Baking For Profit

Bake for Profit Revised

2017-04-28T06:22:00.000-07:00

My ebook “Bake for Profit” has undergone some major revamping. The revised edition is now available from Amazon and the most important changes include aspects such as the type of products that are most suitable for home baking. A step-by-step checklist provides all the information you may need to sucessfully start a home bake business.

The business side of home baking is to my mind the area where many home bakers fail and this leads to dissapointment and ultimately they give it up. In the updated version of “Bake for Profit” much more attention is given to aspects that are vital to make money from your efforts. Issues such as how to cost a recipe and to determine the right selling price are discussed in detail. A costing model shows you how to compare different recipes and to identify the most profitable options.

Finding a market for your products is another important area that is covered in detail in this book. Product promotion techniques are discussed and ideas to add value you to your products such as candy and cookie bouquets will give you the ability to compete more effectively in the market. In the recources section of the book pointers are given to draw up a business plan.

Your chances of making some real money from home baking will greatly improve with this practical guide that shows how to set up your business. A number of tried and tested recipes are also provided to set you on your way.

20 Homemade Candy Recipes

2017-03-21T12:16:00.001-07:00

I came across this fantastic FREE e-book with 20 delicious homemade candy recipes. The recipes are easy to follow and many are also no-cook recipes. Included are favourites such as various kinds of fudge, chocolate candy and more. This 25 page ebook is a real gem and is available from mrFood.com. and it is absolutely free.

They also have a wide selection of free cook e- books covering themes such as Christmas cookies and others.

Home Based Business Ideas for Bakers

2016-12-03T07:02:00.003-08:00

Many people are these days looking at home businesses as an alternative to finding a regular job in a tough job market, or to add to their income on a part time basis. If you have some baking skills and you are interested in home baking, then starting a home business is a real option. It is relatively easy to start since you will probably have most of the tools and equipment already in your kitchen. The question of course is what to bake? There are so many possibilities but not all of them are suitable for making money. I have been involved in home baking for profit for quite a long time and have come to realize that an important factor is the cost of ingredients and therefore not all recipes are suitable for baking for profit. From my experience the following home baking ideas provide the best opportunity to earn a reasonable income from your efforts.

· Home bake cookies

· Homemade candy

· Cookie/candy bouquets

· Gift baskets

One of the big advantages of baking cookies for profit is that you are almost certain that you will find a market for your products. Cookies are always popular provided that you provide a quality product at a reasonable price. Again not all recipes will fit the bill, but there are certain old-time favorites such as ginger cookies, chocolate chip cookies, sugar and spice cookies that will be a success. A niche to consider is to bake diabetic cookies or cookies for special occasions.

Homemade candy is another option that can be very profitable. Making candy does require some specific knowledge of working with sugar and chocolate but this can easily be acquired on the internet or by getting one of many books available on the subject. There are a wide variety of candies ranging from hard candy such as lollipops and peanut brittle, to soft candies such as marshmallows, Turkish delight, fudges etc. There are also no-bake candies such as coconut ice, peppermint creams etc. Whatever your choice, it pays to take one or two types of candy and concentrate on making it something special. By taking one candy, for example fudge, and adding different ingredients such as chocolate, nuts or ginger etc., you can develop a range with variety and some uniqueness.

Home made coconut ice

Cookie and candy bouquets have become very popular as gifts and for special occasions. It is an ideal way of adding value to your products and opening up new ways of selling your products. They make excellent gifts and can be linked to special occasions such as birthdays, births etc. Bouquets can be very simple and straight forward. You will find many ideas on the internet for cookie and candy bouquets.

Gift baskets can also be arranged from your homemade cookies and candy. This is an excellent way of adding value and promoting your products. These are popular for special occasions such as Father’s day.

Baking from home can become a profitable home business. The best way to start is to choose one or two recipes and try your products on friends and family to get their feedback on the quality of your product. The next step is to look at proper packaging and to find the right price. Once you have a product that you can sell, the process of promoting and marketing both off-line and on-line starts. If you want to get first hand information on starting a home bake business, why not have a look at my e-book "Bake for Profit".

Working with sugar and chocolate

2016-07-01T13:04:00.000-07:00

Homemade candy has always been a firm favorite and if you have some knowledge of the basics involved in candy making, you will be surprised how easy most types of candy can be made from your home kitchen. The two basic ingredients of all candy are sugar and chocolate and you should know how to boil sugar and how to work with chocolate.

