If there is one thing that won’t go out of style, it is of course food. Food is just a necessity needed by mankind and it will never be out of any topic. Having a business related to food is much more than an opportunity than a risk because everyone needs to eat in order to live, in order to survive. A bakery is one example of a good ideal business that will never grow old because you can keep on innovating with different pastries and different bread for your customers. Now, we have the internet always ready to aid us in our everyday struggle so the big question is – how can I start an online bakery?
If you are a pastry-lover yourself and you are interested in earning money, then having an online bakery is just perfect for you. Of course, you will need social media exposure in order to grow but first things first; let us head on to what you need before we dive deeper into the topic.
Permits and licenses
Here in our country, you won’t be able to establish a business without first consulting the national government agencies. You need to be registered in the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). These are the two main bodies you need to contact before going on and starting with your business.
Read: Essential permits and licenses for business
Business plan
Once you’ve decided that you will take on this kind of business and you have planned on preparing for the BIR and the DTI, you need to have your business plan ready and sensible. This contains your location, your target market, your menu, marketing strategies, and so on.
Yes, we included location because having an online bakery means meeting up with people or shipping their orders, correct? Whether you decide to rent a small space to serve as your kitchen or you decide to establish it in the comfort of your own home, your location still matters so include it in your plan. Imagine having to drive, commute, or to ship goods one-by-one it would most certainly be hassle for you.
Your investment
If you have a ready-to-use oven, then good for you because an oven will be the most relevant and most important tool you will need for baking. Of course, you need additional baking equipment, ingredients, and complements to help you have better products.
Social media exposure
Once you’ve established your shop, you now need to market what you offer to gain followers and customers. If you are not yet aware of the power of the internet yet, then you should now stop living in the mountains. Connect to people who can positively impact your business; spread the word and the goods that you offer. Who knows, maybe the products and merchandise you offer is just what they need.
Read: How to use social media as effective as possible
Give free tastes and samples
This talks about the old school way of marketing where you go door-to-door to give people free tastes and samples of what you offer. This can be before you establish your bakeshop as well; you can actually already start selling a few of your goods to your neighborhood and friends before you even start an online bakery.
Have people taste your product so they would know what they should be after; have people give you feedback so that you can improve in all aspects.
Think, innovate, and comply
Once you start your early sales, you will feel good and you will think that you are having the time of your life. No; do not ever be contented and at some point, customers will lose interest and urge to purchase products from you. So what do you need? – Innovation. Innovate every now and then; give discounts to customers who regularly buy from you. Take good pictures of your products so your customers would want to buy from you.
You can contact local café’s, eateries, and canteens near your area and persuade them to buy your products so that they can have stocks at their location. Think of things that can heighten your business; think of ideas that can make your bakery grow.
It is not as easy as it sounds but it is not also as difficult as it seems. If you love pastry and you have in yourself the drive to earn money, then you should not doubt starting an online bakery business. Just be sure to grab a vast range of customers so you will be able to pay back the capital you have put up. Good luck and happy earnings.
Read Also: How can Internet marketing help your business