Why are Start-up Costs so Important?
Home based business start-up costs can vary a lot, depending on the kind of dog bakery that you start, your budget and, most importantly, the buying decisions that you make.
The trick to keeping start-up expenses down is purchasing those items that you DO need and passing on items that you really DON’T need.
The amount of money that you spend to start your dog bakery can affect the outcome of your bakery.
It can actually mean the difference between success and failure.
Statistically, many small businesses fail, within the very first year.
Although there are many reasons that could cause a business to fail, the most common reason is that the business owner got in over his or her head, financially.
The business owner may:
- have spent too much money on start-up
- have borrowed too much money
- have put too much of their own money into the business
- not have had enough savings to use for personal expenses, when the business was just getting started and not making very much money
In addition to making good choices when purchasing equipment and supplies for your dog bakery, you should have money in the bank that would support your family for 6-12 months, if you need it.
Keeping Business Start-up Costs Down
When starting a dog bakery, you can’t eliminate ALL the costs, but there are some things that you can do, to keep your expenses to a minimum.
Start from Home
Starting your dog bakery in your home can save you expenses on renting and maintaining a store front location. Starting small can give you some breathing room, while your bakery business grows…
Dog Bakery Equipment
One way to save money on your bakery, is to use kitchen equipment that you already have. For example, your home oven will work just fine.
You will need a mixer—heavy duty is best. And I like to use a bread machine, because it basically does the work by itself. This is one place I might splurge. When I had Natural Pet Bakery, I always had 2 bread machines working at once.
You’ll also need muffin pans, cookie cutter, cake pans, cookie sheets and containers for airtight storage, in addition to a few kitchen tools that will help to make your job easier and save time.
To keep your baking economical and save money on energy, always bake 2-4 cookie sheets of dog treats at a time. This also gets the job done faster and allows you to make a larger number of dog treats in a day!
One last thing to keep in mind is that you can always buy used equipment. Keep an eye out for used items at yard sales and in your local classifieds.
Dog Bakery Supplies
Do your homework here. You will find that, if you buy in large quantities, you will get a great discount—per piece. But, be realistic. You can quickly spend huge amounts of money on, say, packaging–”saving” money on each piece.
For example, you might be able to purchase white bakery bags at 56 cents each if you buy 25 bags at a time. But, if you purchase 1000 bags, you can get them for 6 cents each. Which is the better deal?
That depends. If you buy the 25 bakery bags, it will cost you $8.25. If you buy the 1000 bags, you will be spending $62,14. But, you will probably need more than 1 size bag, box or package. You’ll need to add all your packaging costs together, to see how much you will be spending.
Is it best to purchase smaller quantities initially (that cost more per piece) or is it better to spend more money up-front but save money on each piece? The numbers can add up pretty quickly. You decide. You’re the only one who knows your situation.
Use this exercise for each of the supplies and ingredients that you will be using. Line up your bakery suppliers even before you open your business. This will save you time and money in the long run.
Keeping your home based business start-up costs down can help keep profits up. But you need to decide for yourself, where you can economize—and where you can’t!
This excellent dog bakery start-up guide will help you decide what you actually need and what is unnecessary.
Don’t waste money buying things you don’t need to purchase!
Leave a Reply