Blending Baking and Business to Make You More Dough
Planning the perfect menu for your home bakery is no easy task. Before you add your favorite dessert or pastry to your menu, you need to decide how your new bakeshop will profit, and stay organized as you design your menu. Let’s get started with…
The best way to grow your home bakery business is to fill your baking schedule with prepaid orders. If you’re ready to learn how to do this then keep reading because I’ll show you what successful home bakers are doing to have more profit and…
If you are just getting started learning about how to have a legal home bakery, you’ve probably wondered if you need to form an LLC. In this post, I’ll answer some frequently asked questions and share my personal experience with forming an LLC for my baking business.
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is entirely up to you
Your state requirements are the first place to start when it comes to finding answers about your legal paperwork. You’ll need to know about :
If you are looking for an all-in-one resource for learning about home bakery requirements, check out my Home Bakery Start-Up Bundle.
Look, we didn't get into this because we want to be lawyers, right? Let's make this as simple and easy to understand as possible. There are several possibilities for how your business will be classified.
This type of business formation is simple and inexpensive. It's easy to register, and easy to file your taxes by just including your business losses or gains on your personal taxes. Sounds good, right? Well, hold on. There are a few downsides to a sole proprietorship. What if you want to go into business with a partner? Of you have assets that you need to protect?
An LLC stands for a limited liability company, and it does just that. It limits your liability should something go wrong. An LLC separates your business assets from your personal assets. When it comes time to pay taxes, you will probably need help from an accountant or bookkeeper. The LLC actually does not pay taxes. You as the individual pays for the business income or loss.
The best way to know which type of business structure is right for you is to consult a professional. When I first started out as a small bakery I was a sole proprietor. I did not have any employees and ran a fairly small operation. As the business grew, I needed more help running things. My accountant advised me when it was time to upgrade my business formation. I highly recommend using professionals like bookkeepers, accountants, and lawyers whenever needed. The DIY mindset can hold you back sometimes, and unless you have a background in legal matters it's best to leave that to the pros!
You may consider switching from your sole proprietorship to an LLC for a few reasons. If you started small and your business is growing you may have new needs.
Look at your situation and see if you are needing additional protection. You can also consider adding additional coverage to your insurance policy in these situations.
There are several steps involved that can get quite complicated including how you name your LLC, and written articles of organization and operating agreements. When I switched to an LLC in my baking business, I used a professional to do my filing for me.
Nowadays, you can complete the entire process online. Services like Zen Business offer fast and simple LLC formation as well as registering your sole proprietorship with the secretary of state for you. They deliver the completed documents to your Zen Business account dashboard and remind you when things need to be filed and renewed.
Starting up a legal home-based bakery takes some work, and it's important to protect yourself and do things the right way. Only you can say which type of business formation is right for your bakery business, but if you are like most home bakers, you want to protect yourself, your home, and your assets. You never know how big your business will grow, so if you start as a sole proprietor, you may eventually want to change your business structure to an LLC. Using online services to help file your papers quickly and accurately is the way to go!
Are you ready to get all those bakery ideas out of your head and onto paper but you don’t know where to start? You’re going to want to read this full post because I’m breaking down the process of writing a bakery business plan that…
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Are you stuck on choosing a bakery name and it feels like all the good names are taken already?
I’m going to share a very big mistake I made when naming my bakery that almost cost me everything! Read this article to the end to make sure you don’t make the same mistake.
If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, then you might know that I used to own a chain of cake and cupcake stores. When I originally opened my first store in 2007 I called it Daddy Cakes. My 4 year old actually came up with the name. I had been practicing my cupcake baking with three different size pans. While she played in the kitchen, putting colorful papers in the pans, she declared the smallest size was the baby and the jumbo was the daddy. As soon as she said it, I knew it was my new name. Daddy Cakes! I loved it and it passed almost all of my criteria for a great bakery name. but keep reading to the end to see what went wrong.
