Episode 22: Self Assessment Doesn't Have to Be Scary — Here's Why Bakers Dread It More Than They Should

Episode 27: You're Not Bad at Selling. You've Just Never Been Shown How.

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 learn: * Why most bakers who struggle with selling aren't bad at it — they just haven't been shown how * What selling actually is when it's done well (hint: it's helping someone make a decision) * The three specific skills that make up selling in a baking business context * Why following up after an enquiry isn't pushy — and what to say when you do it * One practical thing to do before the end of this week Want to take part in The Sales Confidence Challenge?  Sign up here: https://anniebennett.co.uk/the-hbba-sales-challenge-2026/ [https://anniebennett.co.uk/the-hbba-sales-challenge-2026/] For structured support, training and accountability: Join The Profitable Baker Academy Membership https://anniebennett.co.uk/the-profitable-baker-academy-membership/ [https://anniebennett.co.uk/the-home-baking-business-academy/] For regular delves into baking business matters, including taking part in podcast episodes: https://anniebennett.co.uk/#subscribe [https://anniebennett.co.uk/#subscribe] For free tips, insight and real-world business talk: Follow me on social media https://www.instagram.com/theprofitablebakeracademy/ [https://www.instagram.com/thehomebakingbusinessacademy/] https://www.facebook.com/theprofitablebakeracademy [https://www.facebook.com/thehomebakingbusinessacademy] https://www.tiktok.com/@profitablebakeracademy [https://www.tiktok.com/@hbbacademy] https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-bennett-pba/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-bennett-pba/] For her website with all this and more: anniebennett.co.uk [http://anniebennett.co.uk]

Episode 26 Why Selling Feels So Hard (And What to Do About It)

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 with confidence. I talk about the three beliefs that keep brilliant bakers stuck, why the version of selling most of us are afraid of isn't the version we actually need to do, and what the reframe is that changes everything. There's also one practical task, something you can do today, in about ten minutes, that will start to shift how you talk about your business. And at the end, I share details of the Sales Confidence Challenge, a free five-day challenge I'm running from Monday 1st June. One email a day, one short video from me, one task. Link below if you'd like to join. Sign up for the Sales Confidence Challenge: https://anniebennett.co.uk/the-hbba-sales-challenge-2026/ [https://anniebennett.co.uk/the-hbba-sales-challenge-2026/] Connect with Annie: For structured support, training and accountability: Join The Home Baking Business Academy Membership https://anniebennett.co.uk/the-home-baking-business-academy/ [https://anniebennett.co.uk/the-home-baking-business-academy/] For regular delves into baking business matters, including taking part in podcast episodes: https://anniebennett.co.uk/#subscribe [https://anniebennett.co.uk/#subscribe] For free tips, insight and real-world business talk: Follow me on social media https://www.instagram.com/thehomebakingbusinessacademy/ [https://www.instagram.com/thehomebakingbusinessacademy/] https://www.facebook.com/thehomebakingbusinessacademy [https://www.facebook.com/thehomebakingbusinessacademy] https://www.tiktok.com/@hbbacademy [https://www.tiktok.com/@hbbacademy] https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-bennett-hbba/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-bennett-hbba/] For her website with all this and more: anniebennett.co.uk [http://anniebennett.co.uk]

