How to improve your small cake business

If you have a small cake business, there are plenty of people who enjoy delicious and decorated treats. But with so many bakeries to choose from, you need to work hard to find a steady customer base and stand out. 

With this in mind, it’s valuable to wonder how to improve your cake business. Luckily, there are a few things you can do. 

This guide covers how to improve your cake business, including:

• Improving marketing 
• Increasing sales 
• Focusing on health and safety 
• Strengthening financial management 

Knowing how to improve your cake business means you’ll need to market it to the right audience. A well-developed marketing strategy will effectively grow your audience and reputation. 

A brand strategy is a great way to freshen up your business. Your brand is how you present your business to the public. It helps you appear memorable and professional. This is especially important for cake businesses because your products are sensory-based. 

If you have a brand identity for your cake business, reevaluate it to see if it represents your business well. Would this brand attract you to this business? Do you focus on your target audience or the ideal people you want to purchase your cakes? 

To rebrand your cake business, ask yourself what sets you apart from others. Then, use this information to outline a new design and tone. You can design new marketing materials and logos with a set colour scheme and consistent tone using tools like Canva. 

To market your cakes well, you need good photos of them. Professional product photos could show how skilled you are and draw potential customers. To do this, try to find a spot with a clean, white background and natural light. You could even use a piece of cardboard and white paper as a backdrop. 

When taking product photos, consider incorporating a garnish or props to tell a story. For example, if you take pictures of a Christmas cake, you may decorate it with a wreath or sparkling lights. For a better idea of good product photos, look at similar businesses to see what they’re doing. 

Another way to market your cake business is by focusing on digital marketing. If you don’t already, create social media accounts for your business. Use your logo across each account to connect them and try to post content regularly to stay relevant. 

Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest would be great places to post about your products and interact with potential customers for your cake business. Plus, you can encourage people to tag your business in their social media posts by creating location tags and hashtags. 

Also, make sure your business website outlines your story, location, contacts, and products. It should also be easy to navigate and consistent with your brand. Then, consider claiming your Google My Business page. By adding your shop name, location, contact information, and website URL, you will reach more people searching for cakes in your area. 

A big part of how to improve your cake business is increasing the sales of your cakes so you can earn more revenue. 

A great way to increase the sales of your cake business is by offering incentives to customers. For example, you could provide a discount for birthday cakes or create a loyalty program. These kinds of deals will help customers and show them that you appreciate their service. 

You may also want to develop new and interesting cake ideas to get more sales. These new cakes can catch potential customers’ attention and start a conversation. The more different they are, the more memorable they’ll be. 

This innovation can go beyond your cake products and into your shop. You may want to design and decorate your shop to promote customer enjoyment. For example, maybe you paint an accent wall of sprinkles, so customers will take pictures of your shop. 

Apart from new cakes, you could try outsourcing your products to other shops. Research other cafes in your area and ask if they want to sell your cakes. This partnership saves them the hassle of baking their own products. Plus, if you leave your business card in their cafe, people can learn more about where those delicious cakes came from. 

A strong cake business also requires clean operations. Ensure you follow health and safety regulations, so you don’t put yourself and your customers at risk. For example, be sure to clean your hands regularly and clean your shop often. Also, do a risk assessment of your operations to see where you might be at risk of injury or illness. Since you work with raw food materials, be sure to store them properly and dispose of any goods that are out of date. 

In addition, be sure to adhere to the current COVID 19 shop regulations to promote the health and safety of your customers. This means following all necessary mask mandates and social distancing to avoid the spread of illness. 

Another important way to improve your cake business is by keeping updated and clear financial records. But, financial management can be stressful and time-consuming when you’re self-employed. That’s why thousands of business owners across the UK use the Countingup app to make their financial admin easier. 

Countingup is the business current account with built-in accounting software that allows you to manage all your financial data in one place. With features like automatic expense categorisation and the receipt capture tool, you can easily track and manage your business expenses. Plus, the app lets you create and send invoices from anywhere. It’ll notify you when the invoice is received and automatically match it to a payment. 

Aside from saving you time with financial recording, Countingup offers tools to help you better understand your finances. With year-round tax estimates, you can avoid surprises and plan for these expenses. The app also generates cash flow insights, so you can get a better idea of when you should alter your budget or invest in growth. With these tools, you can confidently keep on top of your business finances wherever you are. 

You can also share your bookkeeping with your accountant instantly without worrying about duplication errors, data lags or inaccuracies. Seamless, simple, and straightforward! 

Find out more here.