So far I've had a couple of cakes orders and a cookie order and since we get tons of traffic for Halloween I'd like to take advantage and use it as a time to get my name and business out there. I'm just not sure how to do it. I'm leery about passing out homemade decorated cookies w/my business card because I think parents would probably just toss them out of fear. Does anyone have any suggestions, or things you've done that have been successful?

You can just hand out a mini flyer/business card/coupon with the candy and then maybe like a 5% discount on the back or something.

I remember when I was a kid that McDonald's would hand out coupons for free small fries.

Pass out business cards with a coupon for a free cookie on it! That way they can come to you to get the cookie and not fear the cookie in the treat bag - maybe also give the kids one little piece of candy too.

Yes I agree, the cards and a come back to get your free cookie. I would never let me kids eat something out of their treat bag that was homemade....And I have a licensed home bakery. Definately give the kids candy to go along with it.

Nice idea.

Julia

There's a lady in our neighborhood that sells some cosmetic line and she always puts a card in the kids bags. Bluntly, we find it tacky as all git-out. This is a night for kids (and adults!) fun time .... and I don't like getting a commercial in the middle of a bag of "Treats".

The McDonald's coupons for free coke or french fry is not the same thing You can't put an actual bag of fries in a kids candy bag, but a biz card or discount coupon is just an advertisement that gives the recipient the "opportunity" to spend money".

I personally don't like to see them in my (grand)kids candy bags. We throw them all away. The only thing it does is cause me to think of this person as "oh, she's that person who gives the kids a business card for a halloween treat!" and I'm not inclined to ever buy from her.

In just my ever so never humble opinion, of course!

Staple the business card/"good for" card to a packaged treat if you're worried about looking like the lady who advertises instead of giving out stuff.

I think most parents would just toss it, so I wouldn't bother. We go thru the tons of candy our boys get, and most coupons don't get used. The free frosty or ice cream cones may get used, because I'm good at going in to only get the freebie. The free kids meal ones with the purchase of an adult meal get tossed. I honestly wouldn't waste the money trying to advertise to hte trick or treaters. We would probably mark them off our potentilal list even if we did need something. Everyone knows you can't just go and get one cookie! Besides, do you want to bake 3-4 cookies everyday til the Q runs out so all the kids get a fresh one if they did cash it in?

How about setting up a table with cookies and coffee on it for the parents that are trick or treating with the kids. Give the kids the candy and offer the cookie and coffee to the parents to keep them warm as they go around with the kids. Then they may ask you, "did you make them?" and you can say, "why, yes i did, i sell them". Have a card handy in case they ask for it. This way you are not being pushy and opening room for conversation.
I know in my neigbourhood almost every parent walks up to the step with their kids or at very least stands at the end of the driveway. I often end up chatting it up with them anyway..why not offer a cookie as a kind gesture. But then again, maybe they will just eat it and run and not bother with asking about them, afterall it is a night all about fun. I dunno. Just thinking out loud here. Good luck.

We are very rural here, so I can't really relate with going door-to-door trick or treating. We drive to the houses of our family members. My first inclination is to think it is a little tacky and I wouldn't do it. I think I'd just purchase a printed lawn sign advertisement and put it where it can be easily seen and stick with giving candy to the kids. If you're interested, you can get them on www.vistaprint.com. JMO

I always toss my kids' homemade goodies unless I know who baked them. But if you package a cookie with your business information on it, they know exactly who it came from.

Someone who is going to poison kids or put razors in their treats is not going to put their contact information on the offending treats.

This year, I am giving out individually packaged cookies with my business card. Not because I want to advertise, but because I want the kids to have something a little better for them than more chocolate, and I want to make sure parents know they are safe to eat.

If someone thinks it's tacky - so be it. They probably wouldn't have ordered from me to begin with. Alternatively, if they love my cookies, I might get a new customer. Most of the parents in my subdivision know I operate a baking business anyway and don't think they'll bat an eye over me giving out cookies - after all, that's what I do. (and it's surely better than the Avon lady who always gives out sports bottles with the Avon logo and her contact info. What kid would want to carry THAT around?!? My kids tossed theirs out)

A bit of a segue, but I feel it's so very sad that we now have to be wary of what our children get in their treat bags. I come from a time when almost all the people who gave out treats in our building gave home-made goodies. We lived in an extremely diverse building, so we got treats from all over - Ukraine, Puerto Rico, China. Mostly cookies and tiny pastries, but back then, as long as it was good and it was sweet, we were happy with it!

That being said, yes, there is a way which you can offer your own treats, plus advertise. Give your treats out from your shop. Put up a sign a few days early, saying Trick or Treaters Welcome! and be outside your shop, handing out your wrapped cookies to the kiddies, and business cards to the parents.

When I managed a store in the downtown area, one of the things we requested from the home office was to be able to hand out candy to the children who came by. They honored our request. With Halloween being so close to the holiday shopping season, it helped build our business for the rest of the year.

Theresa

Good points for both sides of the fence.

No seriously, there is a house that does this with the spiced rum thing. You can tell the parents that have been there because they are all carrying a styrofoam cup, not minding the cold, having a good ol time! Then there is me....freezing, complaining, running after the kids, can't wait to get back home and raid their bags for the good stuff. This year I'll be at work until 2am. Not sure whether I'm happy or sad to miss it.