Cash from Baking??

TashaC

I agree I was recently asked to make a cake from a friend of a friend via twitter, she liked it so much that she has asked if I will make 4 or 5 cakes for her mums 50 Birthday!

skintbint_2

TashaC wrote: »

I agree I was recently asked to make a cake from a friend of a friend via twitter, she liked it so much that she has asked if I will make 4 or 5 cakes for her mums 50 Birthday!

well done tasha, its amazing how it can snowball so quickly. i've decided to go for it and am in the process of setting up a website, ordered 250 business cards for £2.49, canvas tote bag and tshirtall with business name etc - free off vista print, put a free add on Gumtree under services so now its just a case of waiting to see if anything is going to come of it!

Got a good bargain at WH Smiths Australian Womens Weekly - the complete book of Cupcakes, Cheesecakes and Cookies down from £25.99 to £8.99, some amazing recipes!
i've listed my cupcakes at between £1.75 and £2.50 depending on the flavours and decorating, wedding cakes £175-£200, celebration & novelty between £35-£50 depending on the style.

karenccs67

skintbint wrote: »

well done tasha, its amazing how it can snowball so quickly. i've decided to go for it and am in the process of setting up a website, ordered 250 business cards for £2.49, canvas tote bag and tshirtall with business name etc - free off vista print, put a free add on Gumtree under services so now its just a case of waiting to see if anything is going to come of it!

Got a good bargain at WH Smiths Australian Womens Weekly - the complete book of Cupcakes, Cheesecakes and Cookies down from £25.99 to £8.99, some amazing recipes!
i've listed my cupcakes at between £1.75 and £2.50 depending on the flavours and decorating, wedding cakes £175-£200, celebration & novelty between £35-£50 depending on the style.

Skintbint, this sound great well done, I was wondering if you are baking from home? My friend wants to run her baking business from home but there is alot of red tape, have you encountered any of this?

TashaC

Wow! Things are sounding great your side! Am going to make a go of it too! Still quite a few things before I get to that stage! Have you had a visit from your environmental health yet? If so how did it go?

skintbint_2

karenccs67 wrote: »

Skintbint, this sound great well done, I was wondering if you are baking from home? My friend wants to run her baking business from home but there is alot of red tape, have you encountered any of this?

Hi Karen/tascha, i am baking from home - i had an inspection from Enviromental Health to get registered and they were brilliant. Yes there is a bit of red tape - but nothing like what i expected. i am registered with them to do two-three cakes a week which at the moment is plenty as i work full-time. they request that you set up a record of ingredients used for each cake for tracability - batch numbers, best before, etc.(have made up a template if you would like a copy p.m. me your email address and i'll send you a copy)
i have a domestic kitchen so they were happy with 1 1/2 bowl sink, dishwasher and downstairs loo for handwashing. They recommend a seperate cupboard for keeping your baking ingredients in to keep away from the family groceries and keeping your eggs in the fridge. they asked me to talk through how i would prepare the kitchen - i.e. Dettox spray worktops, use kitchen roll instead of cloths, windows open in summer discussed due to insects but have a floorstanding fan so there is no need to open the windows if bugs going about! wear an apron, remove jewellery, tie hair back etc just what all these cooks on telly should be doing but dont!!

Any questions dont hesitate to ask as i was petrified at first! i would also recommend checking out the Food standards Agency website or phoning them as i have had folders sent - Safer food, Better Business for Caterers, Food Law Inspection and Your Business, The Provision of Allergen Information for non Pre packed Foods, Strating UP -your first steps to running a catering business, Food allergy what you need to know. It is also not compulsary to complete a Health & Hygiene certificate, however they do recommend it (i dont have one yet)

HTH

Skint

TashaC

Doesn't sound too bad! Am trying to get my hygiene certificate done this month, so will look in to the environmental health check shortly! Really need to sort prices and start keeping records of cost of supplies! Have you done a business plan?

narabanekeater

HI there
Just a tip really but my friend does really well getting orders from people at the school fete. Im on the PTA and she donates around 30 little fairy type cakes and in return puts out photos and a book shes made and laminated with pictures of all the cakes shes made (BEN 10 was especially popular that and Peppa Pig) to advertise to parents. She got many orders this way for very little costs to herself. She hands out business cards too
With my PTA you can take an advert out in the Summer Fete programme for just a 5 pounds again she does this and it works
I know the above doesnt cost loads (and if you wanted to donate even more cupcakes even better lol) but it really has built up her orders
Another idea which im yet to convince her with is to donate a simple iced xmas cake and let Mums and Dads guess the weight, again get your cards out and your pictures. Simple cheap advertising
I can bake myself but could never ice them but I just thought id share some ideals with you.

skintbint_2

TashaC wrote: »

Doesn't sound too bad! Am trying to get my hygiene certificate done this month, so will look in to the environmental health check shortly! Really need to sort prices and start keeping records of cost of supplies! Have you done a business plan?

business plan???????//// yep to make as much money as possible and be able to give up day job!

no i havent as such, just making decisions as i go really and seems to be fine so far. bit like youself have to get receipts, invoices etc in order and keep on top of them. also set up files for gumtree, website, I spent £90 on baking tins and another £40 on colourings a couple of weeks ago so now have the full works - heart shaped, hexagonal, square, round all differing sizes. but need to find a supplier of decent muffin cases as a deceent price.

Nara- have made up two books and pass one round when someone ask to see them.

Rince

Well done Skintbint, sounds like everything is going well. I've just spent a small fortune on cake decorating stuff, tins, cutters, moulds etc.
I'm also trying to find a cheap supplier of cupcake/muffin cases. The ones at my local cake shop or the ones online are so expensive. Morrisons do the large cases in Brown for 90p for about 70 cases, but they dont do any large fancy ones, just the small ones.

May I ask where you got the shape tins from ?

paulwf

narabanekeater wrote: »

BEN 10 was especially popular that and Peppa Pig

She needs to be careful using trademarked/copyrighted characters. When you see these cakes in supermarkets it is because the images are used under license. Of course if you just make one at home the chances of getting sued are nil. But if you start handing around catalogues and even worse putting them online there's a much greater risk of getting into trouble.

Bakers can get around this by using images that are similar but not too similar. I'm sure some people choose to take a chance but personally I wouldn't like to set up a business knowing I'm profiting by breaking copyright/trademark laws.