Like any other business, a business plan is an important tool for your bakery business. What do you include in a bakery business plan? We will outline the crucial elements that you should include in your plan.
What is the importance of a Bakery Business Plan?
One of the many reasons for having a bakery business plan is that you can use it to obtain external financing for your bakery. Starting a business may involve high investment costs. Having a solid business plan for your bakery will help you acquire funding from investors and lenders.
Your bakery plan is also helpful to you as it will enable you to conduct a thorough analysis of the bakery business you intend to establish. Having the plan allows you to account for everything you will need for the business. From equipment to business space, you will be able to acquire the right tools for successfully conducting your bakery operations.
A solid business plan is the roadmap to success for any business. Your vision for the bakery is not sufficient enough to take the business to where you want it to be. You will need to have a plan which allows you to prove that your business is a viable venture. Your bakery business plan will provide the direction to guide your bakery to success.
7 Components of a Bakery Business Plan
Executive Summary
This is a one-page overview of the entire bakery business plan. It briefly outlines the contents of the rest of the plan. It also serves as an introduction to your business plan. It is often completed last after the rest of the business plan sections are done to reflect the most current business model you have developed. Your executive summary should be interesting enough to the readers of your plan to encourage them to read through the entire document.
Business Overview
This is an in-depth description of your bakery. It outlines the finer details of your bakery business plan. It should explain why you want to start a bakery. Make sure to include details about your bakery concept and brand that you want to introduce in the market. Details of what you should include in your overview include; vision & mission, business goals and objectives, core values, and legal structure of your bakery.
A well-written overview should make it easy for potential investors to understand your business model, business’ mission and goals, and how exactly the business is going to meet your target market’s needs.
Market Analysis
A market analysis is a detailed description of how your business fits into the industry, market, and competitor landscape. It should be focused on the environment outside the business. Your research should show that there is demand for your bakery. By doing this, you will demonstrate your knowledge of the market to readers of your business plan.
A comprehensive market analysis should include the following:
- An overview of the bakery market
- Competitor analysis; strengths and weaknesses of your competitors
- Comparison of how your bakery will be different from others
- Competitive advantages that your bakery has over other market participants
- Market trends
- SWOT analysis; Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats facing your bakery
Once you have completed your market research, compile the information gathered on your competitors and the market at large. This will inform your bakery operations in order to fill in the existing gap in the market.
Marketing plan
This is the most important section of your bakery business plan. It consists of ways you plan to communicate with your customers. Your marketing plan should place emphasis on the attractiveness of your company’s baked goods. A solid marketing strategy is needed to enter the market, attract and retain customers. There are 3 main channels that are popularly used in marketing strategies. They include:
- Traditional media i.e. print media, TV, Radio, etc.
- Digital Media i.e. Social Media, Google Advertising platforms, online directories, etc.
- Community outreach i.e. business involvement in community events.
- Attending cake fairs, wedding exhibitions
- Partnerships with other brands
Having a strong community presence is an important step towards marketing your business to reach a wider audience. Additionally, a customer relations strategy should be included in your marketing plan as it is an effective marketing tool. A robust customer relations strategy is key to attracting and retaining customers to your bakery business.
Other elements that your marketing plan should include are; pricing policy and selling methods. Pricing policy describes how much your products will retail in the market. Selling methods explain the ways you will employ to generate sales of your products and services to target customers.
Operations Plan
An operation plan sheds light on the activities your bakery will be undertaking in the background in the production of goods and services. You will require other skill sets apart from baking skills to ensure your bakery is effectively operational. Areas covered in your operations plan within your bakery business plan include:
- Suppliers; who are the suppliers of raw material to your bakery
- Operational workflow; overview of activities carried out at the bakery
- Logistics; how your products will get to consumers
- Business support functions e.g. Accounting and Advisory services
It is important to document the systems and controls used in your bakery to streamline operations and achieve operational efficiency.
Management and Human Resources
This section provides information on the personnel you intend to hire to ensure the smooth running of your bakery operations. An organizational chart is required to outline the various management and employee positions showing the reporting hierarchy. Include details on people who will be involved in your bakery. These details comprise the qualifications and duties of employees hired to work in the organization. Document how you intend to distribute and delegate roles among employees.
A Human Resource policy provides guidance in determining any additional hiring needs as the bakery continues to grow. The policy should incorporate a number of items including:
- Weekly operational hours for bakery operations
- Vacation programs for all internal stakeholders i.e. management and employees
- Training and development programs for employees and management personnel
- Remuneration and benefits for management and employees
- Health and Safety guidelines for conducting safe operations at the baking facility.
Financial Plan
This is the final section of your bakery business plan. Investors and lenders tend to pay more attention here to assess your bakery can make a return on their investment. A complete financial plan increases your chances of obtaining external funding from investors and securing the future growth of your bakery business.
It consists of financial projections of your bakery for the next 3 to 5 years. Financial projections include revenues, expenses, and profits on both monthly and yearly periods for the timeframe selected. These financial projections are presented in 3 major financial documents i.e. profit/loss statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement. Include all relevant graphs, tables, and charts that provide a pictorial representation of your financial projections. These make it easier for investors and lenders to determine the viability of your business. Also include information on the bakery’s revenue model, sources, and amount of funds required to adequately cover start-up operational costs.
Overall, a bakery business plan is essential in the business planning process. It helps you turn your vision into reality. A customized, funding-ready plan for your bakery will enable you to comprehensively capture all aspects of your business. At Vaisus, we prepare comprehensive, funding-ready bakery business plans that are tailored to meet your needs. To speak with one of our consultants, schedule an appointment with us.
Photo by Ceyda Çiftci on Unsplash
