So what is a time line for starting a bakery?
Well… To start with, it means collecting all the information from your thoughts. Asking yourself questions? Very personal questions!
Can I do this?
Do I have sufficient experience?
Is my family on board with this venture?
Do I have to do everything alone?
Am I ready to put my dreams and desires up front?
Can I put my business first before everything else?
Do I have sufficient money to carry me through?
There are many, many, more questions that you need to ask yourself, but only you can ask them and once those personal questions are answered it is time to create your business plan. That business plan is again asking more questions and collecting more information from many different sources.
Once collected it needs to be installed into that business plan.
The time line for starting a bakery can be from a few days to several months and even years. But, once started the ending is usually very satisfying and quite rewarding. At least it has been for me. And though i never started out to become a baker in 1955, i certainly have enjoyed the 53 years i have been an employee of the bakeries in my life and owner of The Crusty Cottage Bakery.
Now given those years of experience and the knowledge gained in those years, it is giving me as much pleasure to show others what and how much i enjoyed my trade.
I would perhaps suggest to you to budget your time. This can be your time line for starting a bakery.
Today buy a notebook or writing pad, start writing down your thoughts and ideas.
Tomorrow, look at other bakeries in your area. Look to see what side of the street their market comes from. What other businesses are close that can complement the bakery or the type of bakery business you plan.
Check their quality and the prices. Look at their decoration and color schemes of the business.
Start compiling your business plan. It doesn’t have to be perfect or in proper order at this stage, but it is worthwhile cataloging into different folders for easy access.
Give yourself say six weeks to compile the business plan.
Be looking for a suitable location to put your business during all aspects of your time line.
You want a realistic time line for starting a bakery. So do not think you can start in one day if you are starting from scratch. Neither do you want to leave anything till tomorrow or next week. That is a sure way to fail.
The old saying “Do not put off till tomorrow, that which you can do today” is so true.
If you are buying into an existing bakery your time line for starting your bakery will be one to three months from start to finish.
The paper work should be seen by a lawyer and an accountant. Discuss with them the legal and accounting ramifications of this new business.
Do not pay any money to anyone till you or your lawyer, have done their due diligence, (just a word to explain investigations).
Believe in yourself first then look at all the information and decide your next move.
By looking at all the numbers from the selling bakery and by your own commitment you will decide one way or the other just what the time line for starting a bakery will be.