Naming your bakery is a big undertaking and only you will know when you land on the perfect name. You can avoid costly mistakes by picking a name that is easy to spell, making sure your bakery name clearly conveys your message and at the same time, helps you to stand out from the crowd.
The first and perhaps most important tip is to have a name that is easy to spell. People will be searching for you online and you want their search to be quick and simple. Capture their attention span by having a name that they can easily search and find.
My second bit of advice is to choose a name that says what you do, without locking you into a too specific niche. You may decide to expand or add other product lines later. Broad categories are okay but don’t be too specific.
My third tip is to make yourself unforgettable! If you choose generic words like so and so’s sweet treats or confections your name will be hard to remember when the time comes to make a recommendation or get a call for repeat business. Find a way to stand out from the crowd and be memorable!
Now that you have found a good business name you’ll need to take a few steps to protect yourself and follow the laws. Checking to see if anyone else is using that name and then protecting it from anyone else using it are critical steps that you don’t want to skip.
The easiest way to see if your bakery name is available is to do a google search. See if anyone else is using the name, or the social media handles that you want.
Even if you search google and don’t see any other businesses using your name, someone could be planning to use that name. Check to see if there are any registered owners of the business name by doing the following:
To make sure that someone else doesn’t start using your name, or worse: steal your name, you need to register it. The exact ways vary from state to state, but here are some of the ways you can protect your home bakery name:
I mentioned at the beginning of the article that I made a very big mistake when naming my bakery that almost cost me everything! here’s the rest of the story:
I chose the name Daddy Cakes for my cupcake shop. After doing internet research, and not finding anyone using the same name, I registered it with my state and the IRS.
For the first year, I was in a small shop in a small town, then I was asked to appear on the Food Network on a show called Cupcake Wars. That show brought me national exposure. A pancake company in a different state saw that I was using the name and decided to send me a cease and desist letter!
By the time I received it, I had already expanded my original store into a much bigger location and had plans underway to open my second store. Changing names just wasn’t an option. I had custom signage, logos, company vehicles, and merchandise all branded with the Daddy Cakes name.
It turns out that we both began doing business with the name in the same week of the same year. It was really hard to prove who used the name first, but this company had filed for a trademark before us. To make a long story short, the entire process of protecting the name cost over $18,000, and I ended up changing my name in the end!
I hope you have been able to find some useful information. Choose a name that is easy to spell, that conveys a message, and is unforgettable at the same time. Take the time to check for the availability of the name and then register it to protect yourself. Most importantly, learn from my mistake. If I had read an article like this I may have saved myself lots of time and money.
If you enjoyed this article, you may also like Three Biggest Mistakes When Choosing a Bakery Logo
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Are you planning a bakery and ready to design your bakery logo? Maybe you‘re hesitant to choose a theme because of so many bakery logos looking the same, or you wonder what style of bakery logo will be best for your baking business?
Today I’m going to share three things I’ve learned about bakery logos and my experience with the logos I’ve used.
The biggest mistake people make with bakery logos is thinking small. Think about all the ways you will use your logo. It needs to be reproducible in a variety of situations. Even if you are starting small, you will grow into a bigger business so the logo you design now should reflect what your bakery will be in 2-5 years.
The first decision you need to make is to choose a style for your logo. The style you choose can reflect your style or the baked goods that you create.
Vintage bakery logos incorporate a nostalgic graphic that matches your homemade baked goods and gives people a comforting feeling. Visuals like a rolling pin, whisk, or an oven are paired with a nostalgic design.
Modern bakery logos are all about minimalist design and a good font choice. There are more white spaces and strategic uses of color that make this a popular choice.
Think of your brand voice as little promises your brand makes to its customers. What is unique and special about your baking business that sets you apart?
Do you specialize in a particular product or have a specific niche? You can use that to create a slogan for your business and become more memorable to your customers.
The biggest mistake people make with bakery logos is thinking small. Think about all the ways you will use your logo. It needs to be reproducible in a variety of situations. Even if you are starting small, you will grow into a bigger business so the logo you design now should reflect what your bakery will be in 2-5 years.
