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I’m that kind of friend.
If someone tells me they love to do ‘X’ or if they are very skilled in ‘Y’, my go to first question is, “Why don’t you build your own business?” Even though I sometimes have absolutely no interest in the hobby or skill that person has, I light up like a light bulb when I get an idea of how to monetize it. The weird thing is – it’s not about the money. Although I am obsessed with personal finance and being self-sufficient, when it comes to the thought of building a business it’s simply that. I get excited at the possibilities of building something from nothing and the creative opportunities to grow a passion or skill.
So that’s the fire behind this impromptu series. I hope to write about conversations, relationships or situations and the popcorn business ideas that came from them. First up in this series, is baking!
I have a friend named Shugri – super smart and super passionate individual. She was that friend that when she got into something, she would really get into something. There was one day I remember her telling me about what got her into baking was the hope to make food that was not only yummy, but felt good to eat. She wanted to create baked goods that when you eat them you didn’t have any regrets because they were not filled with surplus amounts of sugar and they were not overly sweet. She wanted to prevent that feeling of ickiness and heaviness that sometimes comes after finishing something. And most of all, she did not want people to feel guilty from indulging in something that felt good. When she told me that these baked goods were only going to her family and social circles, I looked at her with determination. I asked her, “Why don’t you build your own business?” Although there was a lot of hesitation (and I mean A LOT of hesitation), she slowly inched closer and closer to the idea every time I checked in with her. Now, with the love and support of her fam, she is the creative baker behind West End Crumbs.
Since she started, I get to hear her unwavering curiousity to make baked goods “healthy” without sacrificing the taste. Just the other day she was talking about her baking experiments as if she were a scientist evaluating controlled test batches. It’s conversations like these that inspired the vaguely specific ideas below:
1. Colourful Wedding Macarons
With every wedding there is always a colour palette of some sort. So imagine customizing macarons to match the colour scheme of a wedding. Bonus if the colour matches the flavour. For example: blue for blueberry macarons, yellow for oolong tea macarons, red for hibiscus macarons, etc.
2. Assorted Bread Slices
Think assorted cake slices except with bread. This way if a person has never tried your baked bread, they can get a sample of the different breads you make. Then the next time they come to buy from you, they have a better idea of which bread(s) they would want more of.
3. Mini Naked Cakes
They are just so cute. Naked cakes are great for those who want something not too sweet. But mini naked cakes are especially perfect for small parties of 1-2 people OR have an army of them so that each person gets their very own.
4. Bread Kits
There are plenty of meal delivery kits for those who experience challenges with acquiring ingredients or making meals in general. So, why not that but for bread? This could be a fun activity, not just for individuals, but for date nights or small gatherings.
5. Finger Sandwiches Lunch Kits
Do you remember those fun lunch kits where you could make your own pizza, nachos or even stackable ham, cheese and crackers? So think that, but a grown up version. Think bread, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, cheese, protein, etc. Half the fun is being able to make it yours.
6. The Luxury Toast Stand
Why make a sub when you could make fancy toast? Think of those fast food places where you can customize your own sandwich, but instead replace it with a crispy slice of home made bread. The possible topping combinations are infinite!
6. Party Size Galettes
Something different from your typical pizza night. These would be great for potlucks, parties, and other types of group gatherings.
7. Custom Cookie Workshop
It’s the little changes in a simple recipe that can turn a hobby baker into being a self-proclaimed cookie expert. Imagine the small ingredient substitutions guests could choose to feel like that their cookies were truly theirs.
