Legality, Taxes, Permits

• Food handler's cards (obviously)
• Incorporation - S Corp or LLC? Obviously need to do more research on this issue. 
• S Corp (lower taxes in Cali) and can be sold easier
• LLC can have more than 100 share holders and is bad on personal taxes but good on liabilities
• What's the process to create one of these? How much does it cost?
• Seller's Permit: Simple. Free. Google it and the application comes up.
• Using a Certified Kitchen: rent it! you may need to have rental insurance and an established business. Investigate. Some restaurants open up their kitchens after hours.
• Patents and listed products.
• Can we use logos? How do we get permission?
• How do we list what products we're using so that it's legal? What sort of permissions do we need?

Marketing Wave

A. Internet

1. Website: investigate options that are cheap, easy to navigate, and easily edited, but customizeable and fun. 
• online ordering form
• photos of cupcakes and past events
• promotions
• link to other online marketing
• either use homestead ($4.99/month) or intuitt ($7.99 or $19.99/month). Both offer a one month free trial so maybe try it out?
2. Facebook
• promotions and coupons
• updates
• fun photos
• free cupcake giveaways at 50 likes, 100 likes, etc.
• contests (ex. "What's your favorite cupcake baking experience," winner gets a free cupcake order)
3. Twitterspeak - Basically the same as FB, make sure it has all the same updates
4. Groupon, Living Social, Etc.
• only downside of these is they keep a portion of the profits but it's GREAT for building a reputation so utilize a lot @ first
5. Search Engines and Reviews
• yelp, google search, etc.... make sure you're at the top
• utilize friends and family to help get the ratings up, as well as reward customers who rate the business (yet ANOTHER free cupcake? :] )

*** Internet marketing is SUPER important at first because it's cheap and utilized by everyone!

B. Visual Marketing

1. Stickers: on every bag with a cupcake in it or box, have links to the website on them... pass them out at events
2. Business cards: EVERYWHERE
3. Flyers with detachable coupons
4. Posters, sandwich boards, campus advertising
5. Cupcake conventions?

C. Word of Mouth! (Demandforce, Family, Friends, Starbucks)

Fall 2012 Prep List

Things to work on and prepare before deployment in Fall 2012.

• Marketing Wave
• Funding Necessary
• Menu
• Legality, Taxes, Permits
• Suppliers
• Hired Help & Staff requirements
• Permissions on copyrighted materials and patents
• Business plan (formal)
• Testing
• R&D of Cupcakes
• Booth Options and Costs
• Pricing of products
• Kitchen Rentals
• Financials
• Lawyer/accountant consultation

NOTE: Pink means in process. Blue means set to go!

Articles to Check Out

1. How to Start A Successful Cupcake Business

2. Cupcake Your Way to Success - the Cupcake Craze

3. The Successful Cupcake Business Book - Good Investment?

4. Starting a Business - Excellent Guide!

Timeline, Goals, Etc. - Cupcakes and Cocktails

Timeline, Goals, Etc. - Cupcakes and Cocktails

Staff:
Kelley McClanahan: Co-Founder, Business and Finance Manager
Danielle Andrada: Co-Founder, Photographer, Stylist, Cupcake Research Professional

Other Interested Parties: Our philosophy - http://www.childrenstory.info/childrenstories/thelittleredhen.html

Please read before attempting to get involved. :)

Phase 1 - Brainstorming Cupcakes

Summer 2012 - Research

• Create Business Plan
• Create tentative menu for food booth
• Research food suppliers
• Research decorating techniques... take a course? Youtube vids, please!
• Investigate kitchens for rental purposes
• Test out cupcakes :)
• Create template for website
• Obtain necessary certifications (food handler’s card, seller’s permit, etc)
• Target minimum 3-6 events to buy vender slots in during the months in the fall (ex. holiday festivals, events, etc).
• Create budget and tentative financial plan
• Research and develop marketing strategies to be executed during phase 2 (ex. Groupon, online marketing, community service, etc).
• Eventually, purchase sanitary equipment, finalize menu, go through testing process (with family and friends)
• Fundraiser - family and friends special discount cupcake rush

Phase 2 - Go Cupcakes!

Fall 2012 - Marketing and Outreach
A. Cupcake Booth

• Plan at minimum to set up a booth at 3 events throughout the fall (ex. holiday functions for halloween, xmas, etc).
• At the booths, have an abundance of marketing resources available (ex: stickers, coupons, etc)
• Build relationships. Price cupcakes appropriately

B. Online Marketing and Presence

• DOMINATE social media. Fun facts and promotions on twitter, a consistently updated facebook page, fun photos and coupons on instagram