• Baked potato
• BAKED POTATO RECIPE
• The Baked Potato

Home-Baked Goods - Be Creative and Make Extra Dough

Ever encountered someone who was successful pursuing their creative hobby as a business? it can be done.

Baking, for many of today's households, is simply a normal activity, but people who take time to create very delectable baked goods and love giving them to relatives and friends, will soon learn that this can be a very profitable and satisfying business opportunity - in every sense of the word.

 

While the actual baking process may be your favorite part, selling baked goodies and being able to grow it into a company, if you chose to, would require some activities that would prohibit time in the house.

 

• Visit your regional school and inquire if you may offer cakes for the scheduled bake sale.
This could be a natural occasion to introduce your baked goodies initially to your community.

 

• Visit your local bed and breakfast and ask if you can give them a small offering of your baked treats and see if there's a market.
This could be your first attempt to sell 'commercially'. Remember to use good wrapping and really consider the dollar amount you will ask for it.

 

• Go to small shops who also have baked items at the check-out.
A good indicator and a quick approach to see how your consumer base reacts. As easy as picking it up, you don't have to advertise as the baked goods just might sell without help.

 

• A lot of folks love organic products, so if you use organic, don't forget to say so. You may also offer some sugar-free products for diabetics.
Point out what's best or what separates yours from regular cookies or cakes.

 

• Start a website
Use available media to reach people outside your home-town. You can always work in the comfort of your home without leasing out a counter space in the mall or in the supermarket.

 

• Spring for some business cards/flyers.

Nobody knows you're out there! Place contact information and product offerings so they'll be easy to find whenever customer's sweet tooth calls. Prepare to answer phone calls and internet orders once you decide to have fliers. A person's first contact with your business should be hassle-free so they are certain you can truly deliver the type of merchandise and quality you are selling.

 

 

• Ask for referrals.

The absolute best advertising is word of mouth advertising. Having someone who recommends and refers your business can really bring a lot of long-term customers right to your doorstep.

A variety of self-made treats wrapped with good marketing and sales techniques can most assuredly bring you a fun and profitable business. Just never negate the quality of your product and don't forget to appreciate the loyal customers that you have and soon you will be the favorite 'baker' for a lot of people.

Remember to add a a pinch of passion and whisk together with good will and you won't be able to avoid sweet success - literally and figuratively.

Saving on Baked Goods

Sometimes, you just want something sweet to eat, but, it seems like the prices for baked goods are constantly increasing. In a family, goodies can be both a want and a necessity. Have you ever noticed how well a toddler behaves when he can bet on receiving a cookie as a reward? That being said, satisfying a sweet tooth is not as pleasing when it feels like it's a major purchase. So, what is a family to do to curtail the cost without cutting out the cookies and cakes? Try these few tips for ways that you may be able to save while still enjoying the sweet stuff:

 

1. Bake your own treats. Buying a cake from a grocer or baker can cost upwards of $20 and a box of overly processed cookies, while still enjoyable, could run you close to $5 per package. You can bake those same items at home at a much lower overall cost with just a little planning. First off, anyone that is going to endeavor to bake goodies for their household on a regular basis should buy basic items in larger quantities.

The price of buying a 5-pound bag of sugar can cost almost $3, while a 10-pound bag of sugar will most likely max out at $4.50; and of course, you will need plenty of sugar. Also, buy eggs in larger quantities also as most cake mixes or recipes will call for a number of eggs. So, how do you save when you have to purchase more of these items? Well, to bake a large batch of sugar cookies, you may need a couple of cups of sugar, a few cups of flour, and some eggs, along with the other bits such as a tablespoon of flavoring and such. But, you may only use $1 worth of ingredients and you may be able to make 2 or 3 times as many cookies as you would have received in a package. Also, baking allows for more family time, as it can be a really interactive activity and that's priceless.

 

2. Catch the sales. If you absolutely must have the store bought goodies, then, try to buy them when they are on sale. Often, stores will mark cakes, cookies, and other baked goods down when they are quickly approaching the "sale by" date. The items are still fresh, but they must sell them or else they will have to discard them. So, to ensure that they make a little profit off of them, they may offer incredible savings for their customers if they will take these almost "due" items off their shelves.

Most stores do this on a daily basis, and buying large quantities when they are on sale can be very good on your overall budget. Some of the items that you purchase may be able to be frozen and used at a later date, such as pies and certain cakes. Actually, most of the long decorative cakes that the stores make on-site are actually stored frozen until they are ready to present them to the public. You could do the same thing at home and save at the same time!

 

3. Use coupons. Many companies offer coupons for their baking mixes or pre-packaged baked goods. With these coupons, you may get items free! Often, a company will offer a coupon worth up to 50c and your local grocer will double the coupon. But, the big savings comes in when you are able to catch a "buy one, get one free" special in addition to using your doubled coupon. With cake mix costing, on average, about $1.50 per box, you can only imagine how quickly the savings will mount when you are able to get the mix or icing absolutely free.

To be quite honest, this is exactly what manufacturers want you to do with their coupons. They want you to use them and they want you to fall in love with their products. While the falling in love part is optional, for your family's sake, you should definitely make an effort to take full advantage of these deals when they present themselves.

 

4. Shop at your local bakery thrift store. Some companies that sell baked goods have their own "thrift stores" where they sell off products that are their close to their "sale by" date or are simply overstocks. If you are in a metropolitan area, chances are, you will most likely have a thrift store within driving distance. These stores are absolutely fabulous for supplying baked goods for large gatherings. They generally offer discounts of up to 70% off of the regular retail price. So, for large events, you could provide lots of goodies without paying lots of money. However, unless the store is close to you, consider the cost of gas before making any long trips to try to save on just a few items. That, also, is an important financial factor.

The good news is that you can have your cake and eat it too without costing your family too much financial hardship, if you plan and take advantage of saving opportunities. So, do the math and catch the deals to ensure that you and your family can continue to enjoy the sweet life!