Cash from Baking??

hayley11

A business plan is a really good idea because it helps you focus on what you want to achieve and how and it's also good if you ever need any form of funding.

Business Link will help with writing it if you're stuck or there are lots of templates and guides online but don't pay for any, there are plenty of free ones.

skintbint_2

Rince wrote: »

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 ?

hi i bought them off a power seller on ebay, that was £90 for the square x4 -6,8,10 &12inches, hexagonal 8,10 & 12, and hearts 8, 10 &12, also got a flexible cutting strip which curves into 6 different sizes of hearts from 6inches upwards, handy thing used it yesterday for the first time so would recommend one of those. i only bought the heart tins as i have an order for a 3 tier heart shaped wedding cake.

the craft company seem to be quite reasonable for fancy cases and they also have cup cake boxes - 4 hole for i think 59p which is the cheapest i've seen them. i like the look of the fancy collars but the are so expensive at over £5 for 12 will maybe see what i can do with a doiley.???/

seems a bit scary thinking about doing a business plan - makes it more real,setting myself up to fail maybe?? strange thats what i would advise anybody before they start - pot kettle black springs to mind! have a couple of days off work next week and will be sitting down to see how i can take it forward and do pricing and costings etc. - have kind of made rough guess that after cost of ingredients will be making an average about £10+ an hour.

karenccs67

skintbint wrote: »

hi i bought them off a power seller on ebay, that was £90 for the square x4 -6,8,10 &12inches, hexagonal 8,10 & 12, and hearts 8, 10 &12, also got a flexible cutting strip which curves into 6 different sizes of hearts from 6inches upwards, handy thing used it yesterday for the first time so would recommend one of those. i only bought the heart tins as i have an order for a 3 tier heart shaped wedding cake.

the craft company seem to be quite reasonable for fancy cases and they also have cup cake boxes - 4 hole for i think 59p which is the cheapest i've seen them. i like the look of the fancy collars but the are so expensive at over £5 for 12 will maybe see what i can do with a doiley.???/

seems a bit scary thinking about doing a business plan - makes it more real,setting myself up to fail maybe?? strange thats what i would advise anybody before they start - pot kettle black springs to mind! have a couple of days off work next week and will be sitting down to see how i can take it forward and do pricing and costings etc. - have kind of made rough guess that after cost of ingredients will be making an average about £10+ an hour.

Its funny, just today I've been having ago at making cupcake wrappers from a doily, I got a template from www.skiptomylou.org. I think its a little too small (not deep enough) but with a good eye I should be able to make it bigger, I was looking in Hobbycraft at the crafting/scrapbooking papers, with a pair of scissors with shaped blades I should be able make something nice.

skintbint_2

thanks - looks an interesting site!

esmer

Been reading this post with interest and wondered how you were all doing? I have been thinking of doing my own cupcakes as a business and have got a lot of useful information from here, so thanks for that.

Kimberly

karenccs67

Esmer, tonight i had my practical cake assessement for sugarcraft level 1. the practical has gone ok and next week i have to complete my portfolio including a costing which has to include the hours the cake has taken to make and the cost of ingredients. it has taken approximately 7 hours including purchasing ingredients, baking, making decs and assembly and we are to charge £5.20 per hours for our labour... as a class we were all surprised because our gateauxs are going to cost apprxomately £40...... i wouldnt pay £40 for mine LOL.

I have also been asked to make cupcakes for a couple of weddings next year and after chating to my tutor and friends Im going to charge £1.50 each.... so maybe there is a living to be made from baking.

esmer

Hi Karen,

I was left a VM from Environmental health in my area and I have to phone them back but by the message he left me its not looking too good. They try to put off baking from home, so I dont think this will be a good chat. I have been doing my cupcakes for a little while now, and making new flavours. The test group I have are good at giving constructive critisism, so I know they are good and will sell, but I seem to be hitting red tape before it even starts

Sounds like you are doing well with your sugar craft, I want to do flowers for my cupcakes and going to try the sugar craft as well.

See what happens with the EH.

hayley11

karenccs67 wrote: »

Esmer, tonight i had my practical cake assessement for sugarcraft level 1. the practical has gone ok and next week i have to complete my portfolio including a costing which has to include the hours the cake has taken to make and the cost of ingredients. it has taken approximately 7 hours including purchasing ingredients, baking, making decs and assembly and we are to charge £5.20 per hours for our labour... as a class we were all surprised because our gateauxs are going to cost apprxomately £40...... i wouldnt pay £40 for mine LOL.

I have also been asked to make cupcakes for a couple of weddings next year and after chating to my tutor and friends Im going to charge £1.50 each.... so maybe there is a living to be made from baking.

Sounds like you're doing really well. Please keep us updated with your progress, seeing how well you're doing has spurred me on. :j

I'm hoping to do an evening course in September but the college don't know if they're going to do it this year, I won't know until end of July. I really want to do it so I hope they do.

I haven't done much baking recently, i've either been poorly and/or down at my mums.

It's my nieces birthday this weekend and I am making her birthday cake, I'm really nervous, this is the first time that other people apart from my immediate family will be eating the cake, hope they like it!

karenccs67

esmer wrote: »

Hi Karen,

I was left a VM from Environmental health in my area and I have to phone them back but by the message he left me its not looking too good. They try to put off baking from home, so I dont think this will be a good chat. I have been doing my cupcakes for a little while now, and making new flavours. The test group I have are good at giving constructive critisism, so I know they are good and will sell, but I seem to be hitting red tape before it even starts

Sounds like you are doing well with your sugar craft, I want to do flowers for my cupcakes and going to try the sugar craft as well.

See what happens with the EH.

Esmer, I haven't got to the stage of contacting my local council/EH about home baking yet but don't be put off, unfortunately all councils seem to have a very different opinion, I have a friend in Cambs and they didnt want to know, just left her to get on with it so long as she could prove she had all the certificates, insurance that she needed, no home inspection for her! Be persistant if it's what you really want. After the recent budget, we should be encouraged to start small businesses, make a living for ourselves. Fingers crossed for you.

karenccs67

hayley11 wrote: »

Sounds like you're doing really well. Please keep us updated with your progress, seeing how well you're doing has spurred me on. :j

I'm hoping to do an evening course in September but the college don't know if they're going to do it this year, I won't know until end of July. I really want to do it so I hope they do.

I haven't done much baking recently, i've either been poorly and/or down at my mums.

It's my nieces birthday this weekend and I am making her birthday cake, I'm really nervous, this is the first time that other people apart from my immediate family will be eating the cake, hope they like it!

Hayley, im starting level 2 sugarcraft in Sept, lets hope your college runs it. Be positive, Im sure your nieces cake will be fabulous.