Cake decorating, like any creative activity, is labor intensive, which means it can be difficult to maintain the level of profit necessary to make your business viable, but with a little thought and planning, there are a variety of ways in which the process can be made more efficient and productive, and therefore more profitable.
Team up with someone who has the skills you don’t. If you’re a great cake decorator and you make great sugar sculptures but you’re not great with lettering, or you’re a great decorator in all aspects but not a great baker, then why not consider partnering with someone? who has the skills you lack? This means that the cake will be of good quality and you will be able to focus on what you are best at without wasting time producing an inferior product. You may want to hire someone else to do this, or you may want to partner with someone; Either way, make sure the contractual and legal issues are clearly stated in writing before you begin. Business partnerships are great friendship destroyers if they go wrong, so be clear about it.
Consider buying cakes or some decorative items. If you are better at decorating cakes than baking them, it may be worth buying from a good bakery. This can save you a lot of time and frees you up to do what you’re really good at, as well as ensuring the quality of your cake. Check out a few bakeries until you find one that makes the range and quality of cakes you need, and make sure they can reliably supply you with the quantities you need. If you get to know them, you may be able to negotiate a good price for ongoing business, and don’t forget that they can also be a good source of referrals for you.
The same applies to certain decorative elements, perhaps sugar sculptures, which he finds too time-consuming. Some people specialize in these and it may be best to buy from them so your profits aren’t eroded by spending more time than necessary on a project.
stick to a plan This really goes without saying for any business, but planning your day, your week, and your year is vital to achieving the immediate and long-term goals you have set for yourself and your cake decorating business. Keep a detailed journal (wall planners are ideal) of upcoming commitments so you can be well prepared and know what you need to accomplish each day. Having a well-organized plan also helps avoid last-minute rushing, where mistakes are most likely to occur, and leaves you in a better position with more time to deal with when something goes wrong.
keep supplies By keeping a well-managed inventory of all the supplies and equipment you need for your cake decorating business, you will save a lot of time by not having to go to multiple stores or vendors all the time. Over time, you’ll know how much of each item you should have on hand at any given time, and this will ensure a more efficient use of not only your time, but also your money.
Keep up with paperwork Do the books regularly – weekly is good. This will give you a much clearer picture of where you stand with your business and what you need to monitor or improve. It also means you won’t lose valuable production time or even customers by having to shut everything down so you can rush and panic work through a year’s worth of tax filings or bill payments. Just as you clean your kitchen regularly and thoroughly, you should also keep your books clean and tidy.