_edited.png)
Is it possible? Let's look into it!
You're here, either because you have a request to bake something gluten-free or you want to add it to your available options. I get it! It's a stressful decision on whether or not you want to try tackling anything gluten free.
Let me take you on a quick guide to making gluten-free baking easier!
What is considered Gluten in day to day baking?
Gluten is when a wheat contains a specific mixture of protein, found in day-to-day all purpose, self rising, bread and rye and barley flours.
When a product or let’s say your cake for example is labeled “gluten-free” means it does not contain/was not baked with any time of wheat listed above, and others derived from those grains. The product also cannot have any ingredients that have been processed to remove gluten and has 20+gluten ppm, according to the FDA.
Gluten-Free Flour
Test, test, test! It may seem like a waste of ingredients at first, but practicing with different gluten-free flours and recipes is important. Simply switching out your All-purpose flour for gluten-free isn’t always going to work out, especially dependent on the ingredients. You will want to find a gluten-free flour that contains xanthan gum, or your cupcakes and cakes won’t work out. Here are some great gluten-free flours:
King Arthur Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour
King Arthur Gluten Free All- Purpose Flour
Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-1 Baking Flour
Almond Flour
Xanthan gum is crucial, as it acts as the primary binder ingredient and replaces the protein you would find in lets say all-purpose flour. You may notice some gluten-free cakes you have tried seem gummy or really thick? Thank our friend, xanthan gum. While it may seem like an off putting texture, this thickening ingredient is a hydrocolloid and is a type of sugar known as a polysaccharide; giving gluten-free baked goods a somewhat similar texture and elasticity to gluten.
The thickness and gummy texture is easily created due to not mixing, baking, or letting it sit long enough. Different from how we would bake, let’s say gluten cupcakes, mixing longer than usual, letting the batter sit before baking for about 30 minutes, and baking a few minutes longer will help reduce the possibility of biting into a gummified cupcake. It takes some practice however, so don’t fret if they don’t turn out great the first couple tries.
Understanding the Hazards
Understanding the hazards and risks of serving someone a cake labeled gluten-free is important for both you and the customer.
While it is not recommended to bake “gluten-free” labeled products within a non-gluten free kitchen, this is due to the risks of cross-contamination. Even the smallest amount on a washed whisk you previously used on a delicious vanilla cake the other day can still cause an adverse reaction to someone who is severely allergic and has celiac disease. Or that cake pan you just washed? Believe it or not, it still may have traces of gluten.
Personally, I don’t take severe gluten-free orders, (someone with celiac or has severe reactions) due to the fact that I bake within a non-gluten free kitchen and all my utensils, oven, and tools come in contact with gluten at some point or another. I have this stated on my website almost everywhere, and it is important you do the same. If someone states they are comfortable eating a gluten-free product from my kitchen even after reading and signing off the agreement during their order process, I feel confident and knowledgeable enough to proceed.
If you or your customer do not feel comfortable taking on the task or risks; offering a strictly local “gluten-free” bakery is a great and safer option.
How to Confidently take on Gluten-Free requests
While this all may seem scary and deterrent, if you want to still offer or want to strictly start a gluten-free bakery of your own; it is not difficult if you follow a few rules and regulations.
Have separate gluten-free utensils and equipment for gluten-free orders if you can, and keep them separated and away from any gluten.
Make sure to state to your customers that if you are a gluten kitchen, that the risks are still present due to equipment and utensils being used around and within gluten. Have them sign an agreement that they understand for business safety.
Find good gluten-free recipes and/or test gluten-free flours before selling.
Take a food allergy certification course accepted by your state, to learn the importance and risks of cross-contamination. The more knowledgeable you are on allergens, the more confident and comfortable you and your customers will be.
Practice making “fake” gluten-free orders to test your knowledge of cross-contamination and to make sure you don’t accidentally include gluten at some point. The more gluten-free products you make, the easier it will be.
What is an EIN and Do I Need One?
An EIN or an Employer Identification Number is a number given to you by the IRS after applying for one, here. You can apply using their online application system or by mailing/faxing to their address.
The purpose of these is strictly for the purpose of tax administration either for just you, or you and your employees. To know if you can be exempt from one is to determine if your business qualifies for tax-exempt status. It is also important to see if your state requires you to have one regardless. If you are unsure if you need one, you may view the IRS Form SS-4 and view the 2nd page.
I personally utilized the IRS site a lot while researching taxes and what I needed or did not need for my bakery.
Cost Breakdown and Out of Pocket Purchases
I have to say it again, it does depend on your state! Everyone will have a different experience on what they need to get started, however, here are some expenses you may encounter like I did.
Business Planning: Should I Do it?
Absolutely! Well, I cannot force you to, but I can highly recommend it. I purchased a small notebook just to write down everything I came across for my business, including what I needed, who I needed to contact, pricing of licenses, contact information, and more. I found that creating a business plan helped out tremendously because I will be honest, it can get quite confusing.
Creating your Cottage Food Business
Choosing a Business Name
Okay, now that we are past the legal stuff, let's get into the fun part! If you have not done so already, you will want to first pick out a business name. While picking one out, I like to search on Google, Business Lookup websites, State business lookup, and domain search to make sure no one else has the same name and to see what has already been taken. It is important to not rely just on Google.