Boiling sugar syrup

The first important point to remember is that boiling sugar is really hot and to avoid injury great care should be taken not to spill or touch the boiling sugar mixture. When working with sugar there are some basics that should be followed to ensure a good end product.
Here are some guidelines:

Always measure the sugar and water exactly.

Mix all the ingredients thoroughly before boiling. Heat gently - do not allow to boil, until the sugar is fully dissolved.

Gently stir the sugar over low heat until dissolved. Never stir the boiling liquid unless directed by the recipe.
While the syrup is boiling, the sugar crystals must be removed from the sides of the pan. Use a small brush dipped into water to brush the sides of the sauce pan. Candy that contain cream, butter, syrup or chocolates, will rise when boiling, so make sure that the sauce pan is big enough.

Whilst heating, stir with a wooden spatula, scraping the bottom and corners of the saucepan.

Brush the sides of the saucepan occasionally with a pastry brush dipped in warm water, to prevent a buildup of crystals.

Ensure that the correct temperature is reached.

If using a sugar thermometer, dip it in to hot water before tested the sugar, return it to the hot water after testing.

When the correct heat is reached, remove the saucepan from the heat and place on a damp cloth, to prevent further cooking.

The taste of candy must be delicate and when adding flavoring, use a medicine dripper.
The addition of Glucose syrup will ensure a fine texture candy. Crème of tartar and vinegar will give the same result but be careful not to add too much as this will prevent the candy from becoming stiff enough.
When the syrup has reached the desired temperature, remove the sauce pan from the heat and put into cold water so that the temperature does not rise any further.

Melting Chocolate

Working with chocolate requires a skill to melt the chocolate. You will need some experience to do this, but once acquired, there are many possibilities for working with chocolate.

There are some tricks to successfully melting chocolate. Whether you are working with dark, semisweet, milk, or white chocolate, here are some tips to follow:

Never allow any water to come in contact with the melting chocolate, unless the chocolate is being melted in a large amount of water (2 tablespoons water per ounce of chocolate is the minimum amount). Just a drop or two of water can make the chocolate seize up, or become hard and lumpy. Even the steam from the bottom of a double boiler can cause this problem. Make sure to keep the chocolate dry as it melts. If it does seize, you can blend in a teaspoon of vegetable oil (NOT butter or margarine) and the chocolate should smooth out.
Chocolate should only be melted over low heat. The microwave is a good appliance to use because the cooking time is so controlled. If you stand there at the stove and stir constantly, you can melt chocolate in a pan set over very low heat. A double boiler (watch out for condensation) is a good method; make sure the water in the bottom is barely simmering.
White chocolate or vanilla milk chips are the most difficult to melt. Too much heat will make this type of chocolate seize.
To melt chocolate bars in a microwave, first coarsely chop the chocolate. Place in a microwave safe bowl and heat on 50% power for 1 minute. Remove from the microwave and stir. Continue this process until the chocolate is almost melted. Then stir until the chocolate is smooth.
Melt chocolate chips just like chopped bars. To make a dipping chocolate for coating candies, when the chocolate is almost melted add 1/4 cup more chips and stir constantly until the mixture is smooth. This will help set up sugar crystals so the chocolate stays firm at room temperature.

Three Key Ingredients to Make Money From Candy

2016-06-19T06:04:00.000-07:00

When you want to make money from home made candy there are basically three important elements to focus on. These may seem very simple but it is not as easy as it may seem.

You want to make a profit from your efforts and focusing on the following will help you achieve that goal:

Selecting the right product

Making a quality product

Marketing your product

A homemade candy business can be very profitable but the competition out there is extremely competitive and you will have to do something unique to be successful.

Selecting the right product

This is probably the biggest problem to overcome to be able to earn a decent income from home made candy. There are so many candy options that it is difficult to decide which product will be the most profitable. As a general rule it is better to have a number of products that will offer a greater chance of making a profit. A range of products can be from different types of candy such as soft candies or brittles etc. The other option is to take a particular product such as fudge for an example and then by adding different ingredients such as white chocolate, brown chocolate, ginger etc. get a variety of the same product. You could also use these products to add to a special theme such as an Easter fudge candy or a valentine fudge candy. The point is that your creativity can provide that special niche for your product.

