Side Hustle · Bakery

My Little Cottage Bakery: Getting Ready

By Rebecca Yener ·

Notes written in the days leading up to the September 19, 2026 festival.

A little bakery dream

I’m sure plenty of people dream about having a nice little bakery. Well, at least I’m one of them.

I started baking after college. I know how to make a cake or two and a few kinds of cookies. Baking is a very competitive business, and I never really thought I would open my own shop. But, oh, wouldn’t it be nice?

An opportunity at the festival

The Orlando Chinese Association is hosting its Mid-Autumn Festival on Saturday, September 19. As one of the organizers, I realized we didn’t have many food vendors.

So I said, “Let me bake something and sell it!”

Just like that, my little bakery dream became something I needed to prepare for.

Getting the setup together

I applied for a Business Tax Receipt, which cost me $75. I also needed a tent, a table, and displays. I know some people already have cookie trays and food displays at home, but not this girl.

So I went to Temu and started my shopping spree.

Item Approximate cost
Business Tax Receipt $75
Tent $63
Foldable table $28
Table cover and other display items $30
Setup total, before ingredients $196
Order screenshot showing the white bakery tent
The tent for my little bakery setup.
Order screenshot showing the foldable table
A foldable table for the stall.
Shopping screenshot showing serving baskets, cookie bags, and a table cover
Displays, packaging, and a table cover.

It is surprising how much there is to organize before I even turn on the oven.

Will the numbers work?

Of course, I also did a break-even analysis.

My planning sheet includes butter cookies, cranberry cookies, pecan cookies, ube muffins, and egg tarts. If all 70 items sell at the planned prices, the sheet estimates $256.50 in revenue and $42.52 in variable costs.

With the $125 in fixed costs entered in that sheet, the estimated profit is $88.98, and the break-even revenue is about $150.

That made me feel a little better. But the sheet’s $125 fixed-cost figure is lower than the roughly $196 in setup expenses listed above. The $150 break-even point is a planning estimate based on the sheet’s assumptions; it doesn’t show recovery of every setup purchase.

Bakery planning spreadsheet showing 70 items, projected revenue of $256.50, and break-even revenue of $149.84
My original break-even planning sheet. Tap the image to see the numbers at full size.

A few days to go

There are only a few days left, and I’m nervous and anxious. My Business Tax Receipt hasn’t been approved yet. I still need to get all the ingredients and prepare to bake.

I hope it goes well. And I hope my baking turns out well, too.

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