What Do You Use To Spread The Word?
Decorating By klkhoneycutt Updated 30 Jul 2006 , 5:15pm by notjustcake
I was wondering what everyone use's to help spread the word around about you're the one that does cakes . i do cakes on my own and don't and can't advertise as a busniess so my question is what do you use business cards, flyers, magnets ect ????
For me, it started as word of mouth, lots of free cakes, offering my cakes to events and hanging around to say " yup, I did that!". Then I built a photo portfolio to make a brochure to go with business cards. If you don't put prices or refer to yourself as a business, maybe you can put together a brochure. I also know that people carry around photos of their cakes to show people what they can do.
I also know that people carry around photos of their cakes to show people what they can do.
Building on this idea........you could get one of those handbags/totes that have spaces for pictures and use pictures of your cake. Quite a conversation starter!
Volunteer to bring cakes in to your work for birthdays and then give them your phone number when asked if you could help out with someone's occassion they know. Price yourself under the high end bakery but more than COSTCO or the grocery store....
Join the optimist or rotary etc... and get your name out there offering a very competitive price as you build your clientele.
You could show your portfolio to caterers and restaurants and wedding coordinators and attend bridal faires with your cake samples. Teach classes at the local cake store....tell friends and relatives that you are interested in building a clientele. Offer a percentage to hotels, catereres, wedding consultants for referrals....
I don't think you can "legally"do those things in some states (like florida) that do not allow you to bake out of your home kitchen. Am I wrong???...I would be interested to hear if you can do some of these things w/out actually having a business license.
i live on a military base i checked with preventive medicine and they said all i had to do was have a food handler's permit and they come every now and then and inspect my house (kitchen area)
In that case, How much work do you want?? Make a few sample platters and take to local small business resturants. Most of them don't make their own desserts. They can make more selling by the slice than you can selling the whole. Make a deal -I provide you with X number of desserts a week and you give me X amount of money. They still make a profit without lifting a finger and you get your cut. These don't even have to be decorated the greatest either, since they are being sold by the slice.
I started out bringing practice cakes to my job then I begin to get some business. However, you have to be careful with people at work b/c they often times will think you will continue to bring free cakes for every occasion. So I had to stop bringing in free cakes to my job. So my friends referred me to some of their co-workers. I took sample cakes to their jobs and they've been ordering cakes from me since then.
I also make cakes for family parties and gatherings in hopes to get cake orders from my families friends' and co-workers. So far I only get about 1 cake every two weeks. At times it will pick up a little but not much.
I took a chance by posting an ad on craigslist.org. It's free to post so I tried it. So far I have gotten 4 different inquiries but no one committed to anything.
I would like cake decorating to be profit for me someday I just started taking classes Wilton last week of course 2 and I am glad I don't have family near by, they are all a whole bunch of freeloaders!!!!! (My Family at least) I thought the same things you all suggest a lot free cakes at first and I think as my cakes get better one day someone will ask you made that beautiful cake then that's the day I will start charging for now I will continue to do cakes for fun, giving them as gifts, school event, church donations and my kids birthdays MANY while my children are growing. I cannot work with dealines right now. Expecting one soon, a 7 year old and a 2 year old. Good luck to any of you starting this as a business hope to be there some day, luckly for me my huband is a manager for a full service restaurant with regular inspections I can always borrow that kitchen!!!!
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