People love novelty and personalization... and everyone loves cookies. Combining these elements in a home based jumbo cookie business makes for a winning combination. If you love baking, are creative and have a flair for fun and decoration, owning a jumbo cookie business will be an enjoyable as well as profitable experience.
Everyone uses cakes as a celebratory food... we know this. However, there are so many that want to do something different. You can give these adventerous individuals an alternative to the same old thing. Instead of a birthday cake, you can offer jumbo birthday cookies. Instead of a cake for Mom's day, create a special jumbo cookie just for her. And... there are so many more choices for flavors, decorations and even sizes.
In fact, you can create jumbo cookies the size of cakes, even with layers. How about a chocolate cream filled double chocolate chip cookie. Or you can design a cookie the size of a pizza! Decorate it like a pizza, and box it like a pizza... but it's sooo much sweeter, and inarguably much more fun.
And don't forget that you can (and should) offer personalization and customization.
The more special attention and customization that you put into your work, the faster your reputation and business will grow. After only a few events you'll be known for the quality of your cookies, as well as their spectacular designs, flavours and uniquness. These cookies will always serve as a focal point of the party or event your clients' put together so you can quickly create client lists with little effort, as long as your finished product has been created with the utmost care and with your clients' needs and desires in mind.
Start-Up Costs
The cost of starting your own home based jumbo cookie business is a lot less than you might think, especially when compared to more traditional brick and mortar businesses. Since you're starting your business from your home you can save on overhead costs, such as rental space, larger equipment and of course, staff.
To start your business from home you will just need the essentials including basic equipment, baking supplies and of course elbow room! You should also designate an area that you use for your baking supplies.
Most people who are considering a home based business of this kind generally have most of what they need, so, again, the initial start-up cost should be low.
Getting Started
First and foremost, you'll need to have access to a lot of cookie recipes. If you don't have a good collection, you can find many, many good recipes online.
Next, you'll need to let the world know about your new business venture. I'd suggest offering your services at a discounted rate for the first little while, just so people get to know you and your cookies. I'd even provide cookies for local events, friends and neighbours free of charge. Just to get your business and products known.
Tools Of The Trade
If you bake regularly you probably already have most of the baking tools you're going to need in your kitchen already. However, if you don’t, rest assured that most of the baking supplies are relatively inexpensive, and some of them can be purchased at a later date whenever you receive a custom order that requires them since otherwise they aren’t used that often.
Here are the tools that you'll probably need in you home based jumbo cookie business:
1) The Obvious One, An Oven!
A regular oven is just fine, however, it should be a full-sized one since you're going to be baking jumbo cookies.
2) A Hands-Free Electric Mixer
A heavy-duty mixer is a must. This will quickly become your new best friend. It’s an essential piece of equipment for any baking, but especially for making cookies. Some cookie dough can get pretty hard to mix by hand or with a hand-held mixer (depending on the mixer of course).
3) Cake Turntable
Sturdy turntables are a necessity. Why? Because a cake turntable will make decorating and icing your cookies so much easier. There are several styles and designs available.
4) Cookie Sheets And Baking Pans
You can use your standard cookie sheets to make your jumbo cookies, but if you want your creations to be standard sizes, or if you're making a cream-filled type cookie, you'll want both the top and bottom cookie to be uniform and the same size. You can achieve this more easily by using either cake pans or pizza pans. As you add equipment buy the best quality pans you can afford. You're going to be using them a lot.
Buying good pans does make a difference. Don't buy the bargain versions if you plan on using them for a long time. Multiple sets of the sizes of cookies you'll be offering will allow you to bake in a shorter amount of time. One 12” pan must cool after baking before you can wash it, refill it and bake again. Your time is valuable. Two or more sets will allow you to use your time to a better advantage.
As your business grows you will probably want to even add more sets. You should have 4 sets of the round size pans that include sizes in 1-inch increments from 5 to 18 inch pans. Larger shapes are available but you must make sure that your oven will accommodate those sizes.
Versatile Shaped Pans - The ball, petite doll pan, horseshoe, and others can be used for many things. The ball pan can be used for all kinds of balls, soccer, basketball, baseballs, and etc. This little pan is very versatile.
