Welcome back to the Bakery Business Lab! Today's lesson in our FREE 5-day business planning series is all about identifying your target customers. And here's something I really want you to think about... Just because someone LOVES your desserts doesn't mean they're going to BUY them. We've all had those people who comment "OMG, I need these!" on every single post but never actually place an order. That's because liking something and having a REASON to purchase it are two very different things! And understanding that difference can completely change the way you market your bakery. LET'S PUT TODAY'S LESSON INTO PRACTICE! I want you to answer a few questions: 1. Who have you been trying to sell to? Be specific! "Anyone who likes sweets" doesn't count! 2. Who is ACTUALLY buying from you? If you're already in business, think about your real customers. Are they busy parents? Teachers? Businesses? People buying gifts? Customers treating themselves? Have you noticed any patterns? 3. What's ONE customer group you think you should focus more attention on? And more importantly, WHY? If you haven't opened your bakery yet, tell us who you're considering selling to and what makes you think they'd be interested. HERE'S WHERE WE HELP EACH OTHER! If you see someone mention a customer group you've had success selling to, jump into the conversation! Share what's worked for you. Maybe you've discovered a great way to reach corporate customers. Maybe you've had success with teacher appreciation gifts or birthday party packages. Your experience could help another baker discover an opportunity they've never considered! And don't be afraid to ask questions! TODAY'S BUSINESS DECISION: Choose ONE customer group you're going to focus on learning more about. You don't have to change your entire menu or marketing strategy today. Just identify where you believe your best opportunity might be. Remember, we're not just collecting information in this series. We're making actual decisions that can help us build better businesses!

Welcome to our first Bakery Business Lab discussion! If you've completed Day 1 of "You Started a Bakery. Now What?", you've probably started thinking about your business a little differently. Now I want to hear from you! First, how did your bakery actually begin? Did you have a business plan? Or did someone tell you your desserts were amazing and you should start selling them? Second, what's ONE thing you want your bakery to accomplish in the next 12 months? It doesn't have to be a huge goal. It just needs to be YOUR goal. And if you're comfortable sharing, tell us what's currently standing in your way. Remember, we're not here to compete with one another. We're here to learn from each other's experiences and build better businesses together. I'll be reading your responses and jumping into the conversations! Haven't completed Day 1 yet? Head to Classroom → Bakery Marketing & Sales → You Started a Bakery. Now What? to get started. The entire series is FREE!

What kind of baking items are included in the class? It's not just cake pucks, is it?

I think I may have just come up with one of the most exciting business concepts I've ever developed for home bakers. And no, it's not another recipe, another dessert trend, or another way to sell at markets. It's an entirely different way to think about WHERE and HOW we sell what we already make. I'm still putting all the pieces together, but the more I work through it, the more excited I get about the possibilities. Because what if the biggest opportunity for your home bakery isn't finding more customers? What if it's changing how your desserts reach them? Stay tuned. This one could be BIG.

If you’re still figuring out what to offer for Halloween, I’ve added the Sweet Boo Box Kit to the premium section of the Classroom for $17. You can make these as cake pucks, cake pops, cakesicles, or truffles—use the format that works for you! Inside you’ll find: • Four no-bake recipes • An extra recipe modification to replace Pillsbury’s unavailable Salted Caramel Apple dough • Decorating and presentation inspiration • Pricing, preorder, and sales strategy ideas • Six “You’ve Been Boo’d” printable card designs • Packaging links, including the boxes I use and my Halloween napkin trick The idea is to save you some of that “What should I make? How should I package it? How do I get people interested?” time so you can get your offer together and start taking orders. Head to the Classroom and look for Sweet Boo Boxes to grab the kit!