Bakery Business Plan Template

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

[COMPANY NAME]

c/o [NAME]

[ADDRESS]

[PHONE]

[EMAIL]

Tip: The beginning of an executive summary for a bakery should encompass the story of how you conceived the idea
for your business and lay out the vitals – the name of the creator, the basic location at which it will be located, etc. It
is just important that your reader comes away from the first paragraph knowing the most basic information about
your business and if someone asked what you were doing, they could accurately answer that question in a
sentence. Next, you should highlight what separates your bakery from other bakeries. Is there a certain design theme
you will have amongst your baked goods? Do you specialize in gourmet cupcakes? Whatever it is you are doing to
differentiate yourself and become a talking point for your potential clientele is going to be the most important detail
of your business. Make sure it is well thought out and articulated within your business plan. Location is always
important for a bakery but if you are going to be in a city, your location may be of particular importance as foot
traffic can be a huge boon for your business. Thus, this should be at the forefront of your executive summary – for
instance, will you benefit from patrons visiting restaurants in the area? Anything else you can think of that is relevant,
put it in there. The goal of your executive summary is to paint a picture for your reader in a concise package.

Additionally, if you are looking for funding, you may want to place
something similar to the following at the bottom:

In order to fulfill our vision we will require [AMOUNT] in capital, which will
be allocated roughly according to the following table:
Amount Use of Capital

If we are fully capitalized, we hope to be profitable by [TIME].

Tip: If you are looking to raise capital you need to justify what you are asking for, otherwise it is going to be difficult
to raise what you need. Think it through and itemize exactly what you need. Be sure to make healthy estimates but
stay within reality. The number one reason businesses fail is undercapitalization so this may be the most important
analysis you make.

MARKETING PLAN

Our Clientele

Tip: Who do you envision coming into your bakery? Is there a nearby college from which you hope to attract
students? Are you hoping for spill-over from nearby coffee shops and restaurants? The possibilities are limitless, but
get to know the town in which you are located and determine who is most likely to patronize a bakery. This is the
starting point in formulating your marketing plan.

Our Competition

Tip: Depending where you open your bakery, there are a variety of possibilities for competitors. Your most obvious
competitors will be local bakeries, but unless you are opening in a city, it is unlikely that there will be many in your
area (or you should probably choose a different suburban location!). However, your greatest competition may be
supermarkets, which typically have large bakery sections.

Our Specific Marketing Plan

Tip: Going back to the clientele you envisioned, picture who they are one more time and determine the best ways to
reach them. Again, if they are college students, then you might consider a strategic partnership with an on-campus
organization or offer to sponsor a small event for free. Other possibilities are even strategic partnerships with nearby
restaurants, delis, or the like. Someone might want a cupcake with their sandwich so you could offer a discount after
purchasing a sandwich from the local deli. Be creative!

PRODUCTS

Tip: A bakery, more than perhaps any other type of food-serving business, is judged by its presentation. Make sure
you have someone decorating your baked goods with an eye for aesthetics. There is no better way to separate
yourself from those you are competing with than out-presenting them. It’s not likely that the local supermarket is
employing a 5-star pastry decorator. Convey this not just through your words, but also through pictures. Don’t be shy
about including tantalizing images of your decorated baked goods.

More than sweets, you may also offer breads or even items such as
calzones. You should include a paragraph about each category you will
offer but the important takeaway here is that you are including pictures of
your products, no matter what they are.

OPERATIONS PLAN
Tip: This is where you start to get into the details of running your business behind the scenes. You will need to explain
how you are getting your supplies, for what positions you need to hire, and other expenses that you have projected.

Our Suppliers

Tip: Describe from whom you will be ordering supplies and the arrangements that you have in place. In addition, for
those suppliers you will need that you have not contracted with at the time of writing your business plan (and that
may very well be every single one of them), describe the type of arrangement you will seek.

Our Personnel

Tip: Managing the day-to-day of a bakery is an important task that will require the efforts of several different people
no matter what type of bakery you are running. Discuss in this section, the number and type of employees that you
will need, including details such as how many people need to be working during peak hours and how many will need
to work in down hours.

Licenses

Tip: Your jurisdiction may require that certain licenses be required to operate a food service business. If you have
acquired them, you should include those that you have purchased, but if you have not and have identified those you
will need, include those here as well.

Expense Projection

Tip: You should make an effort to lay out your projected expenses with something like:

We expect our monthly outlay of expenses to approximate to the following:

MANAGEMENT

This might be the most important part of your plan. You want to introduce
to your reader the people behind the business. Include comprehensive
profiles for your executive members (if you have any)  – your President,
Treasurer, Head Chef, etc – and your Board of Directors. These profiles
should have some flavor as well, while it is certainly vital to include
information like education and experience, don’t be afraid to toss in some
personal details, hobbies, family life, etc.  Potential investors are going to
feel more of a connection to a business if the human element is prevalent.