And the feedback has been INCREDIBLE!

Like Cameron’s story:

“In the course I felt empowered to just keep moving forward and not to be afraid even if I don’t have everything figured out and don’t feel ready. Then I decided on a date and launched my business. Week 1 – I sold out! Week 2 I’ve sold out again!”

And Angie Watts’s story:

“Since I’ve started working with Aurelia, I haven’t had one week go by without an order! It’s the best investment in myself & my business I’ve made. THANK YOU! I feel more confident in myself as a baker and moving forward in my home bakery business!”

After baking full time from home for 7 years I've started making some drastic changes. I want to keep being honest with you so that you make good decisions in your Home Bakery Business. Here are the reasons why I'm scaling down to part-time Home Baking... #homebakery #homebaking #bakingbusiness #cakebusiness

 

>> I never thought that I’d be a teacher or coach. And never in my wildest dreams did I think my little life would help bakers around the world to believe in themselves and start their own businesses.

What’s happened in the process is that the more students enroll, the more time I need to invest in supporting them. My students have become my top priority. Their success is my priority. Once they’re part of my programs, they have my support 100%.

There aren’t many people online who help home bakers to build successful businesses. There’s help for cake decorators yes, but for humble home bakers like you and me – not so much.

Look, I know that cake decorators have taken over the baking scene. There’s a time and place for cake decorating, but you and I both know that tasteless decorations can’t comfort people and connect families like DELICIOUS home baking can.

So it’s my mission to help flavour-obsessed home bakers to get the confidence and business skills they need so they don’t feel intimidated to share their irreplaceable gift of comforting home baking with people who need it.

These amazing home bakers deserve to get the help they need. Their community, the world, NEEDS their delicious home baking. And if I can show bakers how to reach those people, it would be wrong to just keep my head down and do nothing to help them.

Baking is still super important to me.

But helping other flavour-obsessed bakers to reach more people with their baking is now MORE important to me in this season of my life.

 

May I just say that I’m extremely grateful to the Father for TIMING everything so… so… perfectly (which seems like a total understatement).

He knew all along that my body would get to a point where it can no longer bake full-time.

He knew.

And He started carving out a new way for me 2 whole years before it happened… I’m just beyond humbled by His faithfulness.

 

If I’m totally honest I still would’ve preferred to have a stronger, normal body that could bake all day long. That would’ve been AWESOME.

That would’ve been a lot simpler.

I wouldn’t have needed to learn so many new things about blogging, online business, creating courses, optimizing my SEO (aka getting found on Google) and so many other complicated things.

I could’ve stayed in my comfort zone – my tiny kitchen – keeping to myself and never needing to put myself out there.

BUT…

I also wouldn’t have met YOU.

Or any of the other gold-hearted home bakers I’m blessed enough to support in their journey to confidence and success.

God’s way is BETTER.

It’s not easier.

And it’s not un-complicated.

It requires us to stop hiding and step into who He has MADE us to be.

It requires us to open up to letting mountains go and open up to His healing, Lordship and restoration.

His ways are higher than our ways.

And I’ve come to see that the more I look to Him and His ways, the more I become exactly who I REALLY am.

 

I hope this post encourages you to also open up to who God has REALLY made YOU to be. That you’ll stop fighting Him.

That you’ll stop running away.

That you’ll join me in surrendering to our glorious Father. And surrender to who He has made you to be; therein lies so much freedom.

We were made for Him.

And a kinder, more loving or patient being than Him has never existed.

Join me in continually hearing from Him who we REALLY are and not what the world tells us we’re “supposed to be”.

Lots of love

Aurelia

Got a question? Something to add? Let’s chat in the comments section down below! (I respond to every single comment)

Do You Have What it Takes to Open a Retail Bakery?

Do You Have What it Takes to Open a Retail Bakery?

Do You Have What it Takes to Open a Retail Bakery?


**Guest content further down by Tina McJunkin from The Cautiously Optimistic Kitchen**

Welcome back to PART 2 of my Retail Bakery Series! If you missed my last post, I strongly encourage you to read it. I had the privilege of chatting with Tina McJunkin from the cautiously optimistic kitchen about the 4 LIES Home Bakers Believe about Owning a Storefront Bakery.

She shared her TRUE story of what it was like to run her own Retail Bakery for 2 years. Her story is absolutely incredible! It has really brought a HEAP of perspective and truth about the realities of owning your own bakery.

