I'm new here, but I have been reading a lot of the forums and I am very thankful for this site. I have gotten tons of info to start my own bakery, but I have some issues as to when and how. I have been married for about a year and would love to have children in the next few years, but I don't know if it would be better to start the business now or wait until I have children. I'm sure it will be tons of work either way, but I don't want to have tons of orders that I can't do when I'm 9 months pregnant. Advice anyone? I'd really appreciate some insight.

Honestly, if it were me I would wait if you know your going to have kids... Although I've never owned my own bakery, I do know it's a lot of work especially when your just starting out.

I did start a small business out of my home and I have two kids who were 1 & 4 at the time. It just go to be too much and I was spending way too much time in the kitchen and not enough time with them. I got tired of telling my dd "no" when she wanted to do something...It just tugged to much on my heart strings. I ended up stopping and figured I could do once they were more independent and didn't need me so much... They are only little once and I didn't want to miss out. It was the best decision I ever made!!

Cakes will always be there, your babies grow up too quickly!!

Good luck with your decision!!

is your bakery in home or store? do you later plan on having extra employees?

I wouldn't worry about trying to do cakes when you are 9 months pregnant...trying worrying about doing cakes for the next 3 years following. If you have a business outside the home...you will wish you could be home with your children. And owning your own business....that's alot more than 40 hours a week. You might be better off just doing cakes from friends, family, and acquaintances and building a *small* business out of your home while you are still young before you have kids.
My son is 2 now. I started the wilton classes when he was 3 months old and i found a hobby i love. But right now its just a hobby. Doing a cake take a lot out of me. Time to design, bake, frost, and decorate.. In order not to lose the time with my son i will end up staying up till 2am for a couple night. So cakes and kids when they are young are tough, but somewhat doable. But i wouldn't want to own a bakery *right* now. I think that over the years as my son get older and I can start sending cake and cookies to daycare/ preschool/ school/ playgroups/ friends. My business will build and I'll have more time for that.

so in closing...keep up the with doing cakes in general (build up your skills), but steer away from making it a significant business until your future children are older.

I should add that it would make a difference how involved you think your dh will be once the baby arrives and if you have close family nearby to take the baby when you need to work on a cake.

sorry...double post

Tara,
I would like to start out slow, out of my home but it is illegal here. I will probably find a church kitchen to use for p/t baking, but eventually I want an actual store front. I have some friends and family who want to do this with me however I would be doing all of the work to get the business up and running. I don't know if we will get big enough to have more employees, but I won't count that out.

okay so i'm not helping but i have another question(s)


if you don't do this at all right now, do you have a job or will you get a job outside of the home? do u believe in babysitters & ever plan on using them w/your children (after u have them, of course)--do u see where i'm going it this....

Right now, I am doing just a few cakes a month for work and things like that. I work full time and hope to quit when I have children if that is possible. However, I do have friends and family who can't wait to babysit (1st grandkids, I guess) so that is not a huge issue. I've recently decided to take this slow to learn and practice as much as I can over the next several years. I'm planning on doing this whole thing someday, but I'm only 25, so I think I have time!

IMO, if you have the means, the energy and the time to do it now, then do it now. Getting any business started takes more footwork than keeping an existing business going. Get your name out there now and you'll just have to worry about doing the cakes later, not advertising, promoting yourself, building your kitchen, collecting supplies, testing recipes AND getting your cakes done!

Plus, if your alternative is an office type, etc. job, you would still have to juggle that with your kids-to-be if you were to continue working there.

You will make it work no matter what if it's what you really love to do.

Good luck!