Becoming a Master Baker

Baking is a common household task that each and every homemaker and cookery enthusiast is adept at. Armed with a unique collection of traditional recipes and creative baking ideas, hobbyists usually limit their efforts to please the palates of family and friends. Let us have a look as to what exactly does it take to become a master baker?

Ground Work
Extensive research is the prime prerequisite of a business venture. A study of the current baked food market in a specific region; demand and supply metrics, competition, ruling prices, product preferences, basic expenses, and initial investment requirements are quite important before venturing into a commercial venture in a full-fledged manner.

The most important factor, however, is one’s intention to move beyond the comfort zone of a hobbyist and become a passionate business owner. The decision simply means that job requires total devotion and all of one’s time, energy and attention.

Infrastructure
While a home kitchen may do quite well for small baking ventures and experiments, a medium or large scale commercial attempt may require an elaborate setup depending on the magnitude of the project. It is also worth noting that most commercial businesses related to the food industry are required to follow regional food safety standards to ensure the quality of food products produced and marketed. Ingredients, equipment, kitchens and packaging material are all monitored quite stringently, although baked products may enjoy a few exemptions.

Marketing
Adequate marketing efforts are a must for any business to get noticed among the consumers. Bakery products are best experienced by consuming them rather than being checked out on a printed brochure or a website, although booking orders, clearing payments and advertising is certainly easier on the Internet. Seasonal festivities and local events are ideal destinations to promote baked food by offering discounts or even free samples to start off with. Friends, family, neighbours and anyone impressed by the taste too usually help to spread the word around. The quality of the food is the most important aspect that would help the bakery attract customers and differentiate itself from the competition.

Pricing
Infrastructure, ingredients, marketing and the manual effort that goes into the process of becoming a master chef will all have to be considered while pricing the baked product. General market trends, customer budgets in the neighbourhood and competitor prices will have to be factored in. However, under pricing to beat competition is bound to prove fatal. The business has to be profitable in the long run and the prices in tune with costs and quality, yet affordable to the consumer.

Value Adds
Creative experiments with respect to tastes, ingredients and presentation techniques, catering to client with special diet requirements, innovative marketing attempts combined with informative and interesting baking and health tips, making relevant price exemptions for charitable or social causes are just few ways one can add a special touch to an otherwise competitive business sector.

While all the above factors, along with basic accounting knowledge to maintain books are a must for the business to thrive profitably, creativity and consistency rule the game as far as baking is concerned. A refreshing new taste or product is eternally welcome, but an established product once on the shelves should taste just the same, batch after batch, for years to come. And yet again do remember it is certainly more than a regular job, a passionate approach in every step of the way is imperative.