How to Start a Dog Treat Bakery

dog treat bakery

Bakeries are bustling places, full of baking aroma and tools. A stand mixer stands on the counter while baking sheets line racks.

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Bakery chefs transform human food trends into safe and delicious recipes for dogs. Ingredients such as tomato pomace (a by-product from processing tomatoes into juice and soup) and chicory root are used to craft one-of-a-kind treats for these four-legged customers.

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How to Start a Dog Treat Bakery

Many dog bakers begin their businesses as home-based operations. Depending on your location, you may be able to start with kitchen equipment already present at home and upgrade as the business develops. Be sure that all food production regulations in your area are met; take a food health and safety course if needed and focus on natural ingredients that make healthy treats for dogs; this will set your products apart from competitors and give pet parents another reason to purchase them!

Once you have your recipes ready, run them by family and friends with pets who can serve as taste testers. If the treats are well received, it is time to plan out your business plan; it provides your venture with direction through clear angles, purposes, necessary tools, research expenses and short/long term goals. In addition, you will need to decide on a legal structure (sole proprietor, partnership, LLC or corporation) as well as obtain any permits and licenses required in your state.

Recipes

Baking homemade dog treats offers endless options. Try whipping up some PB and apple cookies – sure to delight any pup! For beginners, the ingredients needed include only flour, oats, applesauce, peanut butter and water; plus you can even customize these tasty treats using fun cookie cutters in shapes that your pup prefers!

Make some peanut butter and banana treats to keep your pups healthy! Bananas provide essential fiber, while peanut butter provides protein. Check out Reluctant Entertainer for this great recipe using ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen!

Make pupcakes to celebrate special events for your pet such as their birthday or graduation from obedience school, with ingredients like activated charcoal, parsley and mint that help improve breath. Visit Shweta in the Kitchen’s puppy-worthy cupcakes to make a delightful treat for any pupcake occasion!

Equipment

Dog bakery supplies are essential to crafting homemade treats free from artificial preservatives and additives for their pet. With ingredients like sweet potatoes and blueberries at their fingertips, pet parents can craft customized treats that meet their pet’s individual dietary needs.

As well as baking equipment, your business will require other supplies like labels, resealable bags and containers for storage. A business bank account may make paying you easier.

Your type of structure for the dog treat bakery will also dictate if and how you register the business name. Sole proprietors and partnerships usually file a “Doing Business As” statement while corporations and LLCs must register with their state business agency.

If you plan to sell treats directly, booth equipment such as tables and display cases will be essential. A business license and insurance will also be necessary. In most localities, food inspection is required prior to selling baked goods and there may be additional requirements such as permits or tax ID numbers that need to be fulfilled before selling baked goods.

Marketing

Dog treat bakery businesses are an effective way to earn additional income. Depending on how many treats are produced and their price, this side business could generate anywhere between $500-1,000 each month or even more.

Marketing strategies can help your dog treat business thrive. Conduct market research to understand potential demand, product offerings and pricing strategies in the target market. Contact local pet stores to gain a sense of their current treat sales while looking out for gaps you could fill.

Establishing a business current account can help to keep more accurate records of earnings and expenses related to your pet treat bakery, providing greater accuracy for earnings and expenses. Solutions like Countingup combine bank account with accounting software so you can stay on top of it no matter where life takes you – with features like automatic expense categorisation, instant invoicing on mobile devices, receipt capture tools and tax estimates all for free! Take a look and give it a try now.