Home Based Business
Start Up Costs

Follow these simple guidelines and tips and keep your pet bakery start up costs manageable.

Knowing what you absolutely need and what you don't need is a start.

Then, making good decisions going forward can save you thousands of dollars!

NOT with "theories"-- just facts!

You now have the incredible opportunity to learn from 2 insiders in the pet industry: Chris Trombley (PetSmart) and Doug Bertram (Farnam Pet Products) have put together an excellent package to help you save money and get started.

So don't waste time and money making mistakes, learning how to start a bakery on your own. Learn from Chris and Doug—and you'll be making money months earlier!

Start Making $ Now

Well, there are a number of reasons, but the most common reason for failure is that the small business owner got in over his/her head financially.

They simply spent too much money on home based business start up costs, borrowed too much money, and, frequently they put too much of their own money into the business.

In other words, they threw a lot of money into the business, and, at some point, the money well ran dry! A business is supposed to MAKE money, not TAKE money!

And, especially if you are quitting your job, you need to have money in the bank—enough to support your family for 6-12 months. Until your business is making enough money to support you.

If you have an income while you are starting your new bakery business, you still need to keep your home based business start up costs down.

Keeping start up costs down can mean the difference between a wildly successful business and a dismal failure. Always remember that you are in business—to make a profit!

Before you get started, read material written by experts in the field and educate yourself on what you will need to be successful.

Here are some ideas to help you keep your home based business start up costs to a minimum:

Dog Bakery Franchise
High Home Based Business
Start up Costs

But, keep in mind that, in addition to hefty franchise fees, you may also be required to spend money for:

• Store front location – purchase of a building or rental for a store front location. If you rent, you will have to sign a contract. The owner of the building is not going to agree to a trial rental for a month or two. You will be subject to a lease, and you will have to personally guarantee the payments.

• Advertising – You will need a sign out front, and you will have to advertise to get business. If you skimp on advertising, you will see a huge drop in business.

• Ongoing fees – royalty fees and advertising fees, etc.

• Salaries – often your highest expense. Hiring people may be part of your franchise agreement.

• Equipment and supplies – often the franchise dictates what equipment you need to purchase. In addition, you may be required to purchase supplies from the franchisor. In other words, no shopping around for the best prices.

Home Based Business Start up Costs
for Equipment

A home oven works just fine. To keep baking economical and save money on energy, always bake 2 or 3 baking sheets of dog treats at a time. This also gets the job done faster and allows you to make a larger number of dog treats in a day!

You need a mixer—heavy duty is best. And I like to use a bread machine, because it basically does the work by itself. This is one place I might splurge. I always had 2 bread machines working at once.

Look around for a used heavy duty mixer and used bread machines. Yard sales or ads in a penny shopper newspaper are a good place to start.

While you're looking for those, check out the yard sales, flea markets, or thrift shops for used muffin pans, cookie cutters, cake pans, cookie sheets—anything that you think you can use.

Cookie cutters just don't cost that much. Make sure you have some nice sturdy ones and an assortment that you will use frequently for different occasions.

Home Based Business
Start Up Costs for Bakery Supplies

For example, you might be able to purchase white bakery bags at 33 cents each if you buy 25 bags at a time. But, if you purchase 1000 bags, you can get them for 17 cents each. Which is the better deal?

That depends. If you buy the 25 bakery bags, it will cost you $8.25. If you buy the 1000 bags, you will be spending $170.00. But, you will probably need more than 1 size bag, box or package. You need to add all your packaging costs together to see how much you will be spending.

Is it best to purchase smaller quantities initially (that cost more per piece) or is it better to spend more money up-front but save money on each piece? The numbers can add up pretty quickly. You decide. You're the only one who knows your situation.

Use this exercise for each of the supplies and ingredients that you will be using. Line up your bakery suppliers even before you open your business. This will save you time and money in the long run.

Keeping expenses down can help keep profits up. But you need to decide for yourself where you can economize—and where you can't!

Your Bakery Website - Home Based Business Start up Costs

The tools are so good that you don't have to know HTML to build a good website, because the software checks your work before your page goes live.

There is no need to hire an SEO company to optimize an SBI website. Just one more way to keep your home based business start up costs down!

If you don't want to build the site yourself, you can get someone at SBI to do it for you—and you'll know that it's being done right.

Which brings me to another point. You don't have to build your website yourself. You can hire someone else to do it for you.

But be prepared to pay heartily for this service. And make sure that you shop around before hiring someone to do it!

Other Ways to Cut
Home Based Business Start Up Costs

• If you have decided on a mobile business model , do you NEED to buy a van? If so, why not get a used van? You can save thousands of dollars and keep your home based business start up costs down by buying a used vehicle.

• Do you really need a van? Or will your current car do? If you can make deliveries using your car, you will save even more. Why buy a vehicle if you really don't need to? Even if you have to make an extra trip or two, buying gas is still cheaper than buying another vehicle.

• If you plan to do flea markets, farmers markets, etc., buy used equipment for your displays. Check for auctions for businesses going out of business, yard sales for things like fold up tables, classified ads in newspapers, etc.

• Advertising – You can advertise very inexpensively by using your car or van as a traveling billboard. There are several ways to do this. You can have the information painted on, put on with vinyl lettering (removable later) or you can use magnetic signs. Make sure your vehicle is working for you—everywhere you go!

Continue with more free tutorials:

• How to Set Goals
• Dog Bakery Equipment
• Bakery Supplies

Home Based Business Start Up to Starting a Home Business

Home Based Business Start Up to Best Dog Treat Recipes Photo by Purple Slog, flckr