Business Overview
If your child loves making cookies, brownies, or muffins, helping him or her start a children’s baking business is a fun way to teach valuable business skills. All children enjoy helping mom in the kitchen and older children can even do most of the work on their own. Teenagers can make baked goods from start to finish without their parents’ help at all. Selling baked goods is the perfect first business idea for a budding epicurean and entrepreneur. Your child can set up a table in front of your house or a more crowded location like a neighborhood garage sale or park. A large sign and some balloons will help draw attention to the delicious treats. Your child may want to build their business even more quickly and go door-to-door selling their goods. Be sure to have an adult or teen accompany the younger child on this part of the business venture. Have your child concentrate on one item they make particularly well at first like chocolate chip cookies or pumpkin bread. Then, as their skills progress, they can add more items to the menu – muffins, brownies, lemon bars, etc. Maybe they will find that one item sells better than the others and they can make more of that item. This will teach the concept of supply and demand. Youngsters will also learn how to work with money and the importance of good manners and customer service. Baked treats are always a big draw and starting a children’s baking business is a good way to spend time with your children while they learn skills that will last a lifetime.
A Day in the Life of a Children’s Baking Business Owner:
Your child’s day will begin by baking treats they will sell that day. Once the baked items are ready, you will help your child set up the table and chairs and arrange the cookies, brownies, muffins, etc. in an attractive display. You will help your child throughout the day as he or she deals with customers, makes changes, and restocks the display table. At the end of the day, you and your child will put away the table and any leftover treats and head home.
About Your Customers:
Your customers will be adults and children hungry for delicious baked goods.
What You Need to Start:
- Delicious baked treats
- Table and two chairs (for child and parent)
- Sign and balloons
- Dollar bills and change
- Transportation if the location is away from home
The Good:
- Demand for baked goods is always high.
- Children can learn about profit since they’ll be able to sell baked goods for more than the cost of the ingredients.
- Selling baked goods is an excellent way to teach customer service to youngsters.
- This business can be set up again and again throughout a slow summer.
- It’s a good opportunity to spend time with your children while they learn.
The Bad:
- Young children will need a lot of help doing the baking.
- Without a lot of traffic, it will be difficult to sell your goods.