If you’ve read last week’s post and you STILL feel that opening your own Retail Bakery is a dream you want to pursue, today’s post is for you!

Tina has put together some questions for you to figure out if you have what it takes to open your own Retail Bakery.

 

Please note that Tina & I are NOT doing this Retail Bakery series to trample on your dreams, but rather because we want you to make INFORMED decisions and be successful!

Over to Tina 🙂

 

Dearest Home Baker,
I have been right where you are now.

 

Dreaming and obsessing over all the things I would do if I had my own cute little cake shop. How I would decorate the front of house and how I would charm every customer with a free sample as they strolled in the door. How people would FINALLY take me seriously as a baker!

Oh yes, I’ve been there.

I’ve also been on the other side of there.

I’ve actually owned and operated a real life Retail Bakery. And that, my friends, is why I’m here today. You really NEED to think about these things before you take the leap and dive in!

So… do you have what it takes to open a retail bakery? Let’s find out!

1. Do You Know WHY You Want a Retail Bakery?

I know you dream of doing this, but why are you REALLY doing this?

Do you want to make more money than you are now? Or maybe you want the fame of having a wildly successful bakery?

Is it because you want to be busier with more customers? Do you just want all that cake stuff out of your house and to stop taking over every spare inch you can find to shove more supplies?

Could it be because you want the opportunity to hire employees and delegate some of the work so that you have more time for your own family?

Do you have what it takes to open your own retail bakery? Here are 6 questions for you to answer so you can know for sure!

If you are only opening a bakery to satisfy your daydreams, you may need to think about the next few things first.


2. How Much Time are You Willing to Sacrifice?

Operating a retail bakery will take ALL of your time. I truly mean that.

As the owner, you will work 24/7/365.

Not. Even. Kidding.

If you have a storefront you will absolutely be busier than in your home bakery. Not only will you need to spend time on actually making cakes, you will spend time on so many more admin & logistical issues like:

The book work, paying bills, ordering supplies, taking inventory, hiring/firing/managing employees, handling advertising, answering calls/emails only you as the owner can respond to, creating recipes/menus, shopping, etc., etc.

It’s everything you are already doing in your home bakery, but 100 fold. So take the amount of time you spend working on your cakes now and multiply that by 100. Now you have how many hours you will work in a week.

You might think it’s impossible to work a 130 hour work week, but I’m telling you now that it’s very real and imminent when you own a Retail Bakery.


3. Do You Have a Plan?

I don’t just mean a plan of how things are going to look and how everyone is going to think your yummies are the best in town. I mean a real deal business plan.

If you are going to finance this venture, you will be required to have a plan anyway. But even if you aren’t financing you MUST have a plan!!

You Need a Plan for ALL the following things:

  • Know what your operating hours will be.
  • How many employees you will need and what schedule they will work.
  • If you will purchase ingredients locally or if you will use a food service.
  • Have your menu and recipes ready and flawless.
  • Have business cards and brochures printed before you ever open your doors.
  • Know exactly how much your items, supplies, packaging and ingredients cost per unit.
  • Know exactly how much your overhead will cost you.
  • How much will your workers comp insurance, unemployment insurance and liability insurance cost?
  • Will you pay sick days or maternity leave?
  • How much will you pay out in salaries, sales taxes, business licenses, and deposits?
  • Call the utility office and ask what an average bill costs for the unit you are going to operate in.
  • Is your building already set up for a food service business?
  • Will you need to get permits or build out your building?
  • What is the cost of your equipment?
  • How long will it take the Health Department to allow you to open once you’re ready?
  • Shop around for internet, phone, advertising, insurance, etc.
  • KNOW HOW MUCH THINGS ARE GOING TO COST.

There will be even more things added to this list as you get deeper into it and it is absolutely essential that you have a SOLID plan.

 

All Home Bakers DREAM of having their own Storefront Bakery with a line of eager customers wrapping around the block! But it's not the party we imagine it to be. Here are 6 questions for you to answer and figure out if YOU have what it takes to open your own retail/storefront bakery. #homebakery #bakingbusiness #cakebusiness #retailbakery


4. To Finance or Not to Finance?

How are you going to fund this venture?

