Ever since the world was introduced to the simple pleasures of baking via numerous cookery shows, it feels like the whole world has gone baking mad! And for good reason, really; nothing is quite so comforting as excessive amounts of sugar.
This baking boom inspired a whole load of aspiring bakers – good, bad, and ugly – to test their skills and create their very own baking blog to showcase their recipes, earn themselves a foodie following and, in some cases, build a baking biz.
So, you’ve completed the first step on the yellow brick road of building a baking biz (or baking business, if you want to be formal about it) and got yourself a blog – well done, you! But what now?
Time to Make a Plan
Even if starting a baking blog was initially intended as a casual bit of fun for you to share your love of baking, there’s no reason why you can’t take your runaway success and large audience to help you turn it into a fully functioning business that you’re passionate about!
First things first, it’s time to draw up a business plan (sounds dull, we know, but it’s a vital step-to-success – promise). You can start off casually, deciding on your overall aims and hopes, then you can get into the nitty-gritty. If you have absolutely no idea where to start, there are loads of example formats and templates for you to utilize online – just get your research on and find the one that suits you best.
Get a Roof!
While you may have a perfectly functioning kitchen at home, chances are that it is geared more around daily food prep and other family-related tasks (like cleaning and washing, sigh). If you really want to step up to the next level – whether you plan on opening a specialized kitchen with all the right tools to start a bakery delivery service or want to open up a little bakery-cum-café, you need to consider your finances and funding.
Yes, you can certainly use your own savings to cover overheads and fund yourself, but why scrimp, save, and struggle when there are places you can get specific business loans for bakeries? You can pay this back on a monthly basis once you start earning, and it will be the boost you need to get started.
Branding and Marketing
Once these two steps are complete, you can start to consider your branding and marketing. It’s important to retain the tone of voice and level of engagement you’ve demonstrated on your blog across all platforms, so you can either use a professional logo-making service to create a unique logo and slogan, or you can utilize the various apps available on your smartphone to create your own (cost-free!).
This can then be applied to the social media accounts you set up (never underestimate the reach and spread of social media – it can be the break or break factor of a business these days). Maybe you want to link your blog posts to your Instagram account? Or perhaps you want to create TikTok videos of you baking your delectable treats and other people enthusiastically gobbling them down? Your first forays into the social media marketing game can be absolutely cost-free at first and, when you have some funding, can then expand into a more complex, paid form of marketing (such as influencers and paid advertisements).
So, whether your full-to-the-brim with confidence for your next step or uncertain of where to start, we hope that these first steps help to get you on your way. Good luck!