Bakery Invoice Template
The Bakery Invoice Template is similar to a receipt, providing patrons that purchased cookies, cakes, cupcakes, muffins, bread, and other goods with a handy breakdown of what was purchased, the cost of each, and the total payment due. The document provides proof that the sale occurred and makes bakery bookkeeping significantly easier. Bakeries often charge on a per-product basis and require payment be made once the customer receives what they ordered. For specialty or commercial orders, the client can be given terms that allow them to pay at a later date.
In the world of desserts, there is nothing more succulent than a homemade cupcake oozing with frosting, or a giant chocolate chip cookie as big as your head. The fine art of baking not only pleases the palate, but the eyes as well. Starting a bakery is an intense undertaking, but one that can leave an owner and her customers satisfied for years to come. Along with the art of making delicious desserts, a bakery owner needs business acumen to open a bakery and keep it running.
Download: Adobe PDF, MS Word (.docx), MS Excel (.xlsx)
How do Bakeries Charge their Customers?
Bakers are notorious for undercutting their profits, feeling unsure if customers will pay what their products are really worth. Bakeries need to find the sweet spot between how much they spend on ingredients and time versus what the public will pay for their goods. In the past, the rule of thumb was to charge two or three times the cost of the ingredients, but many bakers now understand how valuable their time is and are more interested in getting a more realistic price. If bakers are unwilling to raise the price of the product itself, changing the ingredients used or the baking methods are also good ways to lower the cost.
In general, bakers charge people per serving. This is easy to understand for a cookie or a cupcake, but even cakes are priced out per serving. In order to establish the price per serving, you need to account for the price of the ingredients as well as the operating expenses. Along with these numbers, consider the time you put into baking, designing, and marketing the treats. Consider how much money you need to make to stay afloat, and how much more you need if you are trying to grow your business. Understanding all of the numbers above will lead you to a sensible price point that will serve as the sweet spot. Also, understand that you can change the price as your business changes.
Tips for Opening a Bakery
Opening a bakery is not for the faint of heart. In order to daily create a case of scrumptious looking desserts and fill orders for birthday parties and other events, much planning is necessary. Below are the tips to follow if you are interested in opening a bakery.
- Research: Make sure to research to create the bakery that is right or you. Will you sell many items, or specialize in a few? Who is your target market? Will you use organic ingredients or more traditional? As you decide what type of products you want to sell and who you will sell them to, you can begin to formulate your business plan.
- Create a business plan: Included in your business plan will be the location of your business. Will you be renting a storefront? Can you create your bakery out of a food truck? What kind of ovens do you need to purchase? Also consider the number of employees you are considering hiring, and the cost of the ingredients you will use.
- Plan for start-up expenses, operating expenses, and any expensive unforeseen problems that may arise in your venture.
- Price your baked goods. When all is said and done, this might be the most difficult part of the venture. Avoid the temptation to undercharge your customers.
- Plan for marketing. Using social media is a great way to market your business. Writing a blog will also lure people to your site and eventually your storefront. Word of mouth is another great way to market your sweet treats.
Typical Bakery Startup Costs
The startup costs in opening your own bakery can be immense, and because of this, looking into a mixture of new and used equipment would be a good idea to save money. The oven is a huge expenditure, depending on the size and type you purchase. If you buy a revolving tray oven or a rotating rack oven you could spend up to 20,000 dollars. Having a great oven would make everything else run more smoothly in your bakery, but you need to weigh that against the cost. You also need to account for the expenditure of display cases, refrigeration, and mixers. Buying these big-ticket items new will add at least another 25,000 dollars to your start-up costs.
Even as you set up your storefront, you need to have a plan in place for the daily expenses of keeping the lights on and the mixers running. There is also rent to consider, and the cost of hiring people to work at the bakery. These are the operating expenses that must be considered.
Finally, you need to consider the money needed for ingredients and packaging in order to create your delicious baked goods and make them pleasing to the taste buds as well as the eye. You cannot skimp on flavor or packaging for your bakery products.
In order to start a successful bakery, researching and planning will go a long way to ensuring a sweet success for your signature desserts.
