So you're doing it. You've been baking for friends and family, people keep saying "you should sell these," and you've decided to believe them. This is the guide we wish every baker had before their first drop — short, practical, and honest about what matters.
Start smaller than you think
The most common first-drop mistake isn't underselling — it's overbaking. Pick a number that would feel almost too easy: 12 loaves, 20 boxes of cookies, 10 cakes. A drop that sells out in an hour teaches you more (and markets you better) than a drop with leftovers. "Sold out" is the best advertising there is, and you can always bake more next week.
Keep the menu tiny
One to three items, maximum. Every extra item multiplies your prep, your shopping list, and your chances of a 2 a.m. panic. Your signature bake, maybe one variation, done. There will be time for the full fantasy menu later.
Pick one pickup window you can actually enjoy
A single two-to-three hour window on one day is plenty for a first drop. Porch pickup works beautifully — thousands of home bakers run entirely off their front steps. Write clear pickup instructions ("white house with the red door, table on the porch, grab the bag with your name") so nobody has to text you.
Price like a business, not an apology
Your ingredients, your packaging, your oven time, and your actual skill all count. If you'd feel embarrassed charging less as an employee, don't charge it as an owner. (We wrote a whole post on pricing — read that one next.)
Announce it three times
Once a few days ahead ("drop opens Thursday at 7"), once the morning of, and once when it opens. That's not spammy — that's how people who genuinely want your bread avoid missing it. If your followers subscribe with their phone number, the "it's open" text sends itself.
On bake day, trust the list
Pre-orders mean you already know exactly what to make — no guessing, no extras "just in case." Bake the list, label the bags, and set up ten minutes before the window opens.
When it sells out — and it might — enjoy it
Screenshot the "sold out" page. Post it. Thank everyone. Then take a nap before you plan the next one, because the second drop is where the regulars start showing up.