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Are you baking up new ideas for your business? If so, you might be part of the 67% of small business owners who succeed because they focus on growing their enterprise year-round. Yes, businesses are hit by seasonal lows.
However, it doesn’t mean that if sales are down that you should stop thinking about growing your business.
Expansion Costs
Why not think of investing in equipment that can help you scale up the offerings in your bakery? Perhaps you can use the slack months to develop a new menu, improve the interiors or improve the performance of your staff.
These programmes will certainly help you grow the bakery. However, they cost money. If cash flow is tight, you should consider a business loan. And instead of going to the bank, consider Thinking Capital.
Flexible Payment Plans can help you finance your business development programmes without severely impacting your cash flow.
Customise it to fit your goals and current needs. You might prefer the traditional monthly payment instalments. We have that with our Fixed Loan solution.
If you’re interested, go online. Applying for a loan is as easy as pie! All you have to do is answer a few questions and provide some details about your business. If everything checks out, we can give you a no-obligation quote within a few minutes. Once approved, you can receive the funds within 24 hours.
Seasonal Demand Business Friendly Tips
The bakery business in the UK, like many others, also experiences seasonality. Demand for certain products can fluctuate depending on the time of year, holidays, and special events. Here are some key periods to consider:
1. Christmas Season
During the Christmas season, there is a significant increase in demand for festive baked goods like Christmas cakes, mince pies, gingerbread cookies, and stollen. Many bakeries offer special Christmas-themed items during this period.
2. Easter
Hot cross buns are a traditional baked good associated with Good Friday in the UK. Additionally, there is generally an increase in demand for other pastries and bread items for Easter celebrations.
3. Valentine’s Day
Bakeries often see a spike in sales around Valentine’s Day with an increased demand for sweet treats like heart-shaped cookies, cakes, and other themed baked goods.
4. Mothering Sunday (UK Mother’s Day)
On Mothering Sunday, people often buy special treats to celebrate their mothers and other significant women in their lives. Bakeries can capitalize on this holiday by creating unique Mother’s Day offerings.
5. Wedding Season
The wedding season generally spans from late spring to early autumn and can lead to a high demand for wedding cakes, cupcakes, and other wedding-related baked goods.
6. Halloween
Halloween is becoming increasingly popular in the UK, and many bakeries offer Halloween-themed cookies, cupcakes, and other treats.
7. Summer Season
During the summer months, there may be an increase in demand for lighter, fruit-based pastries and cakes, and items suitable for picnics and outdoor events.
Managing a bakery business involves taking these seasonal fluctuations into account to ensure sufficient stock and staffing during busy periods and effective strategies for quieter times. It’s also essential to keep in mind that the local market and individual bakery’s offerings can influence these trends.
Autumn
Get ready to give more treats than tricks on Halloween. Come up with pumpkin-themed baked goodies. From pumpkin-spiced coffee to pumpkin cupcakes, donuts, and cakes, make it a Halloween to remember at your bakery.
Winter
People love to give cookies and cupcakes for Christmas. Bake special Christmas-themed goodies and package them with premium Christmas blend coffee or spiced Hot Chocolate.
Spring
Have ever thought about having a brunch buffet at your bakery? It doesn’t have to be a Las Vegas- style spread. Opt for a smaller and more affordable one packed with food items that go well with your breads and pastries. Include pastas, soups, salads, and a few braised meats.
Summer
With the hot summer days coming in, complement your baked goodies with refreshing milkshakes, fruit smoothies and freshly squeezed juices. Break out the soft serve ice cream maker and come up with your own creamy concoctions.