Business Overview:

Attention bakers: if you’re looking to take your delicious baked goods to the masses and want to be your own boss, learn how to start a bakery. When you first start thinking about opening a bakery, you should draft a solid business plan to focus your efforts and answer questions like whether or not you’ll purchase a franchise. A bakery franchise will come with name recognition, furnishings, kitchen equipment and training but it may also come with a larger price tag than starting your own bakery from scratch. Find a good location that gets plenty of foot traffic and auto traffic. A bakery in an outdoor shopping center will get lots of passersby who will be lured in by the sights and smells of your treats. You need to decide what types of baked goods your store will serve. Cookies, cakes, bread and cupcakes are some of the items your store could specialize in. Offering numerous types of baked goods will attract a wider clientele. Starting a bakery is a business idea that will be more successful if you have a small staff to help you. If you are the primary baker, you will be at work in the kitchen well before the store opens. This means you will likely go home before the store closes if you have a small staff to handle customers after you leave. Doing all the baking and helping the customers all day is possible for one person but it would be hard to do day after day. If you’re still unsure of how to open a bakery, consider visiting bakeries in other nearby cities (not in direct competition with yours) and visit with the storeowners to get insider tips and advice. As your business grows, you can add more items, hire a larger staff and even hire pastry chefs to do all the baking for you.

A Day in the Life of a Bakery Business Owner:

If you are the baker for your business, you will get to your shop’s kitchen very early in order to have bread and other baked goods ready for sale when your store opens. You will spend your day helping customers and restocking items in your cases. If you have a baker working for you and a staff to handle the front-of-house duties, you can concentrate on customer service and marketing your business.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be individuals who want delicious baked goods.

What You Need to Start:

• Bakery business plan
• Marketing plan
• Storefront
• Franchise (optional)
• Display cases
• Baking ingredients
• Baking supplies and equipment (mixers, bowls, cookie sheets, etc.)
• Furnishings (tables, chairs, etc.)
• Serve-ware (plates, napkins, utensils, cups)
• Other menu items (coffee, sodas, etc.)
• Staff (optional)
• Computer with finance software

The Good:

• A good bakery will always be popular.
• You get to spend your day doing what you love.
• It’s rewarding to please your customers.
• You can hire a staff to do most or all of the work for you.
• You are likely to see plenty of repeat business.

The Bad:

• The start-up investment is high.
• The hours are long.

Resources:

• American Bakers Association
• Retail Bakers of America
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Food Manufacturing
• Wikipedia on Bakeries

Technorati Tags: bakery business plan, how to open a bakery, how to start a bakery, opening a bakery, starting a bakery

Business Overview:

Learning how to open a yogurt shop is a terrific way to take advantage of the latest health craze while also offering customers a delicious treat. Traditionally, frozen yogurt is considered healthier than ice cream because it is lower in fat and calories. The latest trend, however, is to offer yogurt that contains live cultures which have benefits far beyond simply being healthier. Live cultures, also called probiotics, are healthy bacteria that are necessary for the health of the large intestine. Probiotics can also improve lactose intolerance, boost immunity and help the body absorb vitamins. As you can see, learning how to start a yogurt shop is one of the most health-conscious business ideas available today. Be sure to draw up a solid business plan to help you focus your efforts and decide if you want to purchase a franchise business. A franchise will come with just about everything you need to get started including marketing assistance, furniture, supplies and relationships with distributors. If you’re interested in starting a yogurt shop with your own recipes and want to put your own spin on frozen yogurt, a franchise might be too limiting for you. In either case, you will need to have a storefront with a lot of foot traffic or auto traffic. Putting a small shop in an outdoor mall nestled between boutiques and coffee shops will bring plenty of foot traffic through your doors. If there is room, put some tables outside so passersby can see your customers enjoying their yogurt. Having a store on a busy street will attract hungry drivers; you could even offer a drive-thru to keep your customers on the go. When you are ready to open your doors, consider having a grand opening event with large signs, balloons and free samples. Distribute fliers around town and ask neighboring businesses to tell their customers about the great new shop around the corner. If your products are delicious and unique, word of mouth will be your best advertisement.

