First steps...figure out what you need to start a cookie business in California.
Well, it is NOT a short list of things to do.
You need to choose a business name.
Hmmmm, that should be easy. So, I started to think about names.
Annie Baker's Cookies
Annie's Cookies
AB Cookies
The Baker's Cookies
the list goes on and on.
Then one day I was chatting with my friends who own a beautiful bed and breakfast in downtown Napa and they mentioned Annie B's cookies would be perfect for me.
I liked it. So, I was going to name my new buisness Annie B's Cookies.
Yippee!!! Now you need to do a search on the Internet to make sure it is not taken by another business. I searched and searched, found some Annie B's confections that existed in Buck County, PA. And thought, well, it is not Annie B's Cookies, so let's go.
I was all set and then a really good friend of mine brought me a caramel she found at Vallergas Market and it said, Annie B's Caramels. AHHHH!!!!!
I was bummed. I typed that into the search engine and ther it was...a Minnesota based candy company. Problem was they did not have a website, so I never saw any information pop up on them. I decided there has to be a better way to research this name thing.
I went to the trademark and copyright website and started searching for my new name...Annie the Baker. It did not exist. Wahoo!!!
I deemed my new company name, Annie the Baker.
So, once you figure out the name you quickly go to GoDaddy.com and purchased the domain name AnnietheBaker.com for a small annual fee.
Then it was off to the county clerk to file a fictitious name report (also referred to as Doing Business As)for $20 and to the local newspaper to have them publish the fictitious name report for 4 weeks in the paper. That was $73 for the 4 week ad. EEKS!!!
Now onward to find someone to help me design a logo for Annie the Baker.
This is fun!!
Showing posts with label cookie business. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cookie business. Show all posts
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Starting a cookie biz--first step-the product
So, long time no chat here. Sorry about that. I got this crazy idea to start a cookie business and have been keeping myself very busy with it. Today a good friend of mine commented that I had not written on my blog in a long time...I told her I had been crazy busy with this cookie biz thing...and she said, you should write about starting this business. So, here we go...
It all started when I was trying to figure out how a favorite cookie of mine from the Chicago area -- Carol's Cookies -- was made. I had to figure out how she gets her cookies to stay so puffy, but not cakey, more like dry and sugary cookie dough. I started by buying the cookies when I was in Chicago this January. Brought them back to Napa, ate some and started thinking about them, ate some more. I then researched what role each cookie ingredient played in the spread factor. I needed LESS SPREAD, more PUFF in my cookies. I hate flat cookies, so I was very excited to try to figure this out. I even posted a question on Chowhound about it and had many replies. I realized I was not the only one out there trying to figure out Carol's Cookies. I started playing with the cookies and taking the test recipe items out to my friends and asking them what they thought. And then one day a friend asked me why I was trying to figure out that other cookie when mine was MUCH BETTER!!!! haha
My other really good friend said to me, you MUST sell these at the local Farmers' Markets this Summer. I thought, hmmmm...that is a good idea in this economy to start out making something for a Farmers' Market instead of opening up a brick and mortar bakery. I like it!!!
This was the first step for me to starting a cookie business.
I will tell you all about my process here . I have been spending a ton of time researching and collecting information. I will keep a log for your entertainment. Hope you enjoy it.
It all started when I was trying to figure out how a favorite cookie of mine from the Chicago area -- Carol's Cookies -- was made. I had to figure out how she gets her cookies to stay so puffy, but not cakey, more like dry and sugary cookie dough. I started by buying the cookies when I was in Chicago this January. Brought them back to Napa, ate some and started thinking about them, ate some more. I then researched what role each cookie ingredient played in the spread factor. I needed LESS SPREAD, more PUFF in my cookies. I hate flat cookies, so I was very excited to try to figure this out. I even posted a question on Chowhound about it and had many replies. I realized I was not the only one out there trying to figure out Carol's Cookies. I started playing with the cookies and taking the test recipe items out to my friends and asking them what they thought. And then one day a friend asked me why I was trying to figure out that other cookie when mine was MUCH BETTER!!!! haha
My other really good friend said to me, you MUST sell these at the local Farmers' Markets this Summer. I thought, hmmmm...that is a good idea in this economy to start out making something for a Farmers' Market instead of opening up a brick and mortar bakery. I like it!!!
This was the first step for me to starting a cookie business.
I will tell you all about my process here . I have been spending a ton of time researching and collecting information. I will keep a log for your entertainment. Hope you enjoy it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
