The Profitable Baker Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Here's a question worth sitting with: when someone lands on your Instagram for the first time, do they feel what your business actually is, or does it feel like it could be anyone's bakery? In this episode, I'm talking about the gap that quietly exists in most baking businesses: the space between how your business feels and how it actually looks to the outside world...

Send us Fan Mail Kate Tynan is an award winning Cake Business Coach and has worked with over 10,000 cake designers in the last three years.  She is the founder of 'The Cake Business Club' - a monthly business membership for cake businesses around the globe.  Kate is also a certified positive psychology coach and weaves that into her 1:1 coaching so her guidance builds upon her clients&ap...

Send us Fan Mail Scrolling past a brand or a bake that stops you in your tracks is one thing — knowing what to actually do with that admiration is another. In this episode, Annie unpacks why so many bakers slide from inspiration into imitation, and gives you a simple framework for borrowing the principle behind a brand you love without copying the look. In this episode: Why copying happens (hint:...

Send us Fan Mail Jenny is a multi award winning business woman with over 25 years experience in the cake industry.  Originally trained as a pastry chef, Jenny worked in some of the UKs top establishments, honing her skills before establishing her cake business which went from kitchen table to 6 figures within 3 years.  Jenny created cakes for Royalty (making HRH Charles and Camilla’s first wedding...

Send us Fan Mail Most home bakers don't have a pricing problem. They have a delivery problem. In this episode, I'm talking about the moment — that specific, uncomfortable moment when someone asks how much your cakes cost and you feel that familiar tightening in your chest. Why it happens, what it's costing you, and what to actually do about it. This episode builds on Episode 27 (if...

Send us Fan Mail If selling feels uncomfortable, this episode is for you — and the good news is, it's not a personality problem. It's a skills gap. And skills can be learned. Annie breaks down what selling actually looks like in a small, values-led baking business — and it's nothing like the pushy, high-pressure version that's been putting you off. In this episode you'll l...

Send us Fan Mail If talking about your work, following up on enquiries, or asking for the sale makes you want to quietly look the other way, this episode is for you. This week I'm getting into something that doesn't get talked about enough in the home baking world: the discomfort around selling. Not pricing, not finding customers… the actual act of putting yourself and your work forward...

Send us Fan Mail Those four words. You know the ones. You've done the work, built your pricing properly, sent the quote — and then it comes back: "that's too expensive." And suddenly all the confidence you had disappears. In this episode, I'm talking about what's actually happening in that moment, what it means (and what it doesn't), and what to do next that isn&...

Send us Fan Mail Most home bakers price to survive. In this episode, Annie makes the case for pricing to build — and explains why that shift changes everything. If you've ever set a price by working out what your ingredients cost and adding "a bit on," this episode is for you. Because covering costs is the floor, not the goal. And if you've been pricing from the floor, it expla...

Send us Fan Mail Are you working hard, making beautiful products, and still not earning what you should be? In this episode, Annie gets honest about the very common — and very costly — ways home bakers get their pricing wrong. Not slightly off. Wrong in a way that keeps skilled, dedicated bakers stuck. This isn't just a maths problem, and Annie doesn't treat it like one. Pricing is a min...

Send us Fan Mail We're wrapping up finance month with the topic that sits underneath all of it — the two words that make even the most confident bakers go quiet: Self Assessment. In this episode, Annie unpicks exactly where the fear comes from and, one by one, dismantles it. Because the dread around Self Assessment is real — but it's rarely about the form itself. In this episode: Why &qu...

Send us Fan Mail Ever filed your Self Assessment and found yourself staring at a number that's much higher than you expected? You're not alone — and in this episode, Annie explains exactly why that happens. The short answer: your tax bill isn't one bill. It's two. And if you don't know about the second one, it can feel like a real shock. In this episode, Annie covers: When...

Send us Fan Mail In episode 20, Annie talks about what HMRC actually expects from you as a sole trader when it comes to record-keeping.  Because most bakers have a vague sense they should be keeping records without really knowing what that means in practice — or quite how long they need to keep them. The episode covers: What HMRC requires (and what it doesn't) The five-year rule and why it ma...