Choose a design that does not have too many small details. I learned my lesson the hard way and paid for several logo revisions because I had small dots on my cupcake bakery logo. Picture your logo in many different applications. You will use your logo:
My second baking business was a cupcake shop and it had a logo with the top swirl of a cupcake. I still love that logo, but the design was implied cake. expanding into coffee, lunches and other foods can be harder when your logo denotes something different.
In my baking businesses, my first logo was a vintage reproduction of an old family logo. It had a font that was available on most software programs and that made it easier to reproduce. This comes in handy when you need:
You don’t need to be a graphic designer to have a bakery logo. There are many options available for bakery logo creation.
One option for your bakery logo is to pay to have someone design it for you. There are several options with price ranges for any budget. Check out these graphic design sources:
You can use free graphic design resources to begin designing your logo. There are several options available.
A great logo stands out and makes people remember you. Think about what you want people to remember most about you and incorporate that into a logo that reflects your style. Think about all the ways you will be using your logo now and in the future and make sure the graphics and font look good when you reproduce them.
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Do you need a website for your baking business but don't have a big budget for a web designer?
Would you like to learn how to create a free and easy website that allows your customers to order online, and choose to pick up or have delivery options?
You're in the right place because I'm going to show you how you can create a free website that has online ordering functions to help you adapt your business to your customer's needs.
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is entirely up to you
In this website tutorial, I will be using Weebly to create an e-commerce website for demonstration purposes. If you would like to see what my finished website looks like, you can check it out here. This is the type of website we will be building, so make sure you like it before you get started.
Building your website will seem less hectic if you are organized before you start. Here is what you will need to build your website:
To get started, you will need to set up a Weebly account. You can click here to get started. If you already have an account, you can sign in from this link as well.
I chose to use Weebly because I think they are great for small businesses. The templates are very customizable, their drag-and-drop building tools are simple, they have an easy to use online store for beginners or small businesses on a budget.
After you create an account you will be prompted to choose an account for business or personal. Look carefully at the screen and you will see that the business option is a Square account that will require you to purchase a domain name. For this tutorial, choose a personal account with Weebly. You will still have the option to create a website with online ordering functions.
The next screen you will see is going to ask about the functions you need from your website. Select the option for creating a website with an online store.
Pick a simple domain name that identifies your business. Keep it short, simple, and obvious. If you already have a business name, you can search here to see if it is available as a domain name.
If you want to have a dot com domain name you will need to be on one of the paid levels for Weebly. Otherwise, you will have a .weebly.com after your domain if you remain on the free level of service.
You will have the option to upgrade your domain name at any time.
This is where you tell a story about each one of your products as well as provide descriptions, prices, and any other important information. You'll want to have high quality, clear photographs. For tips on taking good food photos with your smartphone camera, check out this recent article I wrote.
Add all of your products before moving on to the next step.
Your store page contains information about your business like name, address, email and phone number. THis is also where you will enter a physical location to program your sales tax rate. YOu can access your store page by going to
Categories help your customers navigate around your site and easily find what they are looking for. You can create categories like Cakes and Cupcakes, Bread, Cookies, and Celebrations. Remember that you can also put products in multiple categories.
To create your categories go to Items>Categories and group your items together in categories that make sense to your customers.
Weebly recently introduced the curbside pick up feature on their platform to meet the demands and needs of businesses during the pandemic. If you are selling food online, you can now enable curbside pick-up as an option for your customers.
Be sure to fill in the customer instructions for what to do when they arrive. You can have them text upon arrival, as well as give them instructions on parking, and average wait time.
Click set up> Pick Up> and toggle to enable curbside.
You can also set pick up hours here. It won't affect store hours. Just set the pick-up days and times that you will offer to pick up.
Next, you will need to select a prep time. You can select a time that covers all orders or set up prep times at the item level. To set up times at the item level, go to the settings for each item.
Another thing you can do is limit the amount of an item that can be ordered. You can select pick up order limiting.
