Part V: Thinking Outside the Cake Box in Visual Studio .NET

Generating Code 128 in Visual Studio .NET Part V: Thinking Outside the Cake Box

You love cake decorating, and you can t believe how much it stimulates you creatively And you know that there s money to be made I mean, what s with all the bakeries around, right Plus, people have been talking about your cakes; they ve complimented you at events featuring your cakes and even asked if you ve thought about providing cakes for other occasions Heck, someone even thought you were a professional cake decorator and asked for a price list! If you re giving some serious thought to the idea of a cake decorating business (or if you re already booked to make a cake for an upcoming affair), take a step back to take stock of your particular situation Although baking and decorating cakes provides an amazing amount of fun, enjoyment, and satisfaction, setting up a business to make money doing it requires commitment, the right equipment, a modicum of financial savvy, and time

In order to make it as a professional cake decorator, you have to have knowhow, skills, drive, specialties, and even equipment I discuss all these elements in this chapter But the first step in creating a cake decorating business is reflection and assessment of yourself Think about the aspects of cake decorating you truly enjoy, and spend some time answering the following questions You may even want to share your answers and discuss these topics with trusted friends, family, or colleagues Do you particularly enjoy the baking, the art involved in designing, the joy on a cake celebrant s face, or all of these aspects of cake decorating What has prompted you to consider cake decorating as a commercial venture rather than simply an artistic one or a hobby Do you have the time to build and maintain the business (including handling contracts and billing as well as marketing and possibly a Web site) as well as undertake the cake decorating Do you already have the skill set necessary to turn out a succession of different, special cakes If not, do you have a single specialty you can concentrate on If you plan to rely on a specialty, will it be enough to carry your business Do you know the best way to go about expanding your repertoire and skills Do you have the resources to purchase (or rent) necessary equipment Do you have resources you can call on to guide you in accounting, insurance, legalities, and marketing

Don t just dive into a cake decorating start-up business because someone at a party where your cake was served placed an order for another cake of yours Rather, do your homework by conducting research on several fronts Figure out your market, the people who will regularly buy your cakes and enthusiastically refer you to others for their celebration cake needs The people who may be willing to pay for your particular cakes may be the parents of children in your child s class who you know will probably be hosting at least one birthday party this year Fellow members of a civic club, bowling league, or church group could be ambassadors for your business, giving you leads on people who have upcoming events that call for a cake Outside of social circles, consider restaurants and hotels in your area; local eateries may be interested in featuring a unique cake as a specialty dessert menu item Analyze the specialties and the unique selling proposition you can offer your customers Make a list of all the bakeries and stores you can think of who sell specialty cakes, and for each retailer, list the characteristics that make your cake superior (think appearance, ingredients, and taste) to their offerings (See the section Determining your specialties later in this chapter for more on figuring out what sets your cakes apart) Get a rough estimate of how much you can charge by researching costs of cakes in your area and costs involved in making and decorating your cakes It s perfectly fine to charge more than a grocery or warehouse store because your cake will almost certainly cater to your celebrant s style, be more tailor-made for the event and the celebrant s tastes, and not be a mass-produced creation In the beginning, you should also pay close attention to how much it costs for you to make and decorate your cakes Figure out The cost of the ingredients and materials you need An estimate of all the time involved, including working with the customer, making and decorating the cake, collecting necessary ingredients, and transporting it to the event site The cost of rentals you may need for equipment, ovens, and kitchen space The price of a cake shouldn t be simply a total of the cost of ingredients When you know what confections you ll make and what specialties you ll focus on for the bulk of your business, decide how much those things cost so that you can make a profit on each and every cake you make and decorate