Recently, the homemade cookie and snack market has made a turn for the better. With a small capital, you are able to start a decently profitable homemade snacks and cookie business all by yourself. Not only that but with a baker’s heart, you may find yourself new ways to improve your culinary creativity and skill. With Raya coming by, a good time to start would be now.
Not only a decent way to make some cash but also a way to bring your community closer together this festive season. How to get started? You may ask. Continue reading as we guide you through.
As goes any business, a business plan should be set in order. Plan your budget, recipes, ingredients, equipment that can be used, what to do when the rainy days come and the sunny days go, research any cookie and snacks trends that are popping up recently, your customers’ interest in cookies and snacks, your competition, service area and so on. Your big picture plan is essential to move on to the next step.
After that, remember to get your business license to start operating your business legally.
Finances are the core of any business, and in the cookie and snack business it is no different. You gotta spend money to earn money, so go into detail rather than eyeballing your money, how to and what to spend on when starting your business? Ask yourself questions on how to better the business constantly, but also consider whether such choices are considered affordable.
Next, plan out how the business may go through a 3 month trial, without any large profits or revenue, is it possible for your cookie and snack kingdom to survive 3 months, can your pocket afford 3 months? If not, find ways to cut costs without cutting the quality of your products. If you are considering to take a loan, figure out how much you need and find out the required paperwork to save time applying.
Ok, no more business talk, recipe time. Planning out your menu is like putting on makeup for a party, it will be the outlook of your product, their presentation and their variety. While you have a business plan, it’s safe to say you’ve done your research on what your possible customers may want, what trends that you have currently and how to ride on them to maximize your profits.
There’s also the talk of prices; set them so you don’t lose money, that’s obvious, but there’s also increasing the prices not to the point where your customers feel it’s too much, or how much higher is it compared to your competition. That money is the lifeline of your business after all.
When your products are baked or fried and set, it’s time to deliver them to your customers in need. Presentation is crucial, a good look for you and a surprise to them, so put some thought to what protects your cookies. Your packaging has got to look good, but it’s also gotta be durable and safe for your cookies. Remember to make sure the size fits the amount of cookies you have, keep it airtight and make it pretty so your customers feel incentivised to post it on their social media. Bonus points if you plan your packaging according to the upcoming major event or festivities.
The second part of getting your products to your customer is to plan out your logistics, how are you going to get it to your customers? Depending on your method, it may range from selling it directly to your customers with your own courier services, or selling them to shops and stores that showcase your cookies to the customers that enter.
No, you don’t have to choose only one channel to sell from, you can list your products on sale on many different online platforms, be it Shopee or Lazada, on social media such as Instagram or Facebook, it may even be your own personalized website. Point is to reach out as much as you can, the more mediums, the more customers after all as long as you can manage them.
With your store set up and ready for show, time to tell the world and spread the word. Advertise online through social media, or encourage your close friends and families to spread word of mouth online about your new store. With as low as RM50, you can start advertising on Facebook and Instagram as a start. Once you have gained enough followers, consider running some contests or giveaways to gain more organic traffic!
With the steps clear and ideas ambitious, become a real go-getter and start up your own snack and cookie business with pride and confidence, and who knows, maybe your store becomes the next big thing the children talk about! Need ideas on what to sell? Visit Ajinomoto Food Biz Partner website for a range of Ramadan snack recipes suitable to be sold online. Join us as a member today to get more tips and insights like this!
Ajinomoto Food Biz Partner