Another point to consider is the cost factor in making certain candies. Sometimes the cost to produce a product is such that it is difficult to make a decent profit from it. So each type of candy should be carefully costed to make sure that you can earn a profit from it. Also consider items such as packaging, transport etc. By using a costing tool such as can be found in my e-book “Baking for Profit – start a home business”, you can quickly and accurately calculate the profit margin of candy products and also be able to compare different candy recipes to find the best options.

Making a quality product

There is no compromise for a quality product – especially if it is a homemade candy. Consistency in quality is crucial. Every batch should be of the same high standard. The aim should be to establish a reputation for high standard products that look great and taste great. If a recipe is used for the first time, make sure that it is tested properly. When you are happy with the end product, the recipe must be followed exactly every time a batch is made.

Another important point is to make sure that you use only the best quality ingredients. Trying to save on the cost of ingredients will just be shooting yourself in the foot. The same goes for tools and equipment. A good quality candy thermometer, electric mixing equipment and measuring tools are all vital for success.

Marketing your product

The end objective of your candy business is to sell your product at a profit. The first point is to aim your marketing effort at the top end of the market for discerning buyer. There are a few reasons for this strategy.

Firstly, you want to make a good profit to reward you for your efforts. There is no sense in doing all the hard work and not earning a reasonable return on your efforts.

Secondly, items such as packaging, wrappers etc. are expensive and you want to develop your business to a higher level for which you will need money.

Potential marketing efforts should include as many options as possible. Think of selling at flea markets, farmer markets, boutique shops and the internet. For the internet you will have to create a website. To start off you can use one of many excellent free website creators such as Simple Site, Weebly and Site Build It. You can also start a blog and start marketing through social media such as Facebook.

CANDY MAKING FOR BEGINNERS

2016-06-13T12:43:00.001-07:00

Making candy seems difficult but in fact there some basic things that you need to know and you are on your way. Whether you’re a novice in the kitchen or an experienced cook wanting to try your hand at candy making, these tips and instructions will provide all the information you need to get started.

Common Candy Ingredients

Almost all candies have basically two common ingredients and these are sugar and chocolate. If you know how to work with sugar and chocolate, you can make almost any type of candy.There are also two main factors that affect the taste of your candy: the quality of the ingredients and the procedure that is followed. By learning more about common candy ingredients such as chocolate and sugar, and by selecting the best ingredients you can find, your success is assured.

Vanilla Fufdge

Working With Sugar

There is nothing terribly mysterious or complicated about making candy, but if you are new to the world of confectionery, you might find some of the recipe instructions confusing. Candies that are based on a sugar syrup—sugar and water boiled together—often give instructions to boil the syrup to a specific temperature. To make these recipes, you will either need a candy thermometer, or will need to be familiar with the “cold-water method” of temperature checking. The chart and details of how to use a candy thermometer can be viewed in the post "How to use a candy thermometer".

Working With Chocolate

Working with chocolate requires a skill to melt the chocolate. You will need some experience to do this, but once acquired, there are many possibilities for working with chocolate

There are some tricks to successfully melting chocolate. Whether you are working with dark, semisweet, milk, or white chocolate, here are some tips to follow.

· Never allow any water to come in contact with the melting chocolate, unless the chocolate is being melted in a large amount of water (2 tablespoons water per ounce of chocolate is the minimum amount). Just a drop or two of water can make the chocolate seize up, or become hard and lumpy. Even the steam from the bottom of a double boiler can cause this problem. Make sure to keep the chocolate dry as it melts. If it does seize, you can blend in a teaspoon of vegetable oil (NOT butter or margarine) and the chocolate should smooth out.

· Chocolate should only be melted over low heat. The microwave is a good appliance to use because the cooking time is so controlled. If you stand there at the stove and stir constantly, you can melt chocolate in a pan set over very low heat. A double boiler (watch out for condensation) is a good method; make sure the water in the bottom is barely simmering.

· White chocolate or vanilla milk chips are the most difficult to melt. Too much heat will make this type of chocolate seize.

· To melt chocolate bars in a microwave, first coarsely chop the chocolate. Place in a microwave safe bowl and heat on 50% power for 1 minute. Remove from the microwave and stir. Continue this process until the chocolate is almost melted. Then stir until the chocolate is smooth.

· Melt chocolate chips just like chopped bars. To make a dipping chocolate for coating candies, when the chocolate is almost melted add 1/4 cup more chips and stir constantly until the mixture is smooth. This will help set up sugar crystals so the chocolate stays firm at room temperature.