A Day in the Life of a Yogurt Shop Owner:

Your day will begin before your shop opens. You will need to stock your yogurt cases with the day’s specials and make sure your menu is correct. If you offer other items like coffee and soda, you’ll need to get the coffee going and make sure the ice machine is full. If you have a staff working for you, you can concentrate on customer satisfaction and ensure the smooth running of your shop.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be individuals who enjoy frozen yogurt for a sweet treat or due to the health benefits it offers.

What You Need to Start:

• Yogurt shop business plan
• Marketing plan and materials
• Storefront
• Franchise (optional)
• Refrigerator/freezer cases
• Serving items (cups, bowls, spoons, etc.)
• Yogurt (either from a distributor or you can make your own)
• Toppings and mixes (fruit, granola, etc.)
• Other menu items (coffee, soda, etc.)
• Tables and chairs
• Computer with finance software

The Good:

• Yogurt shops are very popular these days due to health benefits yogurt offers.
• A yogurt shop is a fun, casual work environment.
• Franchises are available to help you get started.
• You can hire a staff to do most of the work for you.

The Bad:

• The start-up investment is high.
• Your products need to be unique to set yourself apart from competitors.

Resources:

• National Yogurt Association
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Food Service Managers
• Wikipedia on Frozen Yogurt
• Wikipedia on Probiotics

Technorati Tags: how to open a yogurt shop, how to start a yogurt shop, yogurt shop business plan

Business Overview:

If selling sweet treats sounds like your dream business, opening a candy store can be your ticket to success while doing what you love every day. Starting a candy store business is the perfect way to take a home hobby like baking and making chocolates to the next level. Since this is will be a pricey investment, it is wise to draw up a business plan before you go too far. Decide what type of store you will open, where your shop will be located and how you will market your business. You could open a candy store with strictly pre-purchased items or you could offer only homemade candies—or a combination of both. You could focus your business on chocolates, hard candies, baked candies, etc. Offering personalized treats for special occasions will help boost your business too. If you’re still unsure of how to start a candy store business, there are plenty of franchises available to help you get started. A franchise will be a more costly route than going it alone but you will get assistance with inventory, marketing, staffing, branding and ongoing support. If you’re looking to sell homemade items, a franchise might be too limiting for your inventory goals. However you decide to set up your business, it’s important that you have a high traffic location and distribute marketing materials around town. If you decide to make and sell your own candies, you could also set up a relationship with local restaurants and coffee shops that would sell your items in their establishments. Leave business cards that will lead their customers to your shop for specialty items. With high quality goods and excellent customer service, you’ll find this is one of the more enjoyable business ideas out there for a candy-loving entrepreneur. In fact, if word spreads quickly, you’ll have to ramp up production to meet the needs of your customers.

A Day in the Life of a Candy Store Business Owner:

Your day will begin well before your store is set to open as you will need to prepare and display your candy for the day. If you buy your candy products you’ll want to check your inventory and make sure the stock is full. If you decide to go the homemade route, you’ll need to be sure you prepare plenty of goodies to sell. Once your store opens you will spend your day helping customers and taking phone order for specialty items. You will also spend some time, perhaps on days you’re closed, marketing your business around town and online.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be individuals looking for delicious candy treats for themselves or for a special occasion.

What You Need to Start:

• Candy store business plan
• Storefront
• Candy preparation area (if you decide to make, not purchase, your candies)
• Candy making equipment (pots, pans, thermometers, etc.)
• Recipes
• Ingredients (chocolate, nuts, sugar, etc.)
• Display cases
• Other items (coffee, sodas, etc.)
• Computer with finance software

The Good:

• With a good location, a candy store can be very profitable.
• If you enjoy making candy, you get to do what you love every day.
• If you decide to purchase your candies, you will still be very rewarded by seeing people so happy to purchase your goods.
• Franchises are available to help you get started.

The Bad:

• The start-up costs are high.
• It can take some time to turn a profit.