Send us Fan Mail If you've been anywhere near a small business forum or Facebook group recently, you've probably come across a lot of noise about MTD and the trading allowance, and possibly come away feeling like everything is about to change and you're already behind. In this episode, Annie cut’s through that noise to give you a calm, clear picture of what's actually happening...

Send us Fan Mail If you've been tracking your ingredient costs to the penny but haven't given much thought to your other business expenses — this episode is for you. In this episode, Annie breaks down why so many home bakers end up paying more tax than they need to, and what to do about it. In this episode: Why profit — not income — is what HMRC taxes you on, and why that distinction mat...

Send us Fan Mail Are you running your baking business, or just reacting to it? In this episode, Annie breaks down what it actually means to be the CEO of your own business — and why that shift changes everything, from your pricing to your boundaries to the way you make decisions. In this episode: Why "I just make cakes" is keeping you stuck — and how a CEO thinks differently The three th...

Send us Fan Mail You're good at what you do. Your customers love your work. You might even be fully booked. So why aren't you making the money you deserve? In this episode, we get into the real reason — and it's not your skill level, your location, or whether the market will pay. It's identity. And that's actually good news, because identity is something you can change. Yo...

Send us Fan Mail EPISODE 15: The Hidden Cost of Being Too Nice in Your Baking Business The late-night replies. The last-minute squeeze-ins. The discount you give every time someone pushes back. Each one feels small, but played out week after week, they add up to a significant amount of unpaid time, undercharged work, and energy you don't have to keep giving away. In this episode we look at wh...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 14: What Positioning Really Means (and the Three Signals Customers Notice First) Positioning isn't a corporate marketing concept — it's the instant impression customers form about your business before they've even messaged you. And whether you've thought about it or not, you already have a position in the market. In this episode we cover what positionin...

Send us Fan Mail Why Bakers Underprice (and What’s Really Behind It) Many bakers think underpricing is a calculation issue, but it’s usually a belief issue. In this episode, Annie explores the real reasons bakers charge less than their work is worth, including fear of losing customers, wanting to be helpful, comparing yourself to other bakers, and pricing based only on ingredients. She also looks...

Send us Fan Mail The Ideal Client – And Why Getting This Right Changes Everything Defining your ideal client isn’t about marketing jargon — it’s about making your business simpler, calmer, and more profitable. In this episode, Annie explains why the right clients usually share the same problem, how solving that problem clearly improves your marketing and pricing, and why trying to serve everyone o...

Send us Fan Mail Creating Repeat Customers: Why They Matter More Than You Think In this episode, Annie explores why repeat customers are more valuable than constantly chasing new ones. She shares how simple follow-ups, customer tracking, and gentle reminders can turn one-off orders into repeat bookings, without being pushy or salesy. If you want a calmer, more sustainable baking business, this epi...

Send us Fan Mail Why Moving Out of Your Comfort Zone Is Good for Business If your business feels stuck or flat, it’s often not a skills issue — it’s a comfort issue. In this episode, Annie explores why staying comfortable in business can quietly hold you back, and why real growth usually sits just outside what feels safe and familiar. This isn’t about taking reckless risks, but about making sensib...

Send us Fan Mail Social Media Wins & Wobbles Social media is changing, and if it’s been feeling harder or less predictable lately, you’re not imagining it. In this community episode, Annie shares real social media wins and wobbles from business owners navigating content as platforms evolve. Instead of chasing trends or hacks, this conversation focuses on clarity, sustainability, and adapting y...

Send us Fan Mail I was delighted to have Claire as my guest for a chat, in my facebook group, The Home Baking Business Academy Network. Thank you so much for joining me Claire. Claire tells me a little of how she became an EHO, and then answers these questions: - Can you tell us what an EHO does?  - What do you look for in a kitchen inspection? - What things will mark a baker down from a 5 rating?...