Equipment for Making Candy

In general, candy making does not require much in the way of specialized equipment. Many candies can be made using basic kitchen tools that most people already possess. But there are a few tools that reappear in recipes over and over again, like a candy thermometer, and if you anticipate making candy on a regular basis, it will be helpful to familiarize yourself with the most commonly used candy and chocolate equipment.

· Candy thermometer

· Candy moulds

· Piping bag with attachments

· Lollipop moulds

· Scraper

Getting Help

To get useful tips and advice on making candy, you can get more information from "Baking for Profit - start a home business"

BUSINESS PLAN FOR A HOME BUSINESS

2016-06-08T03:20:00.001-07:00

One of the best things you can do for yourself before you start your business is to sit down and write your business plan.

Many people who want to start a home business ask if they really NEED a business plan, to which I ask if they really NEED to start a home business.

Writing a business plan for your home based business should be considered essential for many reasons, the most obvious of which is that a business plan is required if you are going to seek funding.

A business plan will also help you gain focus and think through each aspect of your business. It will also help you remain focused when you get discouraged or feel overwhelmed. You can figure out how to deal with possible problems before they occur.

Business plans will vary widely, depending upon what type of business you have, so what may work well for one business may not be suitable for another.

Your business plan doesn't have to be very long, but does have to present you and your business, goals - both short and long term, intentions, and detailed information about your business, in the very best possible light.

Elements of a Business Plan Include:

Objectives

Answer the following questions:

What exactly do you want to accomplish? What are your goals for your business?

Describe your business

What is it that you want to do? What products will you produce? What is your business philosophy?

Define your market

What market/s will you focus on? Is there a need for your product or service? Who are you selling to? Why will your business have a competitive edge over other businesses? Do you have a niche?

Draw up a plan of action

Explain how you intend to meet your goals. How will you produce the product/service? How will your customers receive your goods?

Define your staff, or suppliers, if any.

Make a time table. Do you expect to reach a certain goal in a specific amount of time?

Calculate your financial requirements

Capital costs. How much capital will you need to start-up? Give detailed information about how the capital will be spent on items such as equipment, furniture, appliances etc.

Other monthly costs such as license fees, electricity, transport, packaging, labor, etc.

Sales forecast. How much do you estimate your monthly income to be over the next 12 months? What profit will you make?

Sales and marketing strategy. How and to whom will you market your product?

Pricing. Is your pricing realistic? Is it competitive enough to attract buyers? Is it sustainable and will it yield a profit?

HOW TO USE A CANDY THERMOMETER AND COLD WATER TEST

2016-05-31T07:29:00.001-07:00

Making candy requires a special touch. The following are a number of basic guidelines to help you be a successful candy maker.

Using a candy thermometer

If you use a thermometer it must measure up to 180 ˚C (350 ˚F). Test the thermometer before use by placing it in water and then bring the water to boil. The temperature of the water should be 100 ˚C or 212 ˚F at the coast. Make the necessary adjustments for places above sea level which should be a lower boiling point. The boiling point of water drops about 1 ˚C (2˚F) for every 300 m above sea level.

To prevent the glass of the thermometer to crack, first submerge into a glass of boiling water before putting it into boiling sugar syrup. After removing from the boiling syrup, place the thermometer back into the glass with hot water to cool down.

To get the best results, a candy thermometer is essential. However, if you don’t have one, don’t worry, the recipes that you will use are very simple and you can get away without using a thermometer by doing the cold water test.

Cold water test

The cold water test can be performed to test the temperature of the mixture. Take a teaspoon full of boiling syrup and drop it into a bowl of very cold water. Put your hand in the water and make the drop into a ball. The degree of stiffness of the ball will give an indication of the temperature of the mixture.

Note of Caution: Please be careful when working with boiling sugar. It is extremely hot and care should be taken to avoid spilling and burning yourself.

The candy temperature chart (table 1) gives the different stages of sugar syrup and there uses in making different types of candy.