Resources:

• National Confectioners Association
• International Association of Candy Manufacturers
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Candy, Nut and Confectionery Stores
• Wikipedia on Candy

Technorati Tags: candy store business plan, how to start a candy store business, opening a candy store, starting a candy store business

Business Overview:

If you take pride in creating the perfect sandwich and you’re considering starting your own business, you should learn how to open a sub shop. Sandwich shops are popular for the lunch crowd as well as other meals of the day. If you find the right location and make delicious food, you’ll be busy before you know it. Since this is not a cheap investment, it’s important that you have a business plan in place. Having this plan will help you determine if you want to purchase a sub shop franchise or if you want to go it alone. They both have advantages. A franchise will be pricier but it will come with name recognition, branding, decorations, uniforms, marketing and a food supplier. Starting a sandwich shop without a franchise means you’ll have to make more decisions up front but you will have the freedom to create your menu and change it at any time. You can set your own prices, set up your store however you like and make your own business hours. If you already have food service experience, whether in the restaurant business or even street vending, you will have an advantage over someone with no food experience. However, you have to know how to start a sub shop from the business perspective as well. Having a great menu in place and a well thought out business plan can help to ensure the success of this business idea. Once you have the business framework in place, you need to find the right location. Get the health inspector’s approval before buying or leasing the space and get started on any renovations that will be necessary to make it a dining establishment (stainless steel sinks, walk-in refrigerator, etc.). When your space is ready and you have your menu set, you need to plan your grand opening. You should probably wait to hire a staff until you see how busy you will be. A sandwich shop can usually be run by just a couple of people until word spreads. Post flyers about your grand opening around town and distribute coupons to get your first customers in the doors. Once they try your amazing and unique sandwiches, they will tell their friends and you’ll have to hire a full staff to handle the demand.

A Day in the Life of a Sub Shop Business Owner:

Your day will begin early as you will need to chop veggies and arrange meats and cheeses so they are easily accessible during busy mealtimes. Throughout the day you will prepare sandwiches and help your customers have a pleasurable experience. On days your shop is closed, you will distribute flyers and coupons around town and tell everyone you know about your new business.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be hungry sandwich lovers looking for a new and exciting place to get a delicious sandwich.

What You Need to Start:

• Business plan
• Marketing plan and materials (flyers, take-home menus, coupons, etc.)
• Storefront with tables and chairs
• Sandwich items (bread, meat, cheese, vegetables)
• Other food items (chips, soups, etc.)
• Beverages
• Service items (plates, baskets, cups, napkins, etc.)
• Computer with finance software

The Good:

• A good sandwich shop is always very popular.
• Sandwiches appeal to health conscious eaters.
• Franchises are available to get you started.
• A casual sub shop is a fun and exciting work environment.
• You get to spend your days making delicious food and making people happy.

The Bad:

• The start-up investment is high.
• It can take some time for your marketing to produce customers.

Resources:

• National Restaurant Association
• Bureau of Labor and Statistics on Food Service Managers
• Wikipedia on Submarine Sandwiches

Technorati Tags: how to open a sub shop, how to start a sub shop

Business Overview:

Learning how to become a personal chef is a great way to put your skills to use while helping your clients to maintain a healthy lifestyle. If you are a trained chef, your options are plentiful when you graduate from culinary school. You could go to work as a chef in a restaurant, open your own restaurant or, if you prefer a smaller kitchen and a closer relationship with your clients, you could become a personal chef. Starting a personal chef business does not require a lot of start-up capital and you can do it part-time. A personal chef typically prepares meals for clients in their home kitchens then stores the meals in containers so the clients can heat and eat them at a later date. Personal chefs may visit their clients once a week and prepare a week’s worth of meals or they may be asked to visit everyday and prepare fresh meals. How much you charge will be determined by the level of service you provide your clients. You could choose to only offer weekly visits or be available as much as your clients are willing to pay for you to visit their homes. As a personal chef, you also may be asked to cater parties and events for your clients. When you begin to research how to start a personal chef business, you may find that selecting a niche will set your business apart from others in your area. Specializing in vegetarian, vegan or organic meals will give your clients an option they may not have with other personal chef businesses. Other areas to concentrate on include gluten-free meals, special diets for diabetics or those with certain food allergies. You’ll find that this is one of the most rewarding business ideas available to a trained chef looking to help others maintain a healthy lifestyle.