If you are going to finance your bakery yourself you will need to have that business plan ready. There are different types of loans you can get, so be sure you research them all. You can find tons of free information on small business loans and other funding options on bank websites.

Decide if you need a down payment, collateral, or if you will be using credit cards. Also, be sure to think about how you will handle the financial situation if you are not able to make those payments.

 

How is that going to affect other aspects of your life? Are you using your home or vehicle as collateral and will you lose those items? Are you about to sink your entire life savings into this? Will you be maxing out those credit cards?

Once you decide on how you will finance your Retail Bakery’s start up don’t forget about those operating costs.

Be sure you have some kind of financial cushion for slow times!

Whether that is a personal stockpile of cash you have set aside, a line of credit, or one credit card you held back from maxing. Whatever it may be, just be sure you have it at the ready. You will need it – even if you’re 100% sure you won’t.

 

 

5. Are You Ready to Be a Boss?

Are you really prepared to be a boss?

Now look, I’m the first to admit I can be considered to be a bit bossy (Or so I’m told by my younger sisters, my kids, my husband) I’m the eldest child in my family, what can I say, I come by it honestly, right?

But here’s the kicker. I may be great at being bossy, but I’m a terrible boss!!!

There’s more to being a boss than bossing. You’ve got to be able to manage people. You need to be prepared to interview, hire, delegate, and even fire people.

 

Trust me it’s much harder than it sounds. You also need to be able to be respected (and be respectful). You need to be taken seriously, you need to be fair, and you need to be able to set standards that you expect to be met by all your employees.

Also remember that you are their employer, not their friend. You must keep those two relationships separate, even if you’re friendly with your employees (and you definitely should be!). If you don’t you separate the two you will never be able to manage employees to the best of your ability.

One other thing you will realize pretty fast is that YOU are the employee of the month – actually of the year!

You will need to know how to perform EVERY job and be willing and able to do them. If you have an employee call in sick, be prepared to jump into that position.

Be prepared to work every position at once because sometimes you just might have to!

 

There may be times when it’s slow enough that you need to decide if it’s worth it to pay another person to do a job you can actually do yourself.

Holidays and weekends are another time when you get to work but may decide to let your employees enjoy the time off. You will need to consider these things when you are deciding on how much time you’re willing to put in as well when you are creating your business plan costs.


6. Are You Ready to Develop a THICK Skin?

Once those doors open, you are now considered a professional. If you are still working on those decorating skills and you’ve only been doing this just a little while, no one will be considerate of that. As soon as you establish yourself in a brick and mortar store, the customers will expect you to be an absolute expert.

There won’t be much room for error.

  • Everything you do will be under scrutiny.
  • Everything your employees say and do will be under scrutiny.
  • Anything and everything that goes out your door will be criticized and picked apart.

The fact is when you grow your audience you open yourself up to more opportunities to be placed under the microscope. Not everyone will like your work. Heck, not everyone likes your work now. But when you open a retail bakery, you lose that personal touch.

People aren’t afraid of hurting your feelings anymore if they aren’t completely pleased. Now they’re racing to social media to let the entire world know how awful you are, all without ever letting you know they were unhappy. It’s just reality.

The thing is that it will bother you. It will ruin your weekend when you get that first call complaining about your work.

The first time, the next time, and the last time will all hurt the same. Just be prepared and know that unfortunately not all people have the decency to treat others as they would like to be treated.

There are plenty of people who are ready to spew whatever junk comes to their minds. So you have to decide how you will handle the situation when it comes – because unfortunately, it WILL come.

Do you have what it takes to open a retail bakery? Every Home Baker carries this dream in their pocket at some point! Here are 6 questions for you to answer so you can know for sure if opening a storefront bakery is the right step for YOU! #cakebusiness #bakingbusiness #homebakery #retailbakery

 

So there you have my six things you definitely need to think about before opening a retail bakery.

Now that you’ve thought about these 6 questions, have you considered baking from home may be just where you need to be?

Tina

 

Thank you so much for sharing these questions with us Tina! If you haven’t read Tina’s full story on the Reality of Owning a Retail Bakery, you can read it here.

I hope Tina’s questions have brought some clarity, perspective and shed a lot of light on your baking journey – as it has done for me!

If you have any questions, please comment below and either Tina or I will respond.

Chat soon

Aurelia 🙂

Got a question? Something to add? Let’s chat in the comments section down below! (I respond to every single comment)