I am opening a small in-home cookie bakery, just frosted cut-outs except for Christmas time when I'll have old fashioned family recipe cookies too.

Well today I went to our farmers market and there is a newer bread bakery that is about 45 minutes away from our town. They come to different FM's in the area and have a knitting shop that lets them drop off orders during the winter so local people can pick them up.

Anyway, I will have a retail area since we're rezoned commercial and I'm wondering if I should offer for them to have a few shelfs for their breads. Is this crazy? They grind their own wheat, use organic everything, their whole family is involved and I got a really good feeling after talking to them. Plus their bread is FANTASTIC! The best I have ever ever eaten.

So should I even say anything or see if they ask first or let well enough alone? I just really think that it would bring more business into my shop since I won't be offering bread and I may end up selling more cookies.

Opinions? Advice? Thanks so much!!

Heidi.

Other than POSSIBLE additional busines what would you get out of it? Would be marking up the bread and making a profit of it? charging them 'rent' so to speak for the shelf space?

That's cool that you want to have them their, but what is your business benefit? Because if you have them there, it is less space for your stuff which is money all for you.

Good points......

I actually hadn't thought that far ahead, I just didn't even know if I should bring it up to him for further discussion.

I guess I thought it would bring me some more business, which in reality I'm not sure I even need. And he just seemed like such a nice man I thought I would be helping him out. Yeah, I'm not so good at the business part, lol.

If it does ever come up, I probably would ask him for some "rent." Like "X" amount for the month and then it wouldn't be so much work to figure out how many loaves he sold, what percentage of that I would get. A flat fee sounds easier.

But it was all just a thought too. I may not even bring it up. Thanks for the suggestions, that was exactly what I was looking for.

Heidi.