8 Things I Wish I Knew Before Running a Bakery

Some lessons came from mistakes. Some came from burnout. But I am still learning.

If you’re building something of your own — whether it’s a bakery, a small business, or just something you’ve been quietly dreaming about, this one’s for you.

Sharing a common space isn’t always easy

When you run a home bakery, your kitchen isn’t just your kitchen anymore.

You need the counter to prep your bakes. Smeone else needs it to prepare lunch.

You need space to pack orders. Someone needs to wash the dishes.

Your business doesn’t exist in a vacuum. The people you live with feel it too. Sometimes it causes tension, and that’s okay.

Over time, you learn to communicate, coordinate, and find a rhythm that works for everyone.

Not everything will go according to plan

I used to think every bake sale had to go exactly the way I planned it. It never does. Things get delayed. Ingredients run out. Customers need last-minute changes. Your oven decides today is the day it wants to act up. Adaptability is genuinely one of the most important skills you’ll build. Sometimes the best thing you can do is adapt, stay calm, and push through.

You wear more hats than you think

I thought running a bakery meant just baking. And yes, baking is at the heart of it — but it’s only a fraction of what I actually do.

You’re the marketer writing captions at midnight. You’re the customer service answering DMs. You’re the accountant tracking every order and expense. You’re the operations team packing and labelling boxes. Some days it feels like a lot.

But instead of focusing on how much there is to do, I’ve learned to embrace the fact that I get to build every part of this and that’s actually pretty cool.

It is okay to take a break

This one took me a long time to really believe. Rest feels unproductive when you’re building something. But rest is not a reward you earn — it’s part of the process. Go for the run. Meet your friends for lunch. Take the day off without guilt.

Building something meaningful takes time, and you cannot pour from an empty cup. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Pace yourself accordingly.

Running a business can be lonely

Every decision falls on you. Every mistake is yours to fix. Every win is yours to celebrate. Most days, it’s just you figuring things out as you go. And that can feel isolating, especially when the people around you don’t quite understand what it’s like.

Don’t be afraid to lean on your community — other small business owners, friends who get it, even strangers on the internet who are on the same journey. You don’t have to carry every struggle alone.

Not everyone will align with your vision

Some partnerships won’t work out. Some ideas won’t take off. Rejection is part of the process, and it genuinely used to sting. But I’ve realised the goal was never to win everyone over. It’s to find the people who genuinely connect with what you do — customers who appreciate the intentionality behind every bake, collaborators who share the same values. Those are the people worth building for.

Certainty rarely comes before the leap

I thought I needed to feel 100% ready before I left my healthcare job. I kept waiting for that moment of clarity where everything felt settled and certain.

It never came.

What I learned is that courage isn’t the absence of uncertainty. It’s choosing to move forward despite it. I understood the risks. I knew it wouldn’t be easy. But I also knew that staying in a path that wasn’t mine would cost me more in the long run.

Know your whys

When the excitement fades, when sales are slow, when you’re tired and wondering if any of this is worth it — your why becomes your anchor.

Why did you start? What does this mean to you? Who are you doing this for?

Come back to those answers often. They’ll carry you through the difficult seasons and remind you why you started in the first place. For me, it’s the love of matcha and tea, the joy of baking and the hope that every box I send out makes someone’s day a little better.

That’s always been enough to keep going.

Still figuring things out, but grateful to be figuring it out doing what I love!

Janka
Founder of FedwithMatcha