Dessert Bakery Business Plan

Rutabaga Sweets

Execution

Marketing & Sales

Marketing Plan

Rutabaga Sweets’ marketing strategy will be education of the consumer and subsequent word-of-mouth.  We will become known as a unique dining experience as well as a superior pastry shop.  Customers will be reached through fliers, newspaper advertisements and special holiday promotions.

We will also reach our customers through social media. We will have a facebook page with our customer’s favorite desserts and recipes. Customers can send us their favorite deserts they made themselves on our instagram page. If our chef likes the idea she will make it, and bring the customer in to try our version free of charge. We will also talk to our customers and let our customers talk to us through twitter and linked in. 

Location will also play a crucial role in marketing and promotion.  The business will be located in high-traffic retail area in Washington, DC known as the BID.  Washington DC’s Business Improvement District offers many incentives to businesses operating there.  Additionally, there is the traffic that will come from being located near the MCI Center.

Rutabaga Sweets will target progressive and generally well-educated and affluent consumers who are interested in trying new products and experiences and are dissatisfied with the limited selection and lack of personal service found in grocery store bakeries, neighborhood cafes and ice cream shops and area restaurants.

Sales Plan

1. We need to sell the company as well as the product.  Just as Starbucks became synonymous with great coffee drinks, Rutabaga Sweets will come to be known as a gathering place with spectacular desserts.
2. We have to sell not only an amazing "show" as the desserts are created, but also an above and beyond service team who are knowledgeable and friendly.  People will always feel welcome and at home at Rutabaga Sweets.

Operations

Locations & Facilities

We will have a facility with a store front large enough to have baking ovens and state of the art equipment. We will have counter space as well as a few tables for the customers to wait for their orders and watch our chef bake. The whole space will be open so the customers can watch. We have enough space to run a cooking class of 12 people. 

We plan to manipulate our location in the Business Improvement District to our utmost advantage.  Both tax incentives and high traffic due to the MCI Center will give us an edge as a new business.  As the BID fills up with new businesses over the next few years Rutabaga Sweets will receive an added boost of increased traffic.  Therefore, we are aggressively planning for a 50% increase in sales the second year of business.

Milestones & Metrics

Milestones Table

Key Metrics

Our Key Metrics are: 

• Obviously sales, gross margin, net profits, and cash flow. 
• Average monthly sales per customer
• Monthly new vs. repeat customers
• Units sold
• Average price per unit
• Social media: Facebook likes, Twitter follows, twitter mentions, Facebook impressions.