The Profitable Baker Podcast

Episoder

• Episode 31: With special guest Kate Tynan. 01.07.2026 41min

  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' strengths, values and personality type. She has over a decade of experience running her own...
• Episode 30: Learning to Look: How to Be Inspired By Brilliance Without Copying Anyone 24.06.2026 15min

  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: it's fear, not laziness) — and why it backfiresThe one question to ask instead of "how do I make ...
• Episode 29: With special Guest Jenny Gilson 17.06.2026 35min

  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 anniversary cake) appeared on TV (Britain’s Best Bakery, The Alan Titchmarsh show, amo...
• Episode 28 Knowing Your Worth Isn't Enough. You Have to Be Able to Say It. 10.06.2026 16min

  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 you haven't listened yet, go back — today's episode picks up where that one left off), so if you've been followi...
• Episode 27: You're Not Bad at Selling. You've Just Never Been Shown How. 03.06.2026 15min

  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 learn: Why most bakers who struggle with selling aren't bad at it — they just haven't been shown howWhat selling actually i...
• Episode 26 Why Selling Feels So Hard (And What to Do About It) 27.05.2026 17min

  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 with confidence. I talk about the three beliefs that keep brilliant bakers stuck, why the version of sellin...
• Episode 25: When They Say 'That's Too Expensive' — What to Do Next 20.05.2026 20min

  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't immediately reaching for a discount. We cover: Why "that's too expensive" is almost always budget information — not a verdict on y...
• Episode 24: Stop Covering Costs and Start Building a Business 13.05.2026 15min

  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 explains why you're busy but not building. In this episode Annie covers: Why "what do I need to cover?" is the wrong start...
• Episode 23: What Are You Actually Worth? How Home Bakers Get Pricing Wrong From the Start. 06.05.2026 16min

  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 mindset problem too, and until you address both, the numbers alone won't fix it. In this episode: Why pricing ...
• Episode 22: Self Assessment Doesn't Have to Be Scary — Here's Why Bakers Dread It More Than They Should 29.04.2026 16min

  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 "Self Assessment" sounds scarier than it actually isThe real reason so many bakers dread the number at the end...
• Episode 21: The Tax Bill That's Actually Two Bills — And Why Most Bakers Don't See the Second One Coming 22.04.2026 18min

  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 your first tax bill actually arrives — especially if you're newer to self-employment. The tax year runs April to April, a...
• Episode 20: Is Your Record-Keeping HMRC-Ready — Or Just a Shoebox of Hope? 15.04.2026 20min

  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 matters more than most people realiseWhat counts as a record for both income and expensesFive questi...
• Episode 19 The Tax Rules That Are Changing, And What You Need To Do Right Now 08.04.2026 21min

  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, when it's happening, and most importantly, whether any of it changes anything for you right now. Because for most h...
• Episode 18: Why Many Home Bakers Are Leaving Money on the Table at Tax Time 01.04.2026 20min

  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 mattersThe expenses home bakers commonly overlook (mileage, packaging, subscriptions, insurance, training and ...
• Episode 17: The Baking Business CEO 25.03.2026 11min

  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 differentlyThe three things a Baking Business CEO does that a "just a baker" doesn'tThe "Nice Baker" trap: why talented, hardworkin...
• Episode 16: Why Skilled Bakers Stay Underpaid (And How to Stop) 18.03.2026 15min

  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. You'll learn: The "skilled but underpaid" cycle and how bakers get stuck in itWhy the gap between a skilled baker and a well...
• Episode 15: The Hidden Cost of Being Too Nice in Your Baking Business 11.03.2026 16min

  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 why so many skilled bakers default to over-accommodating, what it's actually costing you in real terms, ...
• Episode 14: What Positioning Really Means (and the Three Signals Customers Notice First) 04.03.2026 11min

  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 positioning actually means for home bakers, and the three signals that are quietly shaping how customers see you: your price, y...
• Episode 13: Why Bakers Underprice (and What’s Really Behind It) 25.02.2026 18min

  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 at the hidden cost of being fully booked but exhausted, and how your own money mindset influences...
• Episode 12: The Ideal Client – And Why Getting This Right Changes Everything 18.02.2026 19min

  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 often leads to overwhelm. You’ll also learn a simple way to identify your ideal client using your ...