5) Cooling Racks
Large heavy duty cooling racks are a necessity.
6) Angled spatula - For applying and smoothing icing.
7) Piping (or pastry) bags – For creating borders and other decorations.
8) Couviers - For changing tips easily.
9) Tips - Basic tips include those used for lettering and creating flower petals, leaves, and borders. Purchase others as needed.
10) Cookie Cutters
Although it's very unlikely you'll find cookie cutters in the sizes you'll need, you can use them to create shapes to add to your cookies, or combine shapes to make a large cookie, or a number of other possibilities. Use your imagination and I'm sure you'll come up with lots of ideas.
10) Digital Camera
A really good camera. Learn to take really good close up pictures of your cookies. When you're trying to establish yourself in your community these pictures will show your customers just what you can do.
Legal Requirements
Because your jumbo cookie business is food related, it's goverend by several governemental agencies and restrictions. However, don't let that deter you. You can apply (where necessary) for licensing and approval, or find alternative facilities.
The following is a list of things that may be required for your business.
City - Provincial/State License
Fed ID No for Tax record purposes and buying from the wholesalers.
Health Dept. Fee - City and Provincial/State
Physical House Requirements MAY include:
- 3 compartment sink with a grease trap installed
- Hand sink and mop sink ( 2 separate sinks)
- Lights covered (They make clear plastic tubes that cover the fluorescent bulbs)
- Washable surfaces - walls, floors, cabinets, counter tops
- Ceiling must be of non-absorbent material
- Separate refrigerator, freezer, oven (with thermometers)
- Separate Entrance
- Storage for Equipment - pans, spatulas, bowls, etc.
- No pets in work area
- Approved Water source
- All Ingredient containers must have covers and be labelled with contents and dated in refrigerators, freezers and cabinets
- Heating and air conditioning may need to be separate from the house system
Helpful Tips
Once you've taken care of any legal issues, you can begin focusing on building your business. Here are a few tips to get you started:
1. Purchase wholesale sugar, flour (eggs if possible) chocolate chips, sprinkles, canides, and other decorations as well as packaging from a supplier such as Candy Plus or Sugar Craft. Buying wholesale will enable you to make greater profits.
2. Offer customers innovative flavoured of cookies by mixing in concentrated flavoring, from a brand such as LorAnn. Flavor combinations you can offer might include dark chocolate and orange, milk chocolate and strawberry, white chocolate and coconut, dark chocolate and raspberry and milk chocolate with coffee flavoring.
Just to name a few. Try to come up with a few "signature" cookies that can only come from you. I have my own shortbread cookie recipe that I've never shared with anyone. Every holiday season I get all kinds of requests for these cookies. If you have such a recipe, it'll give you an advantage.
3. Secure local venues to sell your jumbo cookies, such as farmers' markets, a mall kiosk, city fairs and festivals, flea markets or craft fairs. If you're selling online, set up an ecommerce site such as Foodzie or Etsy, or start your own jumbo cookie blog.
4. Ship internet purchases with cold packs, via two-day or overnight delivery. Some kinds of cookies can easily melt or spoil any time of year, but especially in the warmer months.
5. Consider offering seasonal cookies in shapes that coordinate with specific holidays, such as Valentine's Day, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and Christmas.
6. Develop different types of products aside from the standard jumbo cookie to bring in extra revenue year-round, such as jumbo cookie baskets, cookie gift jars, or go in the opposite direction and offer miniature wedding-favor cookie tins (decorative tin containers) etc.
Wrapping Things Up
After spending so much time creating your jumbo cookies, you'll have to package them. Here's where you can exercise your creativity as well. Visit your local craft supply store and check out all the different kinds of papers, plastics, ribbons, decorations, and who knows what else, you can use to package your cookies in. You could buy paper doilies to make wrappers for the cookies, or perhaps you might find small (affordable) decorative baskets or fancy boxes. The point is, once you start looking around, you never know what kind of great ideas you come up with.
Don't forget, whether you're going to start a home based jumbo cookie business, or any other kind of home business, have fun and enjoy yourself.
Until Tomorrow,
Terry
