Hi. First I must say, CC is a wonderful and useful site and am so glad I found it. I am new at starting this whole cake baking process. I have been making 'practice cakes' lately and have gotten really good at it. The price adds up when you do not have money coming in though. I wondered if anyone would like to share how they started getting customers. I am in a bit of an odd situation. My husband is in the military so all that is around are soldiers (not that thats a problem) but the post has strict rules for advertising/posting flyers around. The only advertising I could do is put a add in the paper- but even then not sure if that would be useful marketing. I have baked cakes for my co-workers as well as my husbands and everyone raves about the cakes and asks to have my phone number but weeks go by and no phone calls.

I was thinking about just setting up a small table with a display cake at the local bridal show. I am a bit intimidated one by the much larger companies that will be there and then what happens if I get way in over my head.

I am pretty good about making sure I don't get in way over my head with the fancy cakes.

So if anyone can share what they did to begin their baking experiences it would be very much appreciated.
Thanks!

First you should find out if you need a license to bake and sell things at home where you live.

You can advertise on Craigslist or give out business cards. People don't need cakes every day, so when your coworkers aren't calling to order cakes, it's probably just that they don't have an occasion for one at the moment.

I'm not sure about the bridal show...if you haven't made any wedding cakes yet you might not want to book a bunch of them and then find out afterwards if you can do them as well as you want to. A wedding cake is more stressful than a birthday cake, for sure Also, if you do have to be licensed to have a home bakery, or if your area doesn't license home bakeries at all, you really wouldn't want to go to the bridal show...the bigger bakeries that you're nervous about would be likely to turn you in to the health department.