Getting More Out of Less

Now more than ever, bakers are working to stretch their resources. From working with less staff and hours, to reducing the amount of products you bake every day, the goal for bakers across the country is to stay open while nearly everyone is staying home.

 What can you do to ensure you’re making the most of what you have? Here we share simple strategies for getting more out of less.

1. Stick with the Basics

Now is not the time to try new recipes or test new products. In our current COVID-19 culture, bake what you know works well and what customers love. Traditional favorites like chocolate chip cookies, glazed donuts, blueberry muffins, and cinnamon rolls will sell better than lavender-scented scones. This is also true of special orders. Continue to offer customers the ability to order birthday, holiday and specialty items, but assess your assortment so that you’re offering what people will buy. Trust the recipes you know consumers crave, especially in trying times when everyone wants some comfort.

2. Streamline Your Time

Similar to simplifying your recipes, also consider trimming any extra work off your time. Complex decorating and making scratch products require time and talents that you may not have at your disposal right now. Be realistic about who needs to be working and what skill sets you need onsite to run your daily operations.

3. Use Products that Perform

Now is the time to turn to the products you trust. Use mixes, glazes and icings that have been tested and are reliable. You want to minimize waste and rework as much as you can, now more than ever. If you have questions, be sure to ask a technical expert so that you can avoid any pitfalls before they happen.

4. Sell Even When You're Closed

Promote gift cards, kits for at-home baking and decorating, and special orders so that people can order online during your off hours and pick up when you’re open. You can then have a better sense of what you’ll be making over the come days and know how to right size your staff, products and other resources.