Wedding cake studio

Couples planning their wedding, plus venues and planners who send regular work your way. You can add celebration cakes and corporate orders in quieter months.

Priced per wedding cake or dessert order with a deposit up front. A steady flow of weddings, plus celebration cakes and tasting boxes, helps cover rent and wages.

• Advanced cake decorating
• Costing and pricing
• Managing a diary and suppliers
• Leading or training helpers

• Food business registration for the premises, and an inspection from environmental health, so check with your council
• Planning use and business rates may apply, so check before signing a lease
• Employer's liability insurance once you hire anyone
• Rent is a fixed cost while wedding bookings are seasonal, so keep a cash buffer
• Allergen labelling and record keeping
• VAT registration becomes compulsory above the turnover threshold

Startup costs are typically around £5,000 to £25,000, depending on the premises, equipment and fit-out. These are estimates, so get quotes on rent and kit and keep a cash buffer for quieter months.

Monthly revenue is typically around £2,500 to £12,000, depending on how many weddings you take and whether you add celebration or corporate orders, from about 30 hours a week. These are estimates, and rent is a fixed cost.

Check food business registration for the premises and any environmental health inspection with your council. Also check planning use, business rates, employer's liability insurance when you hire, allergen labelling and records, and VAT registration.