Today, there are a fairly large number of people who want to start their own business.

In fact the numbers are astronomical all over the world. Who wouldn’t start their own business, if they knew it was going to be a success.

If you start right then the chances are that it will be!

But, what happens if it really takes off?

You are but one person right? Are your children going to come into the business with you?

Well that’s fine if they are old enough and more importantly… INTERESTED in your bakery business.

Most people outside the trade believe that bakery work is either boring or hard. That is because they only know the cardboard taste of sliced & wrapped supermarket breads and frozen tasteless cakes or stale pastries.

Now a small independent bakery, making their own product on-site from scratch, have a market where people desire flavor and freshness. Both are prominent in the usually corner store Mum & Pop operations and sometime just a single person bakery.

Here’s the big problem. In today’s fast paced, need for convenience world and the ever increasing need for higher wages due to things like lowering the retirement age and the lack of real education in the schools. Our young ones are growing into lazy, high paid employee’s some with certificated degree’s that have no bearing on the work force.

Some if not most teenagers, i have employed cannot add the price of six items together in their head, never mind know how many coins there are in a roll of their own currency.

Now lets say that you have owned your own bakery for a life time and your reputation has kept your business going and everyone knows your product for miles around.

That is what you wanted and what you need to have.

• When do you take a holiday? (You don’t want to lose your customers)
• What happens if you get sick? (It happens)
• Have you planned out your retirement? (Chances are no)
• Who takes over the business if you drop dead? (This happens too)

I always tell my students that a business, no matter what that business is, whether it is a cake shop, bread store or full feature bakery, should be planned to sell after a few years. I suggest five years then 8 or 10 years down the road.

In fact that should be included within the business plan right from day one!

The bakery business plan is rigid, but not cast in stone and the end date can always be extended if need be.