Table 1 - Temperature Chart (Sugar)

Stage		Temp	Description			Application
Thread	110˚C – 112˚C		The syrup drips from spoon, forms thin threads in water			Glace and candied fruits
Soft ball	11 ˚C -115˚C		Syrup forms ball while in water, but flattens when removed.			Fudge and Fondant
Firm ball	118 C – 120˚C		Syrup forms into firm ball but loses shape once pressed.			Caramels
Hard ball		121˚C – 130˚C		Syrup holds its ball shape, but remains sticky.	Divinity and marshmallows
Soft crack		132 ˚C –143˚C		Syrup will form firm but pliable threads	Nougat
Hard crack		149 ˚C –154˚C		The syrup will crack if you try to form it.	Brittles and lollipops
Caramel		154˚ C –170˚C		The syrup will turn golden brown.	Pralines

Candy Bouguets - a home business opportunity.

2013-11-19T09:55:00.001-08:00

Candy bouquets have become popular as gifts and also has the potential to develop in a profitable home business.

If you want to learn how to make candy bouquets, why not have a look at this e-book written by Lana Glass. This 287 page book contains all the necessary information on how to create professional looking candy bouquets.

Improve your baking skills – start a home business

2013-10-17T11:42:00.000-07:00

Starting a home bake business is easier than you think. Maybe you think that you do not have the necessary baking skills to start a baking business. I have developed an e-book (Bake for Profit) setting out all that you will have to know to start such a business. This guide contains topics such as:

1. What do you have to consider before you get started

2. Tips for starting up your business and what baking tools and equipment you will require

3. Some tried and tested cookie and candy recipes that you can use to start a profitable bake business

4. How to cost your products

5. How to promote your products

6. How to find a market

If you need an extra income, a home bake business can be started immediately with minimum costs involved. There will always be a market for home made products, but to produce quality products you have to improve your skills. With my e-guide you can avoid costly mistakes and get the right recipes that have been chosen for simplicity, quality and profitability. Making cookies and candy can be highly profitable, but then you must view it as a business and start out with a proper business plan. To be successful you will need more than just baking skills. Costing your products, promoting and marketing your products are all important business skills that are necessary to make money from a business venture.

Homemade candy - make money from home

2013-10-13T05:26:00.001-07:00

Homemade candy has always been a firm favorite and if you have some knowledge of the basics involved in candy making, you will be surprised how easy most types of candy can be made from your home kitchen. Homemade candy offers a great opportunity to earn money from home.

Homemade Fudge

The two basic ingredients of all candy are sugar and chocolate and you should know how to boil sugar and how to work with chocolate. Chocolate can be more difficult to work with and for home made candy, sugar is the simplest. If you are interested in starting a profitable home business, you could start with homemade candy. There are many recipes available but not all of them are suitable for business purposes. I have put together 25 well tested and tried recipes and all the recipes in this recipe book are sugar based. However, many types of candy can be covered with chocolate and for this reason some hints are given to melt chocolate and cover candy in liquid chocolate. I have put together this e-book to give you some background of both working with these ingredients and to provide you with some recipes that you can use to start your home candy business. The recipes can be described as traditional and are relatively easy to make.

Here is what you will find in this book:

Candy basics

Types of candy

Tools needed to make candy

Twenty five delicious candy recipes

If you are interested in this wonderful opportunity to start a real home business, why not send me an e-mail to vanderwalt.nick@gmail.com and get this candy recipe book for the special offer of $9.99.

Bake for Profit - Start a Home Business

2011-11-24T10:51:00.000-08:00

Bake for Profit is an e-book that has been created by Nick Van der Walt (a pensioner) that had to supplement his meager pension with a home business. The obvious option seemed to be to do something that would not cost a lot and to make use of what was available in the home. Although not a great cook himself, he nonetheless started to experiment with baking cookies and making homemade candy that he remembered from his childhood days when his grandma use to make these delectable treats. When his friends were impressed with what he had achieved, he knew that he had something that could become a real home business. The next step was to start marketing his products at the local farmer’s market. At this market he built up a regular customer base and the business started growing. The next step was to supply local coffee shops and other businesses with cookies and candy.

This book is aimed at assisting home bakers to start a profitable home business. The recipes given here were all thoroughly tested and used by the author to start his own home business. Recipes were carefully selected to make sure that the cost of ingredients is low enough to produce a quality product at a good profit. Home baking can be profitable and the combination of cookies and candy will give you the variety needed to offer something for everybody.

The book covers the following aspects:

· How to start a Home Bake Business

· Home Bake Basics

· Profitable Home Bake Cookie Recipes

· Profitable Candy Recipes

· How to Promote Home Bake Products

· Finding a Market For Home Bake Products

· Some Helpful Information to Make Baking Easier

Important guidelines are also provided on how to determine a reasonable selling price for the different products. Some interesting ideas such as candy bouquets are given to assist you in promoting your products and also how to start marketing on the internet.

