Make Money Selling Homemade Cakes and Cookies

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If you’re looking for a way to make money, you might think babysitting or lawn care are your only options, but you can also make money baking and selling homemade cakes and cookies! The materials needed to complete are inexpensive and can be purchased at the grocery and dollar stores. And the profit potentials is very good.

The only skills needed are being able to understand a recipe, measure correctly and follow directions. A parent may be needed to supervise once you start baking your cakes or cookies, depending on your age and experience. And cleanliness is mandatory so you’ll need to be sure to keep your utensils and hands clean to avoid contamination. You might even want to wear gloves that are easily available when doing some tasks.

Start a Cake Decorating Business from Home

Before starting, bake us some cookies and/or cakes to be sure you understand the recipe and that they turn out well enough to sell. You can have your parents, siblings and friends be your “taste testers” and let you know what they like best. They’re likely to be your best critics.

Pick one or two recipes that most everyone likes and plan to start with those. You can even take a couple photos that you can use on advertising flyers later on if you want.

Ask a store owner if they’d allow you to set up a booth outside their store to let customers sample your wares. Ask for feedback from the customers. Write down all the positive and negative feedback, these will make great testimonials for your flyers. (Always use gloves when passing out samples and bagging orders.)

Keep a notepad handy to take special orders. The samples may be so good that the customers may want an order filled as soon as possible. And have some ready made items available for sale right then. Often, customers will want a snack as they’re leaving the store and that can make your biggest sales.

Set up a budget detailing what you plan to spend on supplies and materials to help your business succeed. If you don’t have cash on hand, ask your parents for a loan that you can pay back from your baking profits.

Purchase the ingredients you need to get started. Also buy some paper plates and plastic wrap, as well as notecards to keep track of customers and special orders. Whenever you take a special order, be sure to let your customers know when to expect delivery. Get customer names, addresses, phone, email as well as the items they order. Try to get payment in advance whenever possible.

For special orders, prepare your baked goods the day before you plan to deliver them so they’ll be fresh. Again, be sure to keep your work area clean and use gloves. Wash utensils often and don’t use the same utensil before cleaning it again. And never lick the spoon, bowl or your fingers!

Be sure to take change along when you deliver orders. Customers will often hand you a larger bill for their order, so you want to be sure you have the correct change available.

Call the customer who placed the order to be sure they’ll be home before you deliver. You don’t want to leave freshly baked goods on their doorstep. Bring a trusted friend or family member with you for security.

To find new customers and build your business, make us some catchy flyers. Be sure to include your name, phone number, email, if you want, and price. Also, include delivery options, if available, or any special instructions you need to make know such as pick-up only if you don’t have transportation.

Place the flyers on poles and ask store owners if you can place them inside the business. Hand out flyers to people you pass on the street or in your neighborhood. Ask your parents to hand out flyers to co-workers and friends.

If you can afford it, place a small ad in the newspaper. The more business you get, the better profit you’ll earn. You may find you have to have help to fill all your orders!

Baking and selling homemade items can turn into a great side business for a teen. Just do a good job, keep everything clean and professional looking and you’ll find people are happy to take your goodies off your hands earning a great profit for you!

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Start a Cake Decorating Business from Home

Tags: business idea, Business Ideas for Teens, selling baked goods