| One of the reasons people don't start their | | | | racing cars to Pokemon to rockets. There are |
| own home-based business is the misconception | | | | lots of books that teach you the basics of |
| that every business requires a substantial | | | | specialty baking. The best way to learn |
| amount of start-up capital. Many stay-at-home | | | | though, is by practice. For a start, you |
| moms struggle to make ends meet when they | | | | could always take on simple jobs from friends |
| actually have one skill that they can turn | | | | and family and once you feel confident, you |
| into a money-making home based business - | | | | could market your skills on a wider scale. |
| COOKING. Every Mom knows how to cook at least | | | | Not everyone can be a specialty baker. |
| ONE dish that's simply to-die-for, so here | | | | There's a fair amount of artistic ability |
| are five home based food business ideas that | | | | involved but if you've got the flair and |
| require zero to very little capital to start. | | | | skills, there's a money making niche waiting |
| | | | for you. |
| Home Catering | | | | |
| | | | Home-made Food |
| This is a daily catering service where you | | | | |
| cook (one or two meals) daily for your | | | | Everything that you can make at home, can be |
| customers. This is a much needed service for | | | | made to sell - jams, preserves, cookies, |
| busy people who are too tired to cook when | | | | sauces, pasta, candy - the list goes on and |
| they get home but still want a wholesome | | | | on. What you want to do is find THE one |
| home-cooked meal. Customers who need your | | | | recipe that you can cook really well and |
| services will pay you in advance for the | | | | concentrate on it. Give free samples to your |
| month. That's the beauty of this business. | | | | friends and family and let them know that |
| You realize your profit even before you do | | | | you're taking orders if they'd like to buy |
| anything. What comes after that? Well, at | | | | some. If you're ready move on to a bigger |
| first it will be like cooking for an extra | | | | scale, then you might want to consider |
| couple of family members. These "family | | | | supplying your home-made food to your local |
| members" will pop by in the evenings and pick | | | | grocery stores or even setting up a stall at |
| up their meal. Things start to get hectic | | | | your local market place. |
| when your customer base reaches twenty. Then, | | | | |
| it's like cooking for a small army everyday! | | | | Are These Really Low Cost Ideas? |
| | | | |
| Bake to Order | | | | When we first started our home catering |
| | | | business we just used whatever we had in our |
| Everybody knows there's nothing like | | | | kitchen with a healthy dose of ingenuity! We |
| home-baked apple pie, cookies and fruit cake. | | | | DID spend about fifty dollars on flyers but |
| If you're really good at baking, then you | | | | that was it. However, when your business |
| could spread the word that you bake anything | | | | starts to grow and your profits start to roll |
| to order. Your customers will need to order | | | | in, you WILL need to invest in equipment to |
| in advance (time frame would be up to you) so | | | | increase efficiency and productivity. Before |
| that you can prepare and time your baking to | | | | our home based catering business, we were a |
| your customers' agreed pick-up appointment. | | | | one-refrigerator family. Six months down the |
| | | | road, we were a 2 refrigerator, 3-freezer |
| Party Catering | | | | family - and we haven't even begun to include |
| | | | fryers, ovens and stoves. And yes... we now |
| Catering for small parties is a simple yet | | | | buy stuff like sauces, eggs and flour by the |
| profitable money maker you can do part-time. | | | | crates! |
| You do need a more comprehensive menu for | | | | |
| this, but you'll find most people tend to | | | | The secret to making money with these ideas |
| stick to favorites like fried chicken, | | | | |
| sandwiches, salads and the like. Catering for | | | | The secret to finding success with these |
| children's parties is even easier - burgers, | | | | ideas is simple - persistence and quality. |
| hot-dogs and fries will always be favorites | | | | You need to keep working at it. Just as there |
| but you'll need to be flexible to meet your | | | | are all sorts of people on this planet, there |
| customer's budget. To market your business, | | | | will always be different taste preferences. |
| you could place your calling cards on the | | | | There will ALWAYS be people who like your |
| buffet tables for guests to pick up. Since | | | | cooking some who don't. Be encouraged by the |
| most of your business will probably be during | | | | compliments, but don't let the criticisms get |
| the weekends, you could get your family to | | | | to you. Keep at it long enough and your |
| pitch in and help out with the preparation. | | | | customer base WILL grow. Of course, being |
| Most caterers request a fifty percent payment | | | | persistent means nothing if you don't |
| upon confirmation of order and the other | | | | maintain a high standard of quality. Nothing |
| fifty upon delivery of the food, so you don't | | | | will kill your reputation faster than |
| need to fork out any of your own funds to | | | | inferior quality or dirty food. Everybody |
| cover your costs. | | | | needs to eat and a home based food business |
| | | | will always make you a nice sum of money! |
| Specialty Baker | | | | |
| | | | Don't be afraid to give these ideas a try. |
| This is a good money making idea for the | | | | You don't need to know a thousand ways to |
| expert baker who knows how to bake cakes of | | | | make money with your cooking. You just need |
| different shapes and designs - anything from | | | | ONE good recipe... cheers! |