This is a real world business opportunity. With the help of “Bake for Profit” you can start your own successful home bake business.

Wusthoff 5=Piece Block Set

2011-10-08T04:02:00.000-07:00

Wusthoff Block Set. This fantastic 5-piece knife set will be shipped free of charge. Find out more.

Home Baking - Earn Money From Home

2011-10-07T11:42:00.000-07:00

Bake for Profit Programme

Home baking has become a major source of income for many poor people, especially in South Africa. Learn to Earn is a non-profit organisation created to teach unemployed people to earn money from home. It is situated in Khayalitsha and Hermanus near Cape Town in South Africa. Candidates receive a diploma and the knowledge gained helps them to start their own profitable home business. Other skills such as woodwork and sewing are also taught. The baking for profit course covers areas like:

Safety and Hygiene
Measuring Techniques
Cooking and Mixing Methods
Baking with Yeast
Quick flour mixtures

With the high unemployment rate in South Africa, the Bake-for-Profit project is meeting one of the deepest needs in communities throughout the country: the right to earn a living.

All recipes taught have proven over the years to equip the entrepreneur with marketable and affordable products to sell in their respective communities.

Baking Games

2011-06-25T07:50:00.000-07:00

Play baking games online! This is the hottest new online past time. If you like games and want to learn how to bake cakes, cookies etc, why not try a baking game? The cool thing is that you get the opportunity to see how the ingredients are mixed together and how baking takes place. The recipe is available for you to download and test it in real life.
Try this by clicking here.

Home Baking Business – Why Cookies And Candy?

2011-06-04T05:25:00.000-07:00

Home Made Peppermint Creams

If you are thinking of starting a home business and you have some cooking skills, you should seriously consider a cookie and candy business. You might wonder why cookies and candy? There a number of reasons but the most important is that everybody loves cookies and home made candy and if you have the right approach, you will certainly be able to develop a reliable income.

To make money from your efforts, there are some principles that you should consider.

Firstly, you want to make money! Cookies and candy allow you to utilize the following key ingredients which are necessary in any successful business:

Cost-effectiveness. The cost of ingredients and other inputs should allow you to charge a reasonable selling price and in turn provide a profit. Cookies and candy can be produced cost-effectively provided you have the right recipes.
Attractive product. With some extra effort you can decorate your product to make it attractive. This product will create a desire to buy and make it easy to sell.
Quality product. With quality ingredients you can create products that will make your customers want to come back for more. A tasty cookie or candy will give you a happy customer.

Secondly, you want a product that has a reasonable shelf life. Products such as cakes and pies must be sold immediately. Cookies and candy on the other hand, can be stored or even refrigerated to last for a long time. What you don’t sell today, you can sell tomorrow or next week.

Thirdly, most cookies and candy can withstand reasonably rough handling. If you are going to transport or ship your product, you want to be sure that it reaches its destination intact.

Fourthly, everybody likes cookies and candy, and they are really versatile and you can let your imagination go. Cookie hampers or gift baskets are popular and you can establish a lucrative corporate market. Fortune cookies and wedding gift cookies are ideal for special occasions such as birthdays and weddings. You can also meet the special needs of some of your customers. Special diabetic cookies or diet cookies can provide you with a niche that can be a money spinner.

Lastly, to make cookies and candy, you don’t need specialized equipment or knowledge. It is the ideal home business. Use your baking skills (even if it is limited) and make real money. Your potential market starts with your close friends and family. Making money was never easier and I will show you how to start and build your business. You can get more information by going to this site.

Can You Make Profit From Home Made Candy?

2011-06-03T12:52:00.000-07:00

Is it possible to make a good profit from home made candy? Without a doubt a very good profit is possible. The most important thing is to keep your input costs as low as possible. The most important input costs are the following:

1. Cost of ingredients
2. Packing
3. Labor cost (only if you employ staff)
4. Transport cost
5. Advertising

6. Gas/ electricity

Ingredients represent the highest input cost. To keep the cost of ingredients as low as possible, you should choose the right recipe. The aim should be to find a recipe that uses low cost ingredients without compromising quality and taste. I have tested many recipes before I got the right ones and I have had great success with candies such as Peanut Brittle, Turkish Delight and Fudge. A profit of 100% or more is quite possible and in the table below is an example of my profit on Fudge.

