Bakery Business Plan

Aroma of a freshly baked bread or cake is surely going to trigger the appetite. Soft and puffy appearance of mouth-watering pastry is certainly very heavenly when you are hungry. But imagine a situation where all the freshly baked food items are in front of your eyes and you cannot eat them. You also have to see other people relishing on that yummy food!!! I know it is a harsh punishment, but a baker has to go through it everyday. So, if you are thinking of a bakery business, then think of this emotional torture you will have to go through everyday. Well, jokes apart, give it a thought if you are interested in serving people's taste buds with delicious delicacies. There are various other factors that you must consider while laying out a business plan.

Business Plan Sample

Preparing a business plan is essential, as it gives you and the investors a clear idea about how you would implement and execute the entire business. This is also known as an executive summary.

Type of Business
Before you plan anything, get familiar with the different types of bakery business you can start. There are three ways you can start a bakery business.

• You can start a retail bakery business, where customers can purchase bakery food from you in a bakery shop. You can also start bakery restaurant, where people can buy as well as eat in your restaurant.
• You can start a wholesale bakery business where you sell bakery products to the retail bakery shops, hotels, organizations, or restaurants.
• You can also work as retail and wholesale bakery business entrepreneur. It helps you yield more revenues and profits. It also helps you capture the most parts of the potential market and consumers.

Products and Services
Once you decide which type of business to go for, you have to decide about cuisine specialties. There are variety of bakery products, such as, cakes, pastries, breads, etc., so you may choose a few special items or may go for all the bakery delights. If you are going for retail business with a shop or restaurant, it is better to keep variety of products so that you can cater to varied customer demands. You need to give detailed thought to all the products and services you will be providing to the customers.

Market Research
This is one of the important steps in any bakery business plan. You need to know about your competitors, that can be local well established bakery shops or branded bakery products. You must be aware of the business strategies, marketing plans and the best selling products of your rivals. It helps you in advertising and marketing your products. Find out the Unique Selling Proposition (USP) of your products and market accordingly. If you have the knowledge about bakery food, it is good for you. But, if you are new, then start updating your knowledge about bakery industry, bakery products and competitions in the market.

Capital Investment
Your business plan must include the details about how you are going to invest money in the business. You should plan as to how many staff members need to be appointed and their salary, etc. You will also need to think about the land investment, whether you are going to buy or rent a shop or place for the business. You need to make arrangements to meet these expenses in the initial stage of the business. You may go for personal investment, bank loan, government grants, or borrow money from venture capitalists. The business plan should also include expected growth or revenues in first annual quarters. It must include the mission and vision of your business with descriptive long term and short term goals.

Design of the Bakery
Each type of bakery business requires different arrangements. Your work is relatively easy if you are going for a wholesale bakery business. All you have to do is, get the orders from retailers and provide them with demanded products with the help of expert chefs and staff members. You do not need any attractive set up for wholesale bakery business. But if you are planning to start a bakery with a restaurant, then you have to pay attention to lot of details, such as, ambiance of the bakery, cleanliness of the bakery, sitting arrangement for customers, and attractive display of food products. You also need to think if you are going to keep waiters or adopting self service method.

These were few important factors that need to be considered while drafting your business plan. The business plan will also give a fair idea about how to start a bakery business. Though starting a bakery business sounds easy, starting a new business is always challenging. You need to put a lot of efforts and hard work to bring your dream bakery to reality. Pay attention to every minute details of the business and you will surely become a successful entrepreneur.