A Day in the Life of a Personal Chef Business Owner:

Your day will begin with a check of your appointments. You will stop by the grocery store on the way to your client’s house and prepare meals for them. You may have other chefs working for you in which case you will review their appointments and ensure they arrive on time and prepare the appropriate recipes. You will spend some time marketing your business by posting flyers in area grocery stores, health food stores, weight-loss centers, fitness centers, etc.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be individuals or families who need the help of a personal chef to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle. Or they may not have time to prepare appropriate meals for themselves and their families.

What You Need to Start:

• Personal chef business plan
• Chef training
• Marketing materials
• Staff (optional)
• Transportation
• Computer with finance software

The Good:

• It’s rewarding to use your skills to help others become healthier.
• Start-up costs are low.
• Franchises are available to help you get started.
• You can easily run this business part-time.
• You can charge top dollar for delicious food that meets your clients’ dietary requirements.
• Your clients will likely need your services on a regular basis, which brings in a regular income.

The Bad:

• It can take some time to build up your client base.
• Some clients may be difficult to work with.

Resources:

• American Persona and Private Chef Institute and Association
• United States Personal Chef Association
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Cooks, Private Household
• Wikipedia on Personal Chefs

Technorati Tags: how to become a personal chef, how to start a personal chef business, personal chef business plan, starting a personal chef business

Business Overview:

Attention foodies: if you love to cook and enjoy teaching others your craft, you should learn how to start a cooking school. Learning to cook is very popular today as seen by the boom in television programs that teach the inexperienced home cook how to cook like a restaurant chef. You don’t have to have skills of a restaurant chef to run a successful cooking school, however. You only need to have a passion for food and a love for passing that passion on to others. Being able to cook a lovely meal for a friend or loved one is an empowering and rewarding skill to have. Individuals take cooking classes to learn proper techniques and gain knowledge they can take back to their own kitchens so they can cook for themselves and others. Couples enjoy taking cooking lessons so they can share a hobby and have more fun in the kitchen. When starting a cooking school, you should consider what type of school you will operate. There are so many choices, it’s important to have a business plan to help you focus your efforts. You could choose to run your cooking school out of your home and just offer classes to a few people at a time. People will pay extra for these “private” lessons and they will enjoy the personalized attention. You could hold your cooking classes at a local established business like a specialty grocer, gourmet shop or wine store. If you enjoy teaching a large group, you could lease out the commercial kitchen of a catering company or college during their slow time of year. You should research cooking classes that are already offered in your area then figure out a specialty that is not currently available. You could offer classes in a certain ethnic fare, baking or grilling. Before you open for business you need to be sure to have the proper certification for the safe handling of food and beverages. Neglecting to get this certification can result in huge fines. Next you’ll need to market your business around town. Advertise with flyers posted at grocery stores, specialty food shops, wine stores, in parks, etc. You may find that this is one of the most popular business ideas available and with great skills and a fun teaching environment, you might soon have to find a larger space and hire a staff to help handle all your students.

A Day in the Life of a Cooking School Business Owner:

You will begin your day by checking your schedule and appointments. If you hold classes at your home, you will go to the store, buy items you’ll need for class and return home to prepare your kitchen for your students. If you hold classes away from home, after your trip to the store, you’ll set up in the wine shop, culinary school kitchen or where ever your classes are being held that day. You will greet your customers, collect payments and proceed with the class. At the end of the class you and your students will enjoy a meal to taste all the recipes you made during the cooking session. At the conclusion of the session you will distribute business cards and encourage your students to spread the word about your business and to come back themselves for another lesson.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be individuals looking to gain cooking skills they can take home to their kitchens.

