Local baking supply shop

Home bakers, cake makers, home-based food sellers, parents and gift buyers, especially before holidays.

Retail margin on products, plus extras such as workshops, party kits, gift sets and local pickup of online orders.

• Knowing baking ingredients and equipment
• Retail and stock control
• Customer service
• Basic bookkeeping

• Selling pre-packaged ingredients may need no food permit, but repackaging bulk ingredients may, so check with your local public health unit and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency
• Commercial lease terms, deposits and fit-out costs can be large, so negotiate carefully
• Check commercial general liability and contents insurance
• Sales peak around holidays and can be slow in summer, so plan cash flow
• Check WCB/WSIB requirements before hiring staff
• In Quebec, signage and product labelling may need to meet French-language rules

Startup costs are typically around $25,000 to $100,000, depending on your lease, deposits, fit-out and opening stock. Commercial lease terms and fit-out costs can be large, so negotiate carefully. Treat these figures as estimates.

Selling pre-packaged ingredients may need no food permit, but repackaging bulk ingredients may. Check with your local public health unit and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. In Quebec, also check French-language rules for signage and product labelling.

Monthly revenue is typically around $6,000 to $30,000, depending on location, range and season. Sales peak around holidays and can be slow in summer. Estimates suggest at least about 35 hours a week, so plan your cash flow carefully.