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In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 269 - Sugar Cookie Side Hustle, we wanted to take it back to the beginning - specifically to those folks who know they want to take on a new hobby that not only covers itself, but also pads the pockets for some decent fun money.

🚗💨 Sugar cookies as a side hustle is an awesome concept because it doesn't require cars, insurance, fuel, or oil changes. You're also in control of your schedule more than those "overlord apps" that ding, and you have to jump to accept the request or face a bad review and a possible account restriction.

Even better? A lot of us already have the basic tools needed to get started - so even the startup costs are lower than most hobbies (just ask me about rug tufting... I ain't had none of that stuff lying around!).

Imaginary Example: You're a stay-at-home-mom.

You have about two hours a day that you can dedicate to baking, and you don't need to carve out anything extra to find them either - stay with me. They're already "baked" into your day during your kids' naptime or right after you put them down for bed. Since decorated cookies only need about 8 hours to dry, this schedule works pretty well for a sugary side hustle.

Here's what an example day could look like:

• 🕓 Your kids wake up at 6:00 AM, and by 6:30 you're prepping them for the morning.
• 🕓 At 7:00 AM, while the day is still quiet, you plan out your designs.
• 🕓 When naptime hits at 2:00 PM, you make your dough and prep your icing.
• 🕓 Then at 8:00 PM, once the kids are in bed, you settle in to decorate.
• 🕓 By morning, your cookies are dry and ready for packaging and pick-up.

🥶 Add in the ability to freeze your sets a week or more out, and you've got a nice little time runway.

You're not trying to replace a full-time income or build an empire; you'd simply like to make some fun money (💸 an actual sugar m-a-m-a lol - u). Whether it goes toward date nights, a family vacation fund, or a little guilt-free spending of your own, cookie decorating can give you a way to earn extra cash doing something creative on your own schedule (🚗🚗🚗 without having to be in a car delivering). With the flexibility of sugar cookies, you could scale this thing up to a brick-and-mortar or tone it down to a seasonal thing you do around the holidays.

Chances are, about 50% of the supplies you need are already sitting in your kitchen already - talk about a start-up cost WIN. A hand mixer, a baking sheet, a plaque cookie cutter, and the basic primary colors for coloring will get you started. And for anything you're missing, you don't have to spend much if you're willing to check your local buy nothing groups, Facebook Marketplace, or simply ask around in a community group (also a great way to signal to a potential audience you're warmin' up the ovens). You'd be surprised what people are happy to give away or sell for next to nothing.

You don't need to invent anything from scratch either - could this BE any easier?! Some of the most popular tried-and-true royal icing recipes aren't even behind paywalls. Mike Tamplin's recipe, Sally's Baking Addiction, Haniela's. And if you want to get spendy, Etsy recipes are just a few bucks but totally not required to get out the gate.

Snag the podcast to learn what you don't need to get started (hint: artistic ability. Just as Corrie and her oranges 🍊).

👂 Snag this podcast on any major podcast player (Spotify, Apple Music, Audible, Amazon Music, or watch it on YouTube) by searching for Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 269 - Side Hustle Sugar Cookies.

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In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 268 - Biting at the Bit for Bartering, Corrie has been running some 'bartering' case studies for podcast land. In these test runs, she's joined a local bartering group and exchanged cookies for a social audit with the group admin.

In another case, she exchanged her cookies for 👩🏻‍💻🎨 some graphic design work her twin apparently refused to execute in a timely manner (my bad, my bad). Her motive was, "I want to report back to the podcast," so here she is - reporting back on what she did, what she'd do differently, and if she'd do it again.

Bartering is the exchange of goods/services for goods/services - one of the oldest forms of commerce in the history of the world. Because it removes the monetary valuation from it, the exchange is made off of ever-changing perceived value - which means your cookies could actually be worth more than you're charging (or valued less - gotta watch out for that - did you know the word barter comes from a French word for "cheater"?).

🤝 How to ask to barter

Getting into bartering is as simple as asking, but ensure you're asking specifically for what you want, or you're going to be left writing a lot of rejection letters. Facebook groups dedicated to local bartering are popping up too - that's where Corrie found her two exchanges. Write something as simple as, "Hey followers! I want to let you know I'm always open to bartering with my cookies. I'm looking for anyone who wants to barter Botox, landscaping (spring cleanup specifically), and cleaning services. DM me if you're interested!" Some additional bartering tips:

• 🔄 Make a post saying you’re open to bartering (above)
• 🔄 Join a local bartering Facebook group
• 🔄 Post in a community group that you’re willing to barter

🤝 The benefits of bartering

Aside from what you get in the exchange, bartering can open you up to a new demographic, a potential referral source, and some good review opportunities. Consider that most folks in the bartering world tend to shy away from cash exchanges. With bartering, you can capture that new audience, and just because it's value-based instead of cash doesn't mean you can't get some high-quality connections (and exchanges) out of the deal.