What You Need to Start:

• Cooking school business plan
• Marketing plan and materials
• Cooking skills
• Kitchen (home or elsewhere)
• Cooking materials (pots, pans, utensils, etc.)
• Ingredients
• Food handling certification
• Business license
• Insurance
• Staff (optional)
• Computer with finance software

The Good:

• Cooking classes are fun and exciting.
• Start-up costs are relatively low.
• You can choose to offer classes for as many people as you choose (and have room for).
• You are likely to get repeat customers and referrals.
• It is rewarding to pass along your passion to someone else.

The Bad:

• There are likely plenty of cooking schools in your area so you’ll need to offer something unique to set your business apart.
• If you are not properly certified to handle food and beverages, you could be fined.

Resources:

• International Association of Culinary Professionals
• American Personal and Private Chef Institute and Association
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Teachers – Self-Enrichment Education
• Wikipedia on Cooking Schools

Technorati Tags: cooking school business plan, how to start a cooking school, starting a cooking school

Business Overview:

If you’re looking for a small business venture that will allow you to make a huge impact on the environment, you should start a cooking oil filtration business. There are tens of thousands of fast food restaurants in the US alone, hundreds of thousands worldwide. The majority of these restaurants use cooking oil for french fries and other fried menu items. Add to that the thousands of other types of restaurants that offer fried items on their menus. This turns into a major environmental issue when these restaurants generate tons of waste oil. A business that cleans the oil and properly disposes of the waste material offers an eco-friendly solution that eating establishments will gladly pay for. They’ll also appreciate benefits such as an improvement in their food quality, a reduction in liability and reduction in frying costs. As the business owner, operating a green business also makes you eligible for government tax incentives. As you can see, green business ideas offer many benefits to both the recycling business and the customer. When starting an oil filtration business, you must decide if you want to purchase a franchise. This option will be more costly at first but it comes with equipment, marketing assistance, a protected territory and a list of clients. You can start with one truck or van and as your business grows, you can add vehicles to your fleet and increase the size of your staff. Another advantage of running a business like this is the residual income you will receive from your clients since you will need to perform oil filtration at their restaurants on a regular basis. In addition to advertising on your vehicles, consider placing ads in the phone book and executing a direct mail campaign to area restaurants explaining your services. You can also market your services to area schools. Securing a contract to service all the schools in a district is a great way to increase profits. Once you get a few clients, word will spread among the restaurant community and you likely need to scale up your business in order to handle the demand.

A Day in the Life of a Cooking Oil Filtration Business Owner:

Your day will begin with a check of your appointments. You or your staff will travel to restaurants and perform your oil filtration service. When you are not working at a restaurant, or if your staff handles those duties for you, you will spend your day marketing your business around town.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be restaurant owners and managers needing oil filtration services. You may also have schools on your client list.

What You Need to Start:

• Oil filtration equipment
• Van or truck
• Marketing plan and materials
• Staff (optional)
• Computer with finance software

The Good:

• The demand for this type of business is huge.
• You will earn residual income from regular services.
• You do not have to have a storefront for this business.
• Green businesses are eligible for tax incentives.
• Franchises are available to help you get started.

The Bad:

• Start-up investment is high.
• If you don’t purchase a franchise, it can take some time to build your client list.

Resources:

• National Recycling Coalition
• Green Restaurant Association
• Wikipedia on Cooking Oil

Technorati Tags: cooking oil filtration business

Business Overview:

With the recent rise in popularity of all things cupcake, if you find out how to open a cupcake bakery, you can take advantage of this old treat’s new trend. All you need to do is turn on the television to see cupcake competitions and cupcake commercials. Cupcakes are replacing standard cakes at birthday parties and weddings. If you already own a bakery, adding cupcakes to your repertoire would be an easy way to take your business to the next level. You will need to decide what types of cupcakes you will offer. The standards will always sell well but also consider catering to special diets by offering organic, sugar-free, gluten-free or vegan cupcakes. If baking is just a hobby but you do see the potential with this business idea and you’re interested in learning how to start a bakery, you can find lots of information online as well as by visiting local bake shops and talking with the owners. There are also franchises available to help you get your business started. A franchise will come with branding, marketing assistance, ingredients and supplies as well as recipes. You will not have as much freedom with a franchise but you will have all the pieces you need to get up and running. If you would rather learn how to open a bakery from the ground up, you’ll need to find a good location with plenty of foot traffic. Your customers will not only be individuals ordering for events but you’ll also get passers-by looking for a sweet treat on their way home or on the way back to the office. If you can’t invest in a full bakery shop, another option is to supply an established bakery or coffee shop with your delicious cupcakes. You would need to negotiate where you’d make the cupcakes (whether you’d make them at home and deliver them or use their kitchen) and when and how often you’d stock the cases. In this case some of your profits would be shared with the shop owner but your overhead would be minimal, as would be your start-up investment. As you can see, there are many ways to take advantage of the cupcake trend that’s taking place. All you really need are fantastic recipes and a place to sell your goodies and word will spread. Soon you may need to upgrade your business to add staff and space to accommodate your hungry customers.

A Day in the Life of a Cupcake Bakery Owner:

If you operate your own bakery business, your day will begin bright and early in your kitchen as you prepare cupcakes for the day. You will spend your day overseeing your staff as they help your customers. If you sell your goods at an established shop, you will need to get their cases filled with cupcakes before they open. At the end of the day you will go back to the shop to check sales and find out if there are any special requests. You may also want to spend some time each day thinking about and experimenting with new recipes.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be individuals who are looking for a sweet treat or multiple cupcakes for an event such as a birthday party or wedding.

What You Need to Start:

• Cupcake bakery business plan
• Baking skills or a professional baker
• Cupcake recipes
• Ingredients and baking supplies (mixers, pans, etc.)
• Storefront
• Display cases, tables and chairs
• Other items like coffee, sodas, etc.
• Computer with finance software

The Good:

• Cupcakes are very popular.
• If you own a bakery, cupcakes are an easy addition.
• Franchises are available to help you get started.
• If you’re not a baker, you can hire professionals and concentrate on the business.
• You can experiment with unique recipes to set yourself apart from your competition.

The Bad:

• With the popularity of this business, competition is high.
• The start-up investment for opening a store of your own can be high.

Resources:

• Cupcake Bakers Association
• Retail Bakers of America
• American Bakers Association
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Food Processing Occupations
• Wikipedia on Cupcakes

Technorati Tags: cupcake bakery business plan, how to open a bakery, how to open a cupcake bakery, how to start a bakery

Business Overview:

If you’re looking for an unusual business that will produce a sweet and profitable product, you should consider learning how to become a beekeeper. If you’ve never worked with bees before, beekeeping is a relatively simple skill to learn. You do need some supplies and you may want to ask your local apiary clubs how to be a beekeeper and turn it into a business. Bees can live happily in a hive in your backyard, garden or rooftop (if you live in an apartment building or townhome). Some supplies you’ll need include a hive, a hive tool for opening the hive, protective clothing and a smoke box. Smoke calms bees and is helpful when opening the hive to shoot a little puff in so they don’t swarm. Once you have read some beekeeping books and have talked to your local beekeeping clubs, you are ready to acquire your bees. This can be done one of three ways. You can get a colony of bees in an existing hive, a nucleus or a swarm. A nucleus of bees is the easiest way to get them but it is the most expensive. You can get a nucleus from bee suppliers and other beekeepers. A nucleus is a queen and several hundred worker bees from a different colony. The least expensive—but most dangerous way—to get your bees is from a swarm. This is when a colony of bees huddles together in a ball hanging from a tree waiting for the scout to “tell” them about a good home they’ve found. You have to either shake the tree limb or cut it off, let the ball fall into a box and transport it to your new hive. Once you have your bees and they are happily making honey, your job will be to keep an eye on them to make sure no bees look ill and that the queen is consistently laying eggs. Soon you will have a crop of honey that you can jar and sell in a local farmers market, gourmet food store or online. Other products you can sell are beeswax, pollen, royal jelly and propolis, a sticky sealant used in the hive. As you can see, beekeeping is one of the more unusual business ideas available if you’re willing to do the research and make sure you care for the bees correctly. If properly cared for, bees can be quite happy making honey—and a sizeable profit—for you.