Up until now, you have been working in the dashboard or backend section of your website. Now it is time to customize the photos and settings on your actual website.
Weebly has a very user-friendly drag and drop feature for customizing your website.
For a more in-depth tutorial on customizing your site, be sure to watch the accompanying video.
I will link it here asap.
Now you've learned how to get started with your Weebly e-commerce account. As you have seen, it is easy to make changes, updates, and customizations to your site. With the help of online ordering, you can now meet the needs of your customers who want the option to have curbside pick up and even delivery.
Let me know in the comments how your website turned out and feel free to leave a link if you would like to show it off!
If you’re ready to learn about selling baked goods at the farmer’s market, you’re in the right place! In this complete guide, I’ll be covering everything you need to know about getting started selling baked goods at the farmer’s market. I’ll cover how to start…
Are you a baker, blogger, or foodie who struggles to come up with interesting Instagram captions for your bakery posts? Are you looking for more engagement when you share the pictures of your baked goods? You’ll want to keep reading because I am sharing my…
Are you looking to grow your wedding cake business? Do you wish there was an easier way to keep track of deposits and payments made on your cake orders?
I’m going to share with you how the features of Square Payment Processing have dramatically helped me with invoicing, appointments, and payments.
Affiliate Disclosure– If you click on a link in this post and activate an account or buy hardware from Square, then I get paid. This is called an affiliate commission. It doesn’t cost you anything and you do not pay more for the product. This is how I make money from my blog and am able to continue to provide valuable content for my readers.
When I was first getting started in the wedding cake business, I used to hand write all my special orders and staple receipts to the contracts. I had a hard time keeping track of payments made and balances due. My customers would come in to make payments on their cakes and I wasn’t keeping all their information up to date . It definitely did not give them confidence in me as their baker.
With Square I can create and send invoices right from my phone in a professional looking format.
Square keeps track of down payments and partial payments. I can also send a balance due with their final due date. This made my life so much easier and my customers appreciate it too.
Want to read more about taking special orders in your baking business? Click here.
Part of my success at bridal fairs is offering a promotion to people who book with me on location. Some of the ways I like to use discounts are:
Square’s discount features are easy to set up and they are customizable too!
Customers can go paperless by simply opting for a digital receipt and entering their email address at the time of check out. Now every time I make a transaction, I’m building my email list! I can even add notes about my customer’s preferences in the customer directory.
This feature helps me to take great care of each customer and give them outstanding service.
I have a little seating area in my bake shop for consultations. Although it is a small space, it’s where I do all of my consultations and do most of my bookings.
I meet with my customers and they taste cake, look at photos and I give them quotes for their order. Although its a simple process, keeping my tastings booked helps me better fill my availability calendar.
No more lengthy phone calls and carrying around a calendar to book tastings. Now my customers can go online and choose the appointment that fits their schedule best.
Reminders help me cut down on no-show appointments. The client gets a text message reminder several times before their appointment with me.
I charge a fee for my wedding cake tastings and with Square appointments, I can set it to require a payment at the time of scheduling. When I require a payment on a consultation it cuts down on my no-show clients.
This is where I set the times that I am available for consultations. It varies throughout the year, so I update it as needed. During wedding booking season I try to do tastings more frequently. Square appointments lets me make seasonal changes to my appointment calendar.
Square Point of Sale, I’m a fan!
I’ve been able to see a big improvement in my custom cake business since using Square Point of Sale. It helps me book my custom cake calendar for the year.
I now sell more cakes and give better service to my clients. Now I have an easy way to take payments in full before pick up and delivery.
Click here to view all of the features Square has to offer
Affiliate Disclosure– If you click on a link in this post and activate an account or buy hardware from Square, then I get paid. This is called an affiliate commission. It doesn’t cost you anything and you do not pay more for the product. This is how I make money from my blog and am able to continue to provide valuable content for my readers.
