I already know what you may be thinking…”Bestie, it’s almost June, why are you just sharing baker’s holidays now?!” I hear you; I get it, it should have been a New Year’s Day post. But better late than never, right?! And I promise to post an updated one next January. Here’s the deal. home bakers tend to think of Oct-Dec as their crazy busy season and then get all stressed out during this time of year when they are all crazy busy again! Successfully operating a home bakery is all about planning. And since I’m here to help make you wildly successful, we’ve got to plan.
Planning For Success
There are a few different times of each year where holidays and life events all overlap and then there are other times when you’re trying to create a reason for a celebration. During those lulls are when you can still be super productive in your planning to support and offset those busy peaks. In THIS post, all about growing a successful cottage baking business, I shared helpful advice on how far to plan in advance to support pre-sales and other events. Today, I’ve created a handy list of all the most common holidays and life celebrations so that you can plan appropriately. And also, so you can make sure you’re making the most out of all these special days!
Now, you may not be able to or want to offer baked goods for ALL these events and that is completely fine. And there very well may be additional days you want to be sure to capture, which is why I included some extra lines. But print this off and keep it with all your other baking planning materials for easy reference.
Is This Really Going To Help Me?
The short answer? Yes. There are two main ways to use this baker’s holidays resource and depending on how you work, you’ll find what works best for you. First, you can simply take thing one holiday at a time; plan, execute, come back and repeat. However, the most efficient method is to take this and plug these dates into a calendar; online or paper, whatever you like. But then add all the steps you need to take to successfully execute for each of those events.
For example, if you want to offer pre-sale goods for Valentine’s Day, mark Feb 14th on your calendar (duh). But then also mark Jan 1 to plan your designs, pricing and packaging. Then mark a few days later to make samples and take photos. At 5 weeks prior to Valentine’s, mark a day to start posting teasers and building excitement with your customers. You get the idea. Instead of having just the holidays on your calendar, actually schedule all the activities you need to complete. Some may pre-plan for the whole year, some may do it a quarter at a time. And of course, nothing is ever set in stone, you can always make changes.
This method will be incredibly helpful for you to be successful throughout the year and also mentally prepare for all the peaks and valleys. It’s also wonderful to be able to see your year at a glance! Maybe you really want to dedicate a chunk of time to take some classes, learn a new technique or remodel your kitchen. Or how about take a fabulous vacation?! Well, if you pre-plan, you can easily see, “Oh, I’m going to have downtime in September! I’m going to schedule my kitchen remodel for then!”
Where Can I Find This Fabulous Baker’s Holidays Resource?!
Right here, Bestie! Download and start planning! Seriously, you can thank me later when your life is all organized and you have low stress!
I hope you find this resource and this post all about planning for baker’s holidays helpful for you! Make sure to subscribe to the weekly newsletter so you never miss new content, recipes and featured bakers!