A Day in the Life of a Beekeeper Business Owner:

Your day will begin by putting on your protective clothing and taking a look inside the hive to make sure everything is going well. If it’s time to harvest the honey (and other products), you will collect the honey and put it in jars. You will deliver your honey to stores with whom you have made reseller arrangements. You will also market your products by taking them around town showing them to store owners and letting them sample your wares. You could also consider selling your honey online, in which case you’d want to monitor your sales and ship out orders on a regular basis.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be stores that will sell your products or individuals at farmers markets who you will sell to directly. Your customers may also be online shoppers if you choose to sell your honey through a website.

What You Need to Start:

• Garden or other place for your hive
• Knowledge of bees and how to keep them
• Bees
• Hive
• Hive tool
• Smoke box
• Protective clothing
• Jars for honey
• Marketing plan
• Computer with finance software

The Good:

• Startup costs are low.
• You can charge top dollar for great tasting and attractively packaged honey.
• Local beekeeping clubs are available to help you if you need advice.
• You can operate this business part-time from your home.
• As long as your bees are happy, you can work as much or as little as you like.

The Bad:

• Learning how to properly care for bees can take some time.
• If not done correctly, working with bees can be dangerous.

Resources:

• American Beekeeping Federation
• British Beekeepers’ Association
• The Back Yard Beekeepers Association
• Wikipedia on Beekeeping

Technorati Tags: how to be a beekeeper, how to become a beekeeper

Business Overview:

If your child loves making cookies, brownies or muffins, helping him or her start a children’s baking business is a fun way to teach valuable business skills. All children enjoy helping mom in the kitchen and older children can even do most of the work on their own. Teenagers can make baked goods from start to finish without parents’ help at all. Selling baked goods is the perfect first business idea for a budding epicurean and entrepreneur. Your child can set up a table in the front of your house or in a more crowded location like a neighborhood garage sale or park. A large sign and some balloons will help draw attention to the delicious treats. Your child may want to build their business even more quickly and go door-to-door selling their goods. Be sure to have an adult or teen accompany the younger child on this part of the business venture. Have your child concentrate on one item they make particularly well at first like chocolate chip cookies or pumpkin bread. Then, as their skills progress, they can add more items to the menu – muffins, brownies, lemon bars, etc. Maybe they will find that one item sells better than the others and they can make more of that item. This will teach the concept of supply and demand. Youngsters will also learn how to work with money and the importance of good manners and customer service. Baked treats are always a big draw and starting a children’s baking business is a good way to spend time with your children while they learn skills that will last a lifetime.

A Day in the Life of a Children’s Baking Business Owner:

Your child’s day will begin by baking treats they will sell that day. Once the baked items are ready, you will help your child set up the table and chairs and arrange the cookies, brownies, muffins, etc. in an attractive display. You will help your child throughout the day as he or she deals with customers, makes change and restocks the display table. At the end of the day, you and your child will put away the table and any leftover treats and head home.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be adults and children hungry for delicious baked goods.

What You Need to Start:

• Delicious baked treats
• Table and two chairs (for child and parent)
• Sign and balloons
• Dollar bills and change
• Transportation if location is away from home

The Good:

• Demand for baked goods is always high.
• Children can learn about profit since they’ll be able to sell baked goods for more than the cost of the ingredients.
• Selling baked goods is an excellent way to teach customer service to youngsters.
• This business can be set up again and again throughout a slow summer.
• It’s a good opportunity to spend time with your children while they learn.

The Bad:

• Young children will need a lot of help doing the baking.
• Without a lot of traffic, it will be difficult to sell your goods.

Resources:

• American Bakers Association
• Retail Bakers of America
• Wikipedia on Baking and Baked Goods

Technorati Tags: children's baking business