• 🔄 Someone gets to try your cookies that they may not have normally ordered. You can reach a new demographic of people
• 🔄 This can turn into a referral source + review source
• 🔄 It works off of the perceived value, so there’s more flexibility in what's exchanged

🤝 The cons of bartering

Not every barter will be a win - especially if the exchange is for services. In Corrie's example, she exchanged for both graphic design and a social media audit. The social audit is shaping up to be AI slop, but the graphic design was enough that she was happy - however, the designer didn't provide the necessary print files nor design the front side of the cookie care card (don't worry, Corrie made me do it). The key is setting specifics when it comes to what you're exchanging and what you're exchanging for.

• 🔄 Not every barter is a win
• 🔄 You lose a lot of the protections that monetary institutions provide
• 🔄 It’s awkward
• 🔄 As with any client, they can be unhappy

🤝 Corrie's bartering tips

When it comes to bartering, be specific in what you're looking for. Worst they can say is no, but likely they'll attempt to renegotiate to find common ground for both parties. You're in control - if they're asking for more than you think is fair, you can (politely) say, "I can't do two dozen, but that'd work for a dozen." Look at the big picture - that one barter contact can start referring other clients to you, leave you a positive review, or barter with you again in the future. We asked bakers what they've bartered for, and here are some of the fun answers we got:

• 🔄 Car detailing
• 🔄 Snow plowing
• 🔄 Website
• 🔄 Photography
• 🔄 Dental work
• 🔄 Botox
• 🔄 Haircuts
• 🔄 Childcare
• 🔄 Taylor Swift Eras Tour Tickets
• 🔄 Oil Change
• 🔄 Tattoo
• 🔄 Brick Mailbox for a future credit
• 🔄 Kayak
• 🔄 Laser hair removal

👂 Snag this podcast on any major podcast player (Spotify, Apple Music, Audible, Amazon Music, or watch it on YouTube) by searching for Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 268 - Biting at the Bit for Bartering.

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In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 267 - There's Such a Thing as Bad Publicity, if you've not lived under a rock, TikTok is buzzing with some cake pop drama between two bakers. If you have no idea what we're talking about - congrats, you likely have a life and aren't chronically online. The drama is easy to find, but it's lesson-worthy in terms of how your hyper-local small bakery can take some nuggets on how to approach negative press.

Because sure - if you're paid per view, maybe there's no such thing as bad press. But if you're selling at a local farmer's market and someone is upset with you, bad press can cost you clients, your booth, and your good standing with the market host.

There's a lot more at risk when you're the little local guy - so what can we take from the incident, and how can we apply it to our own bakeries? Here's what we've got in this week's Baking it Down podcast episode.

💢 Pause Before You Post

There's simply no better tip we can give you than to take some time before your reply. I'm not talking 30 minutes; we're talkin' a minimum of 6 hours, but 24 hours (so one round of sleeps) would be the recommendation. What you say on the internet lasts forever. Yep, even after that dirty delete or ninja edit, someone out there has screenshot proof of what you initially said. There's no anonymity to hide behind. The pause matters even more on a local scale, because you'll likely see this reviewer (or their friends) at the market next Saturday or at the grocery store tomorrow.

💢 Respond to Your Audience

A lot of times, when we get worked up about an unfair piece of content pointing at us, we're prone to see the argument as a back-and-forth debate, when in reality, we're talking to more than just this one individual - we're talking to our entire audience. And our followers aren't judging who's "right," they're judging whether you seem like a pleasant person to buy a dozen cookies from.

💢 Speak Once then Go Silent

If you followed the protocol and replied without defensiveness, with a response that acknowledges the hurt, and that fully encompasses the public apology - post it and then step away from the keyboard. Back-and-forth debates, more response videos, comment replies, dirty deletes, DMs - that look like someone who isn't confident in their stance. Be short, be kind, then be quiet.

💢 Don't Be Right, Be Good

We'll be the first to say the customer isn't always right - but in the courtroom of public opinion, it doesn't really matter. Drama seekers don't want a clear-cut case - they want d-r-a-m-a. Eliminate drama by looking at the bigger picture here. Ask yourself what's at risk if you engage. Being right doesn't sell cookies; being the baker people feel good about does.

👂 Snag this podcast on any major podcast player (Spotify, Apple Music, Audible, Amazon Music, or watch it on YouTube) by searching for Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 267 - There's Such a Thing as Bad Publicity.