Cakes Across America and Wedding Cakes Across America.

Many years ago when they were brand new I was one of the bakeries they used in Houston for their online orders (kind of like FTD is for florists). But I discontinued taking their orders because they were so bad about getting me my money, the last cake order I did for them took me over 6 months to collect payment from them and it was for a stinking $35 cake!

At any rate, they called today to get me to be a part of the way they do things now where the bakery purchases "ad" space and when a person needs a cake they enter their zip and if you service their zip code you come up (along with any other bakeries that also have purchased an ad in your area).

Are any of you guys doing this? And if so, are you seeing any kind of return? It is a bit pricy (at least for me it is).

LOL ~ I guess with all the crickets chirping here that y'all have no idea what I am talking about.

It does not sound like a bad idea, but have you considered getting your own website and if someone googled for bakeries in your area your website will come up and they could order from u minus the middle man, websites are not as pricey as they may seem I pay less than 100.00 a year.

Um I do have a website, I just choose not to post it on my profile. The link on their site takes them to the bakery website. I was just wondering if any others were members of this company and what there experiences have been.

I did it a long time ago, but it's not worth it to me. They're always calling with last-minute stuff, and if you have a website the clients will be able to find you directly if they do their own searches. I'd skip it unless you're totally desperate for work.

I'm in it.

I was in the crazy expensive original version of Wedding Cakes Across America, too. That first program was discontinued with a day or two notice. In 18 months I got about 5-6 inquiries and one trackable cake from the program. For 100 servings. Yeah.

The only reason I'm in the new WCAA program is that they pretty much had to keep the pre-paid folks in it. I will not renew.

As far as the regular non-wedding program, it's all last minute, fairly inexpensive cakes and delivery is always required. And they are terribly slow to pay. If you're desperate for business, this is not the answer, as your funds will be tied up in the cake that has long been eaten before you get paid.

For the vast majority of people, cake buying is local. A national website is just not going to bring you business.

IMO

Not desperate for business at all, in fact have had to turn a few people away here of late due to being booked. Was just wondering what the new program was like. I feel like the only reason they called to give me that last minute cake (which I couldn't do because I am by appointment only and don't have cakes laying around ready to decorate) was to sell me their program. Really not interested in doing it unless the return on the investment is a valid one, but as Leah has stated...It isn't worth it. So I will not be participating with them.

Hey! I never did the Cakes Across America, but I did participate in a program thru Wedding Cakes Across America; at the time it was in conjunction with David's Bridal, where we paid $200 per month to be a specific store's "preferred baker".

Of course the David's I was paying for never returned my calls/ didn't acknowledge me, and apparently I was not the only baker having this issue with their David's store. David's decided to do their own preferred baker program this summer, and I fell off the wagon with WCAA.

They seem well organized and I liked their profile page they gave me, but I honestly had no way of tracking sales/leads. I haven't signed back on at their yearly rate of $120 or so. Not a bad deal, but I am tightening my belt.