5 things I'd do if I were starting a micro bakery in 2024!

hey guys! Here's 5 things I'd do if I were starting a micro bakery in 2024, (from someone who ran theirs for almost 4 years solo!). Let me know if you find this content helpful. Lily x
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[@leechrec]

My advise to those starting out: - No deliveries. Let people pickup instead. - Set up a website immediately with an order and payment function. Make it as easy as possible for people to order online, and limit talking on the phone. - Do not take more orders than you can realistically do. Set order limits. Learn to say no! - If possible, do high margin and low effort products that people like to buy to counter more complicated "passion project" products. - Keep your product list compact but very high quality. - Arrange the layout of your workspace to be as efficient as possible to minimize extra movement. Simulate and modify. - Take advantage of those special days like Mother's Day, Valentines Day, etc. to sell a high margin product. - Costing, costing, costing! - The freezer is your friend. - Developing a recipe is simple. Developing a process for mass production is crucial. You need to find a way to lessen steps and physical toll when making large numbers of products. - Do not be stingy on equipment. Having the right equipment, in terms of use and capacity, is incredibly important for productivity and efficiency. - Bakery work is physically demanding, so any chance you can lessen the toll on the body, do it. In my bakery, we have certain processes where we can sit instead of stand without affecting productivity. - You do not need to be open every day. One bakery in our neighborhood for example, only takes orders on Wednesdays, and opens for pickups on the weekend. Do not overextend yourself. - Get some sleep! Bakers are notorious for not getting enough sleep. So tweak your recipes and processes if you can to accommodate a reasonable sleep schedule.

[@markbolam1383]

also i wouldnt be employing anybody first couple of years it takes time to build a buisness

[@LilysLoaf]

love these tips!!

[@YogaPlus1]

Your videos are always very inspiring and helpful. Love to see videos on how to make and bake your favorite pastries. Looking forward to it. Thanks. ❤

[@richspizzaparty]

@@markbolam1383Poor advice. You need to delegate as much as possible and focus. Most fail because they don't.

[@markbolam1383]

not all i run a small business and been in business 8 years

[@joytotheworld2100]

Im 65 and live in the U.S. I've always dreamed of selling baked goods.I had a gift basket company years ago that failed. I didn't have the financial means to keep it afloat.I hope you do succeed in your next chapter.

[@evfarry]

I’m not far behind you; nice sentiments. ❤

[@patrickkish6662]

Love how baking is a permanent passion in your life. Keep doing it with joy, and no worry. Now that it's not a business, it's a pleasure. Enjoy, Lily🙂

[@chief230]

Excellent advice for someone planning to chase their dream, and I think that deep down you really want to give your business another shot. There are other landlords who are more reasonable in what they expect from tenants. You have a whole community of people who believe in you, and you clearly have the drive to be successful. You are the master of your own destiny. Go for it!

[@LilysLoaf]

thank you so much for your kind words!

[@philipvanderwaal6817]

Live your passion ,if you can dream it,you can achieve it . Also nothing is difficult for those who really really want .

[@mattmallecoccio8378]

Bring on the education, Lily! Who better to tell us how to do it than you? Praying for your new journey 🙏

[@icantfindit008]

from south korea, my favorite micro bakery has literally shut the doors but they are still open since moving on to the internet and selling volumes via online and seem to be doing very well...I miss their bread and the quality isn't as good but they found their niche and good for them.

Valuable advise. I do farmers market. Sourdough bread. It is very labor intense. I plan to scale back on the bread and branch into other baked goods. Less labor more profit.

[@mattmallecoccio8378]

Maybe if you ever get back into the bakery biz, you could do what you're telling us to do. You never know. The future is uncertain. 🙏

[@bonjourtasty]

This was so so helpful Lily! i'm in the middle of opening my plant-based microbakery and your video came at the perfect time!😊😊😊

[@LilysLoaf]

I'm so glad! Best of luck to you! 💕

[@alissaolmos9224]

Thanks so much for sharing! Just discovered your channel and I love it!

[@XavierArte]

Thank you Lily much appreciated as always

[@LilysLoaf]

my pleasure!

[@rabendranath]

Thank you very much for these valuable bits of advice Lily! I found your channel not very long ago and I'm stunned by your work discipline and commitment, it's very inspiring. Keep doing what you love! Cheers!

[@LilysLoaf]

it's my pleasure! thank you so much for your kind words and so happy this is valuable to you!

[@Max_-]

Very useful and interesting advice!!! Thank you for doing this! Good luck with all that is next.

[@LilysLoaf]

my pleasure!!

[@tanyasmiles]

Yes, love these videos. Well, any video that you post actually 😁😁🧡🧡

[@LilysLoaf]

So glad you like them!

[@glenmuir219]

Well said. A worthwhile video and thanks for the tips. As you listed them, I sat here agreeing with you. Stay in touch.

