Finding Your Product Niche in the Home Baking Business Part II

A home based bakery is in your horizon. The holiday season is a great time to start. Finding your niche product can be as simple as deciding to make and sell delicious, mouthwatering fruitcakes because yours taste so fabulous. Or, finding a niche product can be more of a process. What if everybody is baking fruitcakes and selling or giving them away this holiday season?

Now is a good time to consider a specialized niche, if it interests you. Why not bring a food or product into your area that not many others have tried their hand at? That would make for far less competition. And, it would be a way to introduce something new into the community.

Here are a few ideas

International foods - Baklava, Mexican wedding cookies, bretzels (German pretzels), Italian biscotti, Madeleines and beignets all make great choices for easy, versatile creations that will dazzle your customer base. This is just a few ideas of what you could offer in your home bakery. The pool of international recipes is endless.

Health foods - Baked products made with whole grains and organic ingredients are becoming more and more popular. Be one of the first local bakers in your area to offer these options. Also, the vegan and vegetarian markets are big in larger cities. If you live in a smaller city with a college campus, there's a chance you can be one of the first to recognize and service this niche market.

Baked goods for diabetics - Try adapting a cake or cookie recipe for customers who are forced to limit sugar intake, or who have insulin resistance. Be sure and consult a certified dietician when seeking to serve this market.

Food that's in style - What's new in food? Every home baker should be aware of current food trends just like clothiers are up on fashion trends. Watching the Food Channel, Cooking Channel and the Food Network, or logging on to these and other websites help the home baker to stay current.

Gift packages - They're not just popular for the holidays. Birthdays, anniversaries, Mother's Day, Father's Day and Valentines are all reasons to give a gift basket of some sort filled with delicious baked goodies. Families with loved ones serving in the military often want to send them care packages. The home baker can offer them some great choices.

If you decide on a specialized niche, be sure and get the word out. A few free samples in public places around town with your business card attached would definitely be in order.

Other Sources
www.allrecipes.com
www.foodnetwork.com
Fix, Mimi Shotland. Start and Run a Home Based Food Business, Bellingham, WA (2009)