Click here to get a Square Point of Sale for your baking
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I’m so excited to share this Caramel Chocolate Mousse pie recipe today! It has a no-bake filling that is completely homemade. You will not believe the amazing flavors in this pie thanks to real, high-quality ingredients like semisweet chocolate, real cream, and homemade dulce de leche caramel.
Homemade does not have to mean hard. If you are ready to learn the simple steps to making your own caramel at home, and a baker’s shortcut for a no-fail three ingredient chocolate mousse, then read to the end for all the tips and shortcuts so that you can make this chocolate lovers dream pie.
Jump to RecipeIf you are ready to master the art and science of pie baking, check out my ebook. Bake Better Pies: My Secrets to Baking Pie Likes Pro.
Just so you know, this site displays affiliate links. This means that if you click a link and purchase something it may result in a small commission for me. My commission helps make this blog possible by covering blogging related expenses. It doesn’t cost you anything extra and the decision is yours. Whether or not you decide to buy something that is completely up to you.
I am going to admit something that always shocks people . . .
I don’t actually like chocolate. ( insert gasping emoji here..)
Trust me when I say that this chocolate mousse is really, REALLY good! It isn’t overly sweet so the quality of the chocolate you use really shines through.
Because its got only three ingredients: lots of melted chocolate, powdered sugar and whipped cream, it is thick and velvety and just dissolves on your tongue.
The texture of this mousse is what makes it for me. Seriously, it may turn me in to a chocolate lover afterall!
I’m going to show you a caramel recipe that you literally CAN NOT MESS UP. Im my bakery days, I had so many bakers scortching the caramel that I needed an easier method. ( in their defense, true caramel can be tricky) We arrived at this cook in the can method and I have used it ever sense.
I love this caramel because it is thick enough to spread on the bottom of the baked pie shell. Its hidden under the chocolate mousse and when you take a bite of the flaky crust, the caramel sauce and the chocolate mousse, you get a flavor combination that tastes like a Twix Candy!.
When it comes to pie crust, homemade really does taste better. I’ve got a full tutorial on how to blind bake a pie crust for use with a no bake filling. Click here to read that post.
Although this recipe is simple, there are a few things that you can do to make it easier. Preparing the caramel and pie crust in advance will help your pie come together flawlessly.
This caramel sauce is made by cooking sweetened condensed milk right in the can! Don’t worry, it will not burst open or explode. I find that the easiest way to do this is in a crock pot.
Here are the steps to make Caramel Dulce De Leche:
In my ebook Bake Better Pies: My Secrets to Baking Pie Likes Pro. I discuss all the steps to making an award winning flaky pie crust. One of those steps is to mix the dough and let it rest. When you do that, it will bake up flakier and not shrink back when it’s baked. That’s important when you want to blind bake a pie shell, like in this recipe.
Here are the steps for pre-making your pie shell:
While this isn’t a “true” chocolate mousse, you’re taste buds are not going to care! It has only three ingredients: a high quality chocolate ( look for for anything over 50%), powdered sugar, and heavy whipping cream.
The steps for making this chocolate mousse are:
Now it is time to assemble this delicious pie!
Into the blind baked pastry shell, spread the caramel.
Top the caramel with the chocolate mousse filling. Begin by mounding it all in the center of the pie, and gently smooth it out to the edges, without touching the fluted crust.
Decorate the top of the pie using the reserved 2 Tbsp ganache, and the 1 cup chocolate mousse.
First drizzle the ganache over the smoothed top of the pie. (If your ganache has thickened, warm in in the microwave for about 10-20 seconds)
Next, using a star shaped pastry tip, pipe 8 rosettes symetrically around the top of the pie.
Now you know the no fail Caramel Dulce de Leche technique and my shortcut thre ingredient chocolate mousse recipe. Give this Caramel Chocolate Mousse Pie a try the next time you want to satisfy that chocolate craving! Let me know in the comments what kind of chocolate you will be using!
If you enjoyed this recipe, check out some of my other pie recipes like my Easy Dutch Apple Pie or my First Place Strawberry Shortcake Pie
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