Is running your own business hard and what is involved?

I am going into the cake decorating business and makin cakes and cookies as a career and was thinking of one day opening my own shop and was just wondering is it as hard as everyone says and what is involved. Any advice or information greatly wanted. Thanks.

Paula,

I grew up in a family business (kitchens and baths) and married a man from a family doing the same - (Ironic we both went to college for anything but) but he's in his family's business now - and I run my own business from home (as we have 3 kids)...

++++ you have something you need to do you don't need to ask off.
You want and need 3 weeks vacation a year, go.
You work hard the rewards are very amazing (we're blessed with many things (nice cars, vacation homes)
You are proud of your accomplishments and remember the early days -

__ it's a lot of work - you work endless hours
put up with the bs of hiring and firing people and pleasing the world -
-- even with the time off and not answering to the 'boss'
you always have work on your mind and in general conversation -

Everyone I know whose successful works their tails off.
but the rewards show - good luck sounds like a great business to be in.

running a business is easy its usually something you enjoy doing what is difficult is paper work arange an accountant and get some good business advice good luck

I could really do with a cake or cookie right now :)

You cant sell food made at your home, you have to have the shop first. The shop would be alot of work to begin with, but if you have the time(and money), it shouldn't be too hard.

I have started some on line businesses and find that I spend about 3-4 hours a day working on them one is

http://hushabyebaby.zlio.com/
I use to make cakes
The hardest thing was pricing and talking about money. B strict with your self esp when it comes to friends, If you want to give discounts start high and then let them bargain you down
ie if cake cost $200 (including your labour and 100% profit) make your list price $220. You will be able to give strangers 10% discount and family 20- 50% with out it hurting you

first do your income and expenditure - is there enough demand for cake decorating in your area, are you an experienced baker, will you make enough to pay rent, council tax, water rates, electricity, wages. Ask some bakers shops in the area how much they take for a decorated cake - my area for a birthday cake decorated is 拢25 - you would need to bake a lot of cake to make a profit. I would work from home and make some money to enable you to open your own shop.

good for you. i agree with the others though, it can be tough at first so try running it from home for a while, that way you are not forking out for premises before you are even making any money!!

I think it's as hard as you make it.

Starting out it's hard obviously, because you're clamouring to get business in, and doing a million things.

But after a bit it seems to be less hard, as those million things you divide up, some you do really well after learning, others you learn to delegate to employees.

And some people handle it all with ease, like it's nothing, others get really stressed out like it's life or death.

So again I think it's as hard as you make it. It's obviously harder than having a normal job for someone else, but on the other hand it has far more rewards than any other normal job.

Some tips to give you before you start and fail to succeed.

Before you open any you need a comprehensive Business Plan....to include a marketing plan, financial plan, feasibility plan, operational plan, sales forecast, costing plan, and a risk assessment. Just to start

In this plan you need to explain the who's, what's, when, where and how's concisely.

You will need to do a market survey to include the type of customer, where the customers will come from, how you will drive the customers to you, why you feel that you will do well.

You will need to make sure that you have totally researched this to make sure that the business will do well.

given to you by a Business Consultant assist small business.

get a book, it will tell you how easy it is and whats involved.

YES DEFINATELY.!!
-----------------------------
I AM A TRAINED BAKER &CONFECTIONER,HAD A SHOP YEARS AGO,THAT LASTED 2YEARS.WORKED HORRENDOUS HRS,STARTED AT 2.30AM COULD FINISH AT 7PM.ALL FOOD INDUSTRIES WORK LONG EARLY HOURS,YOU HAVE TO BE REALLY DEDICATED.
MADE HUNDREDS OF WEDDING CAKES,BIRTHDAY CAKES ETC FROM HOME.WHAT REALLY IS HARD IS EXCEPTING IT CAN BE ALL OR NOTHING,YOU ARE NOW UP AGAINST THE LARGE SUPERMARKETS,SELLING OFF CONVEYOR BELT CAKES,THEY CAN SELL THEM CHEAP.YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE YOU WORK IN BATCHS TO SAVE ON ELECTRICITY,TIME.

THE ONLY WAY TO DO THIS,IS MAKE SURE YOU GET A AN OUTLET TO SELL YOUR PRODUCE,THE MAJORITY OF SMALL BAKERS ARE LONG GONE.ITS THE AGE OF THE WEDDING FAIR, MORE THAN EVER AND READY MADE.

GET YOURSELF A STALL AT A MARKET,OR GO AND CHECKOUT WHAT YOUR UP AGAINST,WORKING WITH SOMEONE ELSE AND BUILDING UP YOUR OWN CLIENTELE IS WHAT WORKS BEST. WORD OF MOUTH TOO. GOODLUCK!

I started my own business and it was tough.

Best advice I could give, is to go on a small business training course.
Your local jobcentre will have details of any enterprise centers in your area. You will find out any legal requirements, how to do book keeping, how to do profit and loss sheets, forecast sheets, work out your GPP, how to write a business plan, so on...
Sounds complicated and scarey, but knowing how to monitor your business means you can see when things arent working and what to do about them.


There is also a great book called ' from Acorns...' I'm sure you'll find it on Amazon, but it gives you great advice, I read loads of books when I started out and this one was the best!

Ofcourse you need to know your market and research, research and research some more!!!


Good luck!

Some things I wasn't told!!:

At least to start with you may find you have to earn 拢3 to take home 拢1...and you have to do 3 hours of work for every paid hour of work: i.e., you only get paid for making cakes but you still have to do sales and admin and they are time-consuming.

There are 2 kinds of business: one is extra money for holidays etc and the other is the real thing that actually pays the mortgage/rent and feeds you. It can take ages to make the transition.

Some businesses work from day1 others take a while to get the right kind of momentum.

Talk to friends/family with experience.

Yes, have a business plan but just start too!

Hope that helps.