Here are some tips I took into consideration while making mine:
Make it easy to spell and pronounce - try not to add any difficult-to-spell wording so it is easy for your customers to search and refer you
Keep it simple - avoid a very long name, keep it short and sweet!
Choose something unique - Create a name that means something to you, but also is easy for customers to know what you are selling. For example: (Sweet Eats By Rachel, you can assume I may sell some type of desserts or sweets)
Choosing Your Logo and Theme
Choosing your logo and colors are more simple than you may think. Utilizing a design program such as Canva is a great source to create your logo, and it's free!
Here are some tips for creating your logo and theme:
Keep your colors to a minimum - I would focus on no more than 5 colors
Keep your design simple - you can search on Google for ideas, or on Canva and use an available template
Create a brand theme - Use the same colors in your logo for your website and social media to keep it consistent
Create a bold and solid brand image/voice
Use unique packaging - presentation is key!
If you are not confident in creating your own logo, you can always hire a digital designer to do so for you.
Pricing Your Homemade Goods. How Much Should I Charge?
Pricing can be a bit tricky, especially if you are not confident in mathematics and costs like I am. It is important to set your prices to what you are offering and to match your skill level but to also create a profit each month. If you set your prices too low, you may be losing money instead.
Some tips I recommend are to keep track of your recipe expenses. For example, know how much your ingredients cost, how much total with your ingredients your end baked good costs, along with your packaging and labels. After all those expenses combined, you should still be ahead by making a profit, if not, try to adjust your prices. Remember, the time it takes for you to make the goods needs to be a priority as well, from start to finish (aka; from Baking to Packaging)
A common website I see Cottage Bakers using is CakeCost. It is designed for calculating your costs from your recipes. This is what I used to make things so much easier!
Keeping Track of Expenses
It is super important to mark down all your expenses...and I mean all of them! This is for both your keeping and for tax purposes. I use a binder specifically for my bakery containing everything from Recipes to Expenses, to Product Inventory and Orders.
Here are some I recommend keeping track of:
Monthly and Annual Bills (Can include Licensing, Websites, or Marketing Bills)
Ingredient Prices
Equipment/Supplies
Gas (if you deliver)
Fees (such as vendors or farmer's market fees)
Shipping Fees
Taxes
As I stated above, using a specific place to keep track of everything is really important. Due to the possibility of losing access or your computer dying, I keep everything in my Bakery Business Binder. However, if you don't mind keeping your things online, utilizing programs such as QuickBooks, Excel, and Google Sheets are great options.
If you would like to utilize my binder expenses logs, I have attached them at the end for download.
Choose Your Options for Payments
Choosing what type of payments you want to accept will determine who you also attract to your business. However, be sure to choose the ones that best fit your style and how you want to run your bakery.
Here are some forms of payment you can choose from:
Cash - One of the best ways, as there are no fees associated with it
Check - Not as common, however a good alternative if you don't want to take payments through an app or online
Apple Pay - Available on iPhones
Debit/Credit Cards - You will most likely have fees or interest associated with any payment transaction made, however with technology these days, is the most common for merchants and customers
Digital Apps - These you will need to set up prior to being able to accept payments through them. These can include PayPal, Square, Venmo, and others
Marketing Your Business to Sell
Where Should I Sell?
Where you can sell will depend on your state and individual vendors and markets. For example, South Carolina only allows in-state sales and shipping either in person or online. However, being able to Market your goods online is a great way to get your business out there. It can be a slow process at first, so don't put yourself down if you don't get a good start right away!
Some places can include:
Instagram
Facebook
LinkedIn
Google Ads
Business Website
Vendors
Farmer's Markets
Festivals/State Fairs
It is important to use all that those places offer, such as running online ads through Instagram, Facebook, and Google. Or when you go to a farmer's market, purchase some banner's with your logo to bring people in. Make sure to also utilize hashtags! It may seem like a pain, but if you plan on creating an Instagram page for your bakery, using hashtags related to your business on your posts will boost your views!
Here is an example from my Instagram Page:
As you can see, I placed hashtags related to both my business and the photo I posted. This means anyone who follows or searches a similar or identical hashtag, will come across my photo.
How Can I Grow My Business?
Be sure to keep up with your social media and advertising. The more you create or upkeep on, the better chance you reach more potential customers. Utilize asking for reviews after selling an order. Reviews will be a number one helper in growing your business!
A few other tips I recommend can include:
Passing out business cards (I utilize Canva and Shutterfly for printing)
Make sure your business is verified and listed on Google (that way your business pops up in a search)
Offer free samples at markets
Offer new bakery goods often to change up your menu/services
Join baking groups on Facebook or in-person
Be CONSISTENT!
Overall Conclusion
Hopefully, all these tips help you out in getting started! Of course, there are lots of questions and tips I can still go on and on about, however if you do have any questions, I would be happy to help you out further.
Don't be afraid to put yourself out there! Be creative, be consistent, and just be yourself. Don't be discouraged on getting started, as it can be a slow process at first. Starting a baking business is probably going to be one of the best decisions you will make...I mean you are doing what you love, right?
Take the time to review EVERYTHING, make sure to get your business set up before selling, and learn what your customers have to say, even if that is good or bad. Insight and reviews help you grow!
The best part? You get to work on your own time, your own schedule, and be your own boss.
Now get out there and do your thing.
Comments