Estimated costing, mark-up & suggested selling price

Fudge:
Cost of ingredients		R 25.08
Electricity		R 1.00
Packing		R 0.11
Total cost		R 26.19
No of units produced	48
Units/pack	4
No of packs	12
Cost/pack		R 2.18
Mark-up		2.82
Selling price/pack		R 5.00
Profit/pack		114.67%

If you want to start a profitable home candy business, you will find all the money maker recipes and other useful information in Baking For Profit.

Before You Start A Cookie Business - What To Consider

2011-06-01T11:35:00.000-07:00

There are some considerations before beginning any type of business even a home-based one such as baking cookies and making candy:

o Check out the local laws for registering and zoning a home baking business. Health regulations must be taken into consideration when starting a food business from your home. Consult you Local Authority in this regard.

o Small business tax laws. Now that you are a business, you are subject to different tax exemptions, deductions and payments.

o Set up a separate work space at home. This could be as simple as using a spare bedroom or den with a door to keep your work separate. If you rely on the telephone a separate phone line can be added.

o Use on and offline marketing methods to find clients. Start with your immediate circle of friends and relatives. If they like your cookies, it gives you the confidence to get a wider customer base. Internet marketing can follow when you have a proven product.

o Create a schedule to divide time between work and family. Balancing both is hard. Scheduling time and sticking to it means more gets done and no one is slighted.

o Start small and develop your business as you acquire knowledge and experience.

o To start a cookie and candy business, you must get tested recipes that will make you a profit. Steer clear from offers such as “1000 free recipes” or “Best fudge recipe ever”.

o Remember, you want to make money! To be successful you will have to adopt a professional attitude. Draw up a business plan and do some initial research on items such as packaging, labeling, advertising etc. It is also advisable to draw up a budget of potential income and expenditure – even if it is still early days and you don’t have all the data you might want to have, drawing up a preliminary budget is crucial.

o Do a “test run” of the recipes that you have chosen to make sure that they produce the right quantity and quality. Keep record of the number of units produced so that you can do a cost analysis at a later stage.

o Get the prices of the ingredients of each recipe and calculate the unit cost in grams or milliliters. This will make it easy to do a calculation of the profit on each product.

If you are serious to start a cookie business from home, then I suggest that you get this e-guide to help you achieve your goal. All the information that you need is provided in this guide.

Work From Home Baking For Profit

2011-05-29T09:35:00.000-07:00

Do you want to work from home and use your skills to develop the easiest and most lucrative home business - baking for profit? This type of business does not require a big capital outlay and can easily be started from the comfort of your home. This is a real world business opportunity and does not (necessarily) involve the internet. Everybody loves cookies and candy and if it is home made, it adds that extra attraction. A stake in the cookie and candy market can be very lucrative, as well as rewarding for you and your wallet. So if you are looking for a great business opportunity, why not try your hand at making your own cookies and candy and selling them from your home?

The current trend is towards more home-based businesses. They require lower overhead and start-up money making them easier for entrepreneurs with limited funds. There are several benefits to running a home-based baking business. First of all, you can run the business from your home. Since you already pay a mortgage, utilities and car payments, the only thing you need spend money on now is the equipment for your business.

Secondly, a home-based service business requires low overhead and start-up costs. The key to keeping the overhead low is taking on only as many projects as you can safely and efficiently handle by yourself. Try to do as many things yourself rather than appointing extra staff.

Another important factor is the fact that you can establish a website for selling your product and that lowers the overhead even more and maximizes your profit. With the Internet as your potential customer base, the opportunities are endless for marketing and finding clients. If you love baking, home baking business is ideal to start because you already have a kitchen and most of the tools and equipment needed to start your business.

There are literally thousands and thousands of styles and combination for business ideas that can make you very successful. The secret is to find the best recipes that will enable you to make a profit but still provide your customers with a top quality product.

In the cookie business, it is easy to see that such cheap ingredients such as flour, sugar, eggs, and other flavorings can easily be turned into a product that is not only eye catching and tasty, but also one that can bring in a fabulous stream of income for years and years to come.

If you want to avoid costly mistakes, why not get "Bake for Profit - start a home business" and get all the information you will need, including money maker recipes and handy tips for baking cookies and making candy.