One of the best things in life is to have a job that you love. Not everyone has it and the reasons can be many from lack of capital to lack of time, lack of knowledge to the fear of failure and fear of losing your investment and your already-established source of income from a job-in-hand. But with some careful planning, there is no reason for you to put off your dreams of becoming an entrepreneur. Let us look at the initial planning to start your own business, selling baked goods.
Research:
Research is the first step to starting any new business venture. You may excel at baking, but there has to be enough demand for your baking products for the business to work.
– Find out the state of your competition in your local area. Is anyone selling baked goods that are similar to what you plan to sell? What special skills can you bring to your baking business to stand out from other bakeries? What makes your baking products special? Make a list of such questions that pop into your head and answer each one honestly.
– See where you stand in terms of your business idea vis-a-vis your direct competitors in the baking business. Do you need to tweak your product offering? Can you switch your ingredients to make your baked goods healthier or different than what is available in the market? Think of all the ways you can add a unique touch to your products and be realistic about it.
Plan:
When making a switch from hobby to business, you need a proper strategy.
– Begin with the scope and size of the business. If you want to test the waters first before taking the full-time plunge with your baked goods business, it is always a good idea, to begin with a business on the side while staying put in your current job or profession.
– Consider your costs. You need capital to buy ingredients, equipment and for packaging. Find out about the laws in your state regarding small businesses and home businesses. You will need money to pay for licensing or registering your business. Depending on how many hours you are putting in your new business and cutting from your old job, you will also need some savings for your other expenses.
Sell:
You don’t have to straight away open your own shop to sell your baked goods. You can put your new business on solid footing by trying different avenues to market and sell your products.
– Begin with occasional or weekly business opportunities. Farmers’ markets are a great way to start selling your fresh baking products and build a loyal customer base. You can also pay for stalls in local fairs or take orders for special occasions such as birthday parties and such. Later, you can approach local grocery stores, cafes, and restaurants.
– Create a social media page to market your business. Network and attend as many industry events you can as possible.
-
The pros and cons of wall beds
Read moreThe Murphy beds or the wall beds have many advantages and disadvantages too. You may find that the wall bed has many shortcomings. One of the disadvantages of these wall beds is that it is challenging to change the mattress of the bed. To find the exact size of the mattress for the bed, one has to order an entirely a new bed. The other shortcoming of these beds is that these beds are not the ideal choice when one is constantly on the move since these beds cannot be moved or shifted to different places. Here are some pros and cons of Murphy beds that will help you if you are planning to buy a bed for your room.
Murphy beds have many advantages mentioned below:
Open spaces
These beds give you more open spaces and that is one of the primary reasons people choose to buy Murphy beds. They are perfect for people who do not have lot of free space in their bedrooms as these beds can make your room completely spacious once the bed is flung back to the wall. You can then use the space for other activities such as exercising, dancing, etc.Lets you make your room multifunctional
Once you pushed the bed back and have the room space freed up, you can use the room for many other activities. As mentioned in the previous point, you can use the room to exercise, dance, practice yoga or just play with the kids or pets (if any).Contemporary and simple designs
You can find Murphy beds having modern and contemporary designs keeping the simplicity that people look for today. You will not be disappointed with the designs available to you by Murphy beds. You can also find designs like library Murphy bed, Bi-fold Murphy bed, and Fill-up Murphy bed.Here are some cons that come along with Murphy beds you should know about:
Comfort
One might have to sacrifice a little on the comfort when it comes to buying wall beds. The biggest reason for this is that these beds make use of wire mesh instead of box springs. In regular or luxurious beds, wire mesh is avoided, and box springs are used to add more comfort. So in comparison to regular beds, wall beds are not very apt for studying or doing desk work.No scope for decoration
There is no scope for decoration on Murphy beds due to lack of headboards, footboards or bed rallies. So, there is no space for decoration left because of lack of adequate accessories. Due to lack of headboards, footboards and bed rallies, there is no scope for decoration. So it could be not an ideal choice for creative people who enjoy decorating their bed almost every week.Tedious task
Putting away these beds or folding them can be a very stressful task if done every day. Since this bed is used to save space and is installed in limited spaces, it becomes essential for people to fold it every morning. This can be a tedious task and can require a little effort and time. Hence, this may not be an ideal choice for younger children or senior citizens who can have the problem of putting it away every day.Lesser customization
There are not much customization options available for Murphy beds. These beds usually come with a simple design with moderate installation options. Therefore, they cannot be customized according to individual preferences. If one needs a little customization, then bed accessories have to be bought to suit the customer’s needs.A little expensive
Murphy beds can prove to be a bit pricey as compared to cabinet beds. They are smaller than the Murphy beds, and they also come with an old fold away foam memory mattress. They are easier to maintain than the wall beds and comes in many shapes, types, and sizes. -
5 lifestyle factors that elevate the risk of gout
Read moreGout is a condition that has affected around 8.3 million Americans and continues to do so till date. It is a form of arthritis, and like every other form of arthritis affects the joints, causing excruciating pain in the process. Gout affects the joints especially in the big toe and causes pain, swelling, and stiffness. An individual with gout can experience sudden gout attacks at any time of the day, and the pain can take days to subside. One can say that with every gout attack you have, the tissues in the region deteriorate owing to the inflammation it is exposed to.
Gout is caused due to an increase in the level of uric acid in the body. The uric acid crystals deposit in the joints, and the process of inflammation sets in causing redness, pain, and stiffness of the joints in the process. One’s age, gender, family history, the medications they consume, and other health problems can also trigger gout. However, apart from these, there are other factors that can trigger gout, and these are mostly self-inflicted.
- Crash diets and fasting
One of the prominent causes of gout is going on crash diets or fasting for long periods. When you go on crash diets to lose weight, you begin to metabolize the body tissues, and this results in an increase in the level of purines, which, in turn, increases the level of uric acid in the body. This adds to other vital reasons to avoid going on crash diets and fasting. - Dehydration
Drinking enough water is quite essential for our health; if you do not drink enough water, you become dehydrated, and this is detrimental to your health on different levels. Dehydration leads to an increase in the blood uric acid concentration and ultimately leads to a gout attack. - Extra weight
We are well aware of the repercussions of being overweight. Another health issue that accompanies obesity is gout. Research indicates that people who are overweight are more prone to develop gout since obesity stimulates the body into producing more uric acid, and blocks uric acid excretion as well. - Food habits
Erroneous eating habits can put us in harm’s way, and this holds true even in case of gout. Bad eating habits can cause gout. Foods such as red meat, liver, sweetbreads, certain seafood, are to be avoided since these have high purine levels and lead to an increased production of uric acid, which, in turn, causes gout. - Alcohol
Alcohol is known to worsen a plethora of health conditions, and that includes gout as well. Alcohol consumption interferes with the kidney function; the kidneys cannot filter uric acid to its optimum level, and this results in the build-up of uric acid.
- Crash diets and fasting