But running a successful bakery requires more than just good bread-making skills. As a business owner, you also need to have the necessary skills to establish and maintain a business, so let’s look at the most important points you will need to start a thriving and popular bread bakery business.

1. Qualifications. You need to have the appropriate bakery qualifications. While you may be a whizz at creating a gorgeous sourdough in your home bread maker, those skills won’t get you far in a commercial bakery. Quality bakery courses not only teach you how to make mouth watering breads and pastries, they also teach fundamental business skills to equip you for the real world.

2. SWOT. Whether you are going to start a bakery business from scratch, purchase an existing business or buy a franchise, you’ll need to do a SWOT – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats – Analysis. You may need to discuss the legal aspects with a solicitor as well as consult an accountant who will help you formulate strategic plans and forward projections to assess estimated current and future costs and profits.

3. Location, location, location. Running a thriving bakery business requires a steady stream of regular customers. Look for newly established or newly developed suburbs, high traffic locations, and little competition. Also look at areas that may not be well serviced, like industrial estates or high density office blocks where you can draw eager customers.

4. Cash flow. Most business advisers will tell you that you need enough available cash funds to support your enterprise for at least 3 months. Set up costs for a bakery can be considerable, particularly if you are starting from scratch, so you need to factor leasing costs for equipment, shop rental, staff wages and food preparation costs into your budget. Know how much it is going to cost you on a weekly basis for the first 3 months and ensure you have sufficient liquid funds to cover all outgoings.

5. Equipment. The quality and size of the equipment for buy or lease will be determined by how big your bakery is going to be, how many customers you have forecast on a daily basis and, of course, the amount you have to spend. Don’t over-capitalise on equipment at the outset if you can’t afford it. Look for good quality, pre-owned equipment or a satisfactory leasing agreement for the time being until you are well established.

6. Pricing. Your pricing depends on a number of factors, so it makes good sense to consult a business adviser or accountant to help you at the outset. Your prices need to be set at a rate that provides you with an acceptable margin but not so expensive that you drive customers away. The prices will also be determined by the quality of your produce.

7. Products. The quality of your bakery goods can make or break your business. A bakery business relies on a high turnover to make a profit, so it’s important you research your market demographic to assess what type of bakery goods are likely to sell well. For example, are you located near schools? Factories? Retailers? The type of customers you expect to service will help you determine the type of products you bake.

8. Marketing. A clever and responsive marketing campaign can get your bakery business up and running in no time. You can start advertising before you’ve even opened the doors with a letter-box drop or pamphlets delivered in local neighbourhoods. When you initially open for business, use special offer coupons or provide samples of your breads and pastries to encourage higher sales and plenty of returning customers.

9. Décor. Although the quality of your bread bakery is more important than the quality of your décor, it’s important to make your customers feel relaxed and comfortable. Covered display cases which present a yummy assortment of delicious pastries and breads will encourage patrons to come back time and time again. And while it goes without saying, clean, hygienic surroundings are a must.

10. Staff. As they say, a smile is worth a thousand words, so encourage and train your staff to be as pleasant and helpful as is possible. A happy customer is a customer who will keep on coming back.

If you get the fundamentals of your bakery business established from the outset, you can build a thriving business that is a recipe for success for both you and your customers.

1. Create a custom printed door hanger that can be distributed to the households and businesses nearby. Door hangers are great for getting attention because they are placed on the entrance most people use to enter the home or building. The door hanger can include highlighted items of the menu, a map to help find the location, and even a coupon to give people a reason to try the restaurant. Door hangers are a cost effective way to distribute information. There are companies that offer door hanger delivery services, or an employee can take a couple afternoons to walk the area and distribute the door hangers.

2. Have a menu created for customers to read at home. Most restaurants have a menu for diners to view while seated in the restaurant, but the diners can’t take the leather or vinyl bound menu home. Restaurants should always have a professionally printed menu for their customers to take home with them. Many people like to review menus in the convenience of their own location before deciding upon where their next meal will be. It’s also very beneficial if a restaurant wants to include take-out and delivery services in their offerings. A menu should always be included with any take out or delivery meal. This raises the possibility of that customer returning again.

3. Postcards are a terrific way to announce a restaurant grand opening or remind residents and businesses in the area that the restaurant is nearby. A few ideas for a postcard messages include a coupon, a message about a special event, the announcement of a new chef, and a remodeled businesses. Mailing lists can be obtained by zip code and can the postcards can be mailed directly to the best potential customers.

It is important for a restaurant to continually strive to provide an atmosphere conducive to bringing in both repeat customers and adding a new customer base. Having a few promotional pieces in place, such as a door hanger, menus for customers to take home or back to the office, and postcards can have a positive effect on the bottom line.

POS stands for Point Of Sale. Point Of Sale software is basically a program that combines many aspect of restaurant management including order taking, order entry, billing, staff supervision and account organization tasks into one program. Most restaurants will need a Point Of Sale station at several points in the restaurant including the front of the restaurant, the back office area and the kitchen.

POS software can handle complete order and customer management including tracking the number of orders and customers, table information, billing transactions and more. POS software can also provides excellent organizational abilities to help monitor and report every aspect of order taking and customer interaction and do proper timekeeping, inventory tracking, stock management, security tasks and much more.

Generally the number of computers with this software depends on the size of a restaurant. A small restaurant can do with a single installation of POS software. Bigger restaurants generally need a much larger number of computers equipped with POS software packages. The role of POS software in overall guest satisfaction is monumental. You must therefore make sure that POS software is intuitive and easy to use.

Finding the right POS software for you takes time and effort. It’s an important decision that will effect how your business operates. Make sure you do your due diligence and research several companies.

When choosing a POS system, experienced buyers will tell you that it is very important to buy from a solid company. Taking the time to evaluate companies to ensure that they are customer centric and are committed to great service for the entire lifetime of your business is a smart move which will alleviate headaches now and in the future.

Be entirely reliable when you come to Spider POS which is a full service Restaurant & Nightclub POS solution provider. The premier restaurant POS solution is a true enterprise solution including touch hardware, software, enterprise system integration and support anywhere in the USA and Canada.

The system of Spider POS allows to provide the greatest quality product and service at the most affordable pricing. Each customer is assigned a dedicated Spider POS Project Manager to carry you through the entire installation process, ensuring complete success. Spider POS management reports make it easy to control multiple restaurants from a single location. Sales, labor, profits, all available “to-the-minute” from any secured location.

The point of sale enterprise solution automates and integrates every aspect of your business. It is a total solution for your everyday food and beverage operation. Spider POS view your purchase of Spider POS solution as the first step in a long partnership. Therefore Spider POS wants to make sure you are always satisfied beyond any expectation.

In the world of hospitality if you don’t keep pace with your competitors you could see yourself loosing your customer base. Restaurants are certainly no exception to this idea and having a good hospitality software suite for your restaurant or hotel is vital to being successful. While there may be times when external factors can make a difference to your success, using the right hospitality software can significantly increase your chances of success and give you the edge over your competitors.