Hello! I am writing my business plan and stuck on sales forecast.. okay im stuck on a lot of things but these are my questions! THANKS!!!
1: How many, on average, wedding cakes do you sell a month?
** busy city area, and i cant really find any business statistics online.
2: What is the average revenue a month? Details would help..
3: What do you pay for rent, utilities, those short of things?
4: what is the number of walk-ins daily?
5: how much do you spend on inventory?

and then if your really feeling generous, any other information on sales for a storefront.

I was just going to post the same questions! If you don't mind, I'll add some more info.

I think we both realize the answers to these questions are likely very private and sensitive especially if they are posted here and your competitors view them.

Your assistance is truly needed and so appreciated. Please PM us if you want to keep things confidential.

I agree..

I have been searching through older topics because i believe i saw one about this kinda of information awhile back.. It was about how much business a store front see's a day.. I wish i could find it.. or if anyone else knows what im talking about and points us in the right direction.

Keep in mind that these statistic are going to vary vastly depending on the size of the city, the local market saturation, the disposable income of the local market. Basing your business plan (and expectations) on other's business in other markets isn't really going to be helpful.

1: How many, on average, wedding cakes do you sell a month?
Call the local registrar's office and find out how many wedding licenses they issue a month. How many other people in your area already sell wedding cakes? Your best hope, as a new shop, is to get an even slice of the pie (total # of weddings per month divided by number of bakeries).

2: What is the average revenue a month? Details would help..
This is going to vary widely depending on many factors, including what specific goods are sold. Bakeries that also sell beverages, and especially alcoholic beverages, should not be compared to baked-goods only shops. High-end gourmet desserts cannot be compared to more basic fare.

3: What do you pay for rent, utilities, those short of things?
Rent and utilities also vary vastly depending on where you live. You would get a more reliable estimate for those by calling local small restaurants.

4: what is the number of walk-ins daily?
Ask other businesses (all types) in the area in which you plan to open your shop to get an idea of local foot-traffic.

5: how much do you spend on inventory?
This is going to vary vastly depending on the size of the bakery, any deals they may have w/ suppliers, and the location of the bakery. For example, a bakery in Melbourne, Australia and one in Florence, South Carolina are going to have hugely different costs.

Yes you do need to know all of that for a biz plan but knowing other peoples numbers is'nt going to help you.
You need to figure out your numbers.
And like prterrell stated all of that is going to vary depending on your product, market,customer base, etc.

What I pay for ingredients may not be what you pay because we don't make the exact same thing and shop at the exact same stores,in the exact same area of town, you get what I'm saying?

I would do a little research for your area and market.
Your business plan should be personalized and pertain to your business, not just some numbers from someone else's business.

Do you truly believe that some elses numbers are going to work for you?

We know nothing about your situation, location, square footage demographics, etc.

No one else can do this homework for you.... you need to do it yourself, 'cause all of us are in completely different situations.

Are you sure you're ready to start a business if you're not willing to do the basic grunt work?

Oh I agree with you all 100%.. If this was a real situation and I wasn't cramming for four finals.

I have a very real outlook on business and what it takes to accomplich a business plan. .. I should, I will be graduating in a year with my BBA. I know that you need the research from other bakeries statistics and real estimates on the inventory needed.

But, as I propbably should have stated in my first topic, this is for my sm. business class's final. I need to have accurate information yes, but I just want it done so I can study something else.

So thank you for insight, you are very correct and in a year when i open up my own shop, i will diffently do the this right way.. lots of sweat and tears.

Sorry if I offended your hard work.

You didn't so much offend as appear to have very little business knowledge, which, if you are in business school, certainly is not the case. We had no way of knowing this was a homework assignment. However, I think the professor is most likely expecting you to do the leg work, not just gather random numbers from people on a website. After all, that's not really any different from making up the numbers yourself. You have no way of knowing that someone else isn't doing that as a response.