Episode 25: When They Say 'That's Too Expensive' — What to Do Next

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't immediately reaching for a discount. We cover: * Why "that's too expensive" is almost always budget information — not a verdict on your work * The two questions that fire at once when a client pushes back, and why the emotional one tends to drive the response * A real enquiry I had for a wedding cake — and what happened when I handled it properly * Three practical responses you can use when the pushback comes * Why guilt-discounting costs you more than just the money * The mindset shift that changes how these conversations feel If you've ever said yes to a price you knew was too low just to make the discomfort stop — this one's for you. Connect with Annie: For structured support, training and accountability: Join The Home Baking Business Academy Membership https://anniebennett.co.uk/the-home-baking-business-academy/ [https://anniebennett.co.uk/the-home-baking-business-academy/] For regular delves into baking business matters, including taking part in podcast episodes: https://anniebennett.co.uk/#subscribe [https://anniebennett.co.uk/#subscribe] For free tips, insight and real-world business talk: Follow me on social media https://www.instagram.com/thehomebakingbusinessacademy/ [https://www.instagram.com/thehomebakingbusinessacademy/] https://www.facebook.com/thehomebakingbusinessacademy [https://www.facebook.com/thehomebakingbusinessacademy] https://www.tiktok.com/@hbbacademy [https://www.tiktok.com/@hbbacademy] https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-bennett-hbba/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-bennett-hbba/] For her website with all this and more: anniebennett.co.uk [http://anniebennett.co.uk]

Episode 24: Stop Covering Costs and Start Building a Business

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 explains why you're busy but not building. In this episode Annie covers: * Why "what do I need to cover?" is the wrong starting question — and what to ask instead * The hidden costs that almost never make it into a home baker's pricing (but absolutely should) * The three layers of pricing: direct costs, overheads, and the profit margin that actually builds a business * Why low prices don't just affect your margin — they affect perception, and perception affects everything * The real reason raising your prices often loses the wrong customers and attracts the right ones * How to use pricing as a filter, not just a formula Plus: a practical exercise to find the gap between what you're charging and what you should be charging — and what to do about it. If your prices haven't been looked at in a while, this is the episode to listen to with a notebook nearby. For structured support, training and accountability: Join The Home Baking Business Academy Membership https://anniebennett.co.uk/the-home-baking-business-academy/ [https://anniebennett.co.uk/the-home-baking-business-academy/] For regular delves into baking business matters, including taking part in podcast episodes: https://anniebennett.co.uk/#subscribe [https://anniebennett.co.uk/#subscribe] For free tips, insight and real-world business talk: Follow me on social media https://www.instagram.com/thehomebakingbusinessacademy/ [https://www.instagram.com/thehomebakingbusinessacademy/] https://www.facebook.com/thehomebakingbusinessacademy [https://www.facebook.com/thehomebakingbusinessacademy] https://www.tiktok.com/@hbbacademy [https://www.tiktok.com/@hbbacademy] https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-bennett-hbba/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-bennett-hbba/] For her website with all this and more: anniebennett.co.uk [http://anniebennett.co.uk]

Episode 23: What Are You Actually Worth? How Home Bakers Get Pricing Wrong From the Start.

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 mindset problem too, and until you address both, the numbers alone won't fix it. In this episode: * Why pricing from ingredients alone is always going to leave you short — and what you're missing when you do * The problem with setting your prices by looking at what other bakers charge * What "pricing from anxiety" actually looks like, and why it's an emotional decision dressed up as a business one * How to work out the full cost of an order — including all the time you're not counting * The hourly rate exercise that changes how bakers see their own value * Why undercharging isn't generosity — and what it's actually costing you * A simple three-question framework for approaching your pricing with clarity If you've been avoiding the calculation because the answer feels uncomfortable — this episode is for you. For structured support, training and accountability: Join The Home Baking Business Academy Membership https://anniebennett.co.uk/the-home-baking-business-academy/ [https://anniebennett.co.uk/the-home-baking-business-academy/] For regular delves into baking business matters, including taking part in podcast episodes: https://anniebennett.co.uk/#subscribe [https://anniebennett.co.uk/#subscribe] For free tips, insight and real-world business talk: Follow me on social media https://www.instagram.com/thehomebakingbusinessacademy/ [https://www.instagram.com/thehomebakingbusinessacademy/] https://www.facebook.com/thehomebakingbusinessacademy [https://www.facebook.com/thehomebakingbusinessacademy] https://www.tiktok.com/@hbbacademy [https://www.tiktok.com/@hbbacademy] https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-bennett-hbba/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-bennett-hbba/] For her website with all this and more: anniebennett.co.uk [http://anniebennett.co.uk]