[@leechrec]

I just want to say that I admire Lily and every person who took that leap of faith to run a business, no matter the size or complexity. To those thinking of starting their own business out of a burning desire to do what you are passionate about, best wishes to you. Plan, prepare, and do everything in your power to get as ready as possible, but always come with the expectation that you will screw up and you will learn new things no matter how long you do it. There will be a time where you will feel like you aren't a professional at all, and that's fine. It takes a long time to get that feeling, and even when you do, you can make the silliest and most amateur of mistakes. If your heart is in the right place and you are willing to constantly get better, then you are already a rock star. May the force be with you all!

[@patriciastuckey5060]

Very useful and helpful❤❤❤

[@LilysLoaf]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Mike_5]

Very interesting insight into this and even better from someone like yourself who has experience in this world but the energy costs for the ovens and the raw ingredient costs at the minute must be very high but on the other side a quality handmade product is thing of joy 😄

[@hooberdoober576]

What you need for that is an older guy like me sipping coffee, having a bun, and encouraging your efforts. Ciao.

[@miriamroxanacarlos3227]

continua con tus videos que son muy motivadores, saludos desde Argentina😘

[@pjdahmen]

Great!

[@miriamroxanacarlos3227]

Hola, muy buenos consejos Lily, me gusta poder aprender mas del manejo de una micropanaderia yaque estoy iniciando la mia en casa. Si puedes darnos mas consejos del tiempo previo a elaborar una masa para la venta, entre otros. gracias!!!😘☺

[@Captain-Max]

I really was moved with mixed emotions as all your expensive equipment was picked up and gone practically overnight. On the one hand I'm sure the financial side of the situation is mandatory to move on to your next step. The hard part was how final it felt to see all you have built up walk out the door so quickly. I'm sure it left you feeling a bit empty as it did for me. On another note, recently the Food & Drug Administration here in the States approved new medication aimed at helping those with severe food allergies. Xolair is an injection to help with Nut, Dairy, and other severe reaction allergies. I don't know if this pertains to your situation but it's worth mentioning. Best wishes!

[@claudiaalves4064]

thank you so much... enjoy, LilY.... 😘Portugal

[@LilysLoaf]

My pleasure!!

[@rachellist7871]

Love this video! I was wondering did you find wholesale to be "worth it"? I've had some business owners recommend focusing on wholesale OR retail because whole sale requires a lot of labor (delivery and such), smaller profit, and not gauranteed sales. But I also know of bakeries that only do wholesale and its worth it to them. Any thoughts? Did you have a different experience with wholesale?

[@LilysLoaf]

so happy to hear that! For me personally, wholesale was always reliable orders and easier to manage because I knew how much they wanted every week so it was reliable income for the most part. However, I have had a couple who haven't paid on time (still haven't paid for months) so that part can be tricky to manage. Doing wholesale and farmer's markets meant I had the best of both worlds, knowing local businesses but also local customers too. Important thing to bear in mind with wholesale is to set your minimum order for each client to make it worthwhile for every delivery.

[@mattmallecoccio8378]

Just, whatever you do, don't think you're a failure as a business owner, Lily. ❤

[@LilysLoaf]

I don't :)

[@mattmallecoccio8378]

@@LilysLoaf I'm so glad. 😊

[@philipvanderwaal6817]

Please share mir of your passion ❤

[@mr.Mikeyboy]

Hi Lilly…so here’s my question into my next step…what and how as far as equipment? Do I get a mixer oven etc at once? Or what should I get first..I know it goes hand n hand like more batches more loafs bigger oven but I’m not at that big point yet so I didn’t know what is like the right next step or what would u suggest ..I know the oven u have..any advice on mixers?..it’s like hitting a wall I need to jump but financially I didn’t know if there’s an easier way to easy into it ..thank you !

[@LilysLoaf]

Hey!! I’d look into my online course, how to start a micro bakery as I go through all these steps & more ☺️ 033888-2.myshopify.com/products/how-to-build-a-micro-bakery-business

[@mrgreenbudz37]

I am thinking of trying doing like 20 loaves a week for starters so the question I have is do you still cold ferment your dough once final shaping is done or is that not practical? I would need another fridge just to stack everything overnight.

[@LilysLoaf]

hey! cold ferment is not essential... you can do everything in one day (I haven't ever done this but other bakers have I know!) it might just mean a very long prep/ bake day for you! after the bulk fermentation you would shape, then leave the dough for another 1-2 hours ish and then bake. hope this helps :)

[@mrgreenbudz37]

@@LilysLoaf Yes and thank you for the reply. Like I mentioned I was just wondering what everyone does. I do think the cold fermenting gives the dough 12-24 hours does give it a better flavor but then again I am still learning and just stater in a jar, haha.

[@Feryal_O]

Hello dear I thought of hiring my sister as an assistant but I don't know ‏‪how much should I pay her, especially that I've just started

[@frannypeony2076]

☮️💟☯️

[@clementemetay4127]

1. Don’t