How to Make Money by Cooking and Baking

As a young teenager I watched my mother cook and bake wonderful, delicious meals. However, it was my home economics teacher that taught me that I could make money from cooking and baking right in the kitchen. If you have a unique love for baking, it is easy to cook savory, well-prepared meals and make money at the same time. This is a perfect business for excellent homemakers and well-seasoned cooks. Read on to pick up a boatload of ideas to jump-start your cooking and baking career.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Butter
• Flour
• Cane sugar
• Brown sugar
• Baking soda
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Milk
• Various spices
• Food coloring
• Cane syrup
• Chocolate chips
• Your choice of nuts
• Other food products for what you intend to create

Cooking & Baking for A Profit

1. Fill your kitchen cupboards with all the basic ingredients above; then add extra ingredients, when you decide what type of food product you are going to sell. Make sure you have measuring cups, spoons and liquor measuring items. Plan to cook when you are not distracted, or when the children are at school and the husband is away.

2. It is imperative to be financially prepared for these types of businesses, because as a cook or chef, you will probably buy most of the food yourself. When you go to the supermarket check out all the prices of the food you buy and make sure to figure that amount into what you sell. Carefully identify what items are going to be expensive to purchase and plan ahead to charge customers up-front for any food purchase.

3. You can make money by running a candy store in the neighborhood, even invent your own type of candy. Candy and ice cream treats will never go out of style, so you can run a small candy store or ice cream shop right in your own community. There is chocolate candy, hard candy, lollipops, popcorn balls, ice cream treats, and even homemade popsicles.

4. 
   Sweets for the sweet!

   Cookies, cakes, breads, pies, and muffins are tasteful delights for kids and adults. Start a bakery or a homemaker’s cooperative with sweet cookies, warm, moist pound cakes, luscious cheesecakes and other homemade pastries. Begin a catering service and design beautiful wedding cakes or other scrumptious items. Get together with friends, neighbors or family and put together cookbooks and calendars with your favorite recipes included.

5. Operate a home meal delivery service. This is a fantastic way to help senior citizens or people who are disabled. You can also try delivering hungry-man lunches to business workplaces in the afternoon. There are many recipes you can collect from your own cookbooks or go online to a great food site at www.kraftfoods.com, where there are hundreds of enjoyable recipes you can try out.

6. 
   Start a doughnut shop!

   Food for profit ideas include: Operating a homemade soup shop, hot-dog stand, casseroles for home delivery, pizza shop, health food specialties for diabetics and others on a special diet, a gourmet juice/tea shop, traditional treats for the holidays, cupcake bakery or a box-lunch service for business offices. Begin small by selling to your friends, neighbors and family in order to get valuable opinions on how your food really tastes. Listen well to their comments and suggestions.

7. Check out the zoning laws and other licenses for creating and selling food products at your local regional economic development center. Or go online to the Small Business Development Center at www.sba.gov.com for more information about food businesses. Additionally, search for wholesale distributors to find out where you can cheaply purchase some of your food products and kitchen items, while taking advantage of wholesale distributors like Sam’s Club.

Tips & Warnings

• Add all your direct costs--out of pocket expenses for each product or service
• Include cost of all materials including boxes and wrapping.
• Do not forget your traveling expenses especially if you are doing catering or box lunches for businesses.
• Have fun and be creative in how you present your food to others!
• No one likes a dirty cook or baker. Keep your utensils and cooking equipment clean and shiny.
• Kitchen equipment can be very costly, so look for sales or used restaurant items whenever possible.
• Utility bills can add up for gas and electric bills so do not forget to plan this into your expenses.
• Bad food means bad service. Be sure you know how to cook or at least follow recipe directions clearly.

[juliemcmurchie]

on 2/16/2009 Good advice and good ideas. I would recommend this to anyone who is thinking about cooking for profit. 5*

[bizzyliz]

on 2/10/2009 Hey, this is a good idea. Thanks for the article. I'm glad to see you wrote about something you have done. To me, that gives credibility to the article.

[srobersonnc]

on 11/20/2008 Great ideas! I am presently out of work and love the idea of making money doing what I love-cooking and baking. Thanks!

[Teramano]

on 10/13/2008 I was wondering what licenese I would need to start a food service business from home? It would involve making soups, salads & sandwiches & bringing them to offices in my area. I have tried to ask different people & I get different answers. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Teramano

[PajamaMommy]

on 9/20/2008 Great tips! I usually bake for gifts every holiday, but this year I'm thinking about selling instead. Thanks!