Starting a cookie business is all about finding your niche and then starting to focus on it. It can be tough knowing where to start, but it is important to do some research first.
There are many ways to start a cookie business. You can go out-of-the-box and create your own recipe, or you can partner with another cookie company. Either way, you will need to learn how to take orders and ship out cookies.
Most people start off selling small orders, and as you get more experienced, selling larger orders.
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Create your own cookie recipe
Once you have your recipe decided, it is time to create your own cookie business. You can start selling them at local events or at cookie festivals!
If you run a restaurant, offer your customers a way to try your cookies for free if they spend $5 or more in shops and food courts. Or at cookie fairs!
I know it seems complicated at first, but once you get the hang of it, creating your own cookies is truly fun. It gives you time to take care of other things while you are baking and that is always a win-win situation.
You can also try starting a Kickstarter or GoFundMe campaign to raise money for your business.
Buy baking equipment
Once you have your baking machines and software, you are ready to start selling cookie doughs and the like! Now, before you start buying anything, let me tell you some important details about starting a cookie business from home.
Vending machines are for sale in stores, so if you do not have one of those pieces of equipment, you will need to buy some kind of packaging and transportation. Plus, hard plastic containers are helpful in keeping your product fresh longer than glass containers.
As for software, there are many different brands and models available online. Make sure to look at the features that are available to help start your business.
Create your website
When you start a cookie business, it is important to have a website that will help everyone get ready to market your product or service. There are many companies that use web sites as marketing tools, so starting a website is an easy way to market your company.
There are many ways to build a customer base and continue selling your cookies. By having a website where people can find you and buy from you is helpful. By being on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube is helpful in continuing to sell cookies to your customers.
It is also important to update your website frequently to keep people informed of new products or changes to old products.
Sell your cookies online
There is a fun way to start your own cookie business from home. You can sell your cookies online!
Selling online is not for the faint of heart, however. It is highly competitive. You will need a great product, quality customer service, and the ability to develop loyal customers.
But if you have a gut feeling that this is what you want to do with your life, then by all means go for it! Once you are established, selling online may be cost effective because you can already send out your product and demand exceeds supply.
Your customers can be purchasing things based on what brand they like or what shape they like their cookie dough ball type. Both Amazon and eBay offer platforms that allow sales online.
Distribute marketing materials
Starting a cookie business is all about distribution, so it is important to understand how to distribute your cookies. You will need to set up a distributor account to put your cookies in front of consumers.
Most online store sites offer this feature, but it can be difficult to navigate. Many times you will need to add additional products and locations as well as the distributor account.
Once you have your account, you can then start distributing your cookies. It is important to keep the product consistent so people know what they are buying.
Some products may require more than one location due to needing a constant supply and legal liability issues would arise if there were not enough products sold.
Generate customer interest
Once you have your idea, it is time to generate interest in your business. You can do this by running marketing campaigns, holding events, or reaching out to existing customers to see if they would recommend your product or service. Or you can go into business directly selling treats and snacks to celebrate special events such as birthdays or holiday celebrations.
Whether you promote through social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, traditional advertising methods such as television advertisements, print advertisements, and website banner ads, or none of these because your product does not contain drugs or alcohol,you will need to get permission from the company since this type of advertising is considered commercial speech.
But don’t give up until you do! Starting a cookie business is a great way to gain some self-employment skills that you can use in the future.
Keep good records
You will need to keep track of your sales and any investments you made in your cookie business. This can include computer records, phone records, and/or printouts of receipts.
As a business owner, you will also need to record your personal income and expenses in order to file a business tax return. These records will help you get started as well as support you in the future.
It is important to note that while you are entitled to charge sales and manufacturing fees in your business contract, you are not obligated to do so. Many businesses leave this detail out of convenience reasons only- we just want our business contracts, but don’t feel compelled to include it.
Know your tax obligations
Starting a cookie business is also about planning and preparing for tax obligations. There are both local and national requirements that start a cookie business, so do not rush into it.
Many states have their own taxes for businesses, making starting your own cookie business more expensive in the beginning. If you are already familiar with the manufacturing process and packaging, this can help save you money down the road.
Making sure your social media handles and phone number is listed as “deleted” is another way to start building recognition for your business. By having a little recognition, you will begin to build awareness for your cookies on feeds such as instagram, twitter, & Facebook. You can also invest in a newsletter or put up an online pop up notice to let people know about your shop.