Meeting Possible Customers

Business By Iloveweddings Updated 1 Oct 2007 , 1:56pm by melvin01

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Iloveweddings Posted 30 Sep 2007 , 7:48am
post #1 of 14

Hi,

I do not have a bakery. I make cakes out of my home. Where could I meet people to talk about the cake they want besides at my house? An office space is expensive. I don't make many cakes. Any creative ideas would be appreciated.

13 replies
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GenGen Posted 30 Sep 2007 , 8:12am
post #2 of 14

do you have a community center in your town?

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messyeater Posted 30 Sep 2007 , 10:36am
post #3 of 14

I go to their houses, let them worry about cleaning up before I arrive!!

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jen1977 Posted 30 Sep 2007 , 12:17pm
post #4 of 14

Starbucks?

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tcakes65 Posted 30 Sep 2007 , 5:05pm
post #5 of 14

I've met clients in their homes and at Starbucks. I usually try to find a location convenient to the client or a halfway meeting point. Do you have a small local cafe?

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Iloveweddings Posted 30 Sep 2007 , 9:45pm
post #6 of 14

I make cakes from out of my home. I wanted to have displays. I thought of an idea, maybe meet at a florists shop where they could buy their wedding flowers as well.

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KoryAK Posted 1 Oct 2007 , 1:48am
post #7 of 14

I do my meeting at Border's or Barnes and Noble

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indydebi Posted 1 Oct 2007 , 1:51am
post #8 of 14
Quote:
Originally Posted by KoryAK

I do my meeting at Border's or Barnes and Noble




Which made me think of a food court at your local mall? (At one of our malls, the food court is right outside a Waldenbooks.)

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MBoyd Posted 1 Oct 2007 , 1:58am
post #9 of 14

I've met clients at the local coffeehouse.

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Iloveweddings Posted 1 Oct 2007 , 6:22am
post #10 of 14

If you folks are meeting at these places then you must not be doing tastings or displays. How does that work for you?

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KoryAK Posted 1 Oct 2007 , 7:10am
post #11 of 14

I bring a box of samples that they eat there (and then take the remainders home) and I have my large book of photos with me. We also have access to all the bridal cake magazines if we get stumped for inspiration (rarely, but it does happen).

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tcakes65 Posted 1 Oct 2007 , 11:53am
post #12 of 14

I usually don't schedule the tasting at the first meeting. My first meeting with the bride is to discuss details and determine if the bride is truly interested. If so, then I schedule a cake tasting, which is usually at her home. I too bring my portfolio along with other inspirational pictures that I keep in a file and blank dummy cakes so the bride can visualize how her cake will look minus the decorations. That way you can build the cake in front of the bride and show different scenarios without hauling around several already assembled dummy cakes. This seems to work for me because initially the bride is more interested in interviewing you and determining the amount of servings and cost. I also bring a couple of cake stands to give the bride an idea of what I offer in that respect. I plan to do a cake tasting at the first meeting once I get my storefront in November, but I find it works out better scheduling it separate when meeting elsewhere.

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Alligande Posted 1 Oct 2007 , 1:44pm
post #13 of 14

I meet at a coffee shop that is in the same stripmall as the kitchen I rent. (only problem is it is not open on sundays or after 4.00pm). Like Kory I bring cake samples that they can take the leftovers with them. I do find it a little uncomfortable not having an office but I don't want the additional expense.

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melvin01 Posted 1 Oct 2007 , 1:56pm
post #14 of 14

I usually do it at their house, or have done one in my office downtown after hours. Usually it's wherever it's convenient for the people I'm meeting.

Most of the time, if they are a referral, they already want me to make their cake and want to do a tasting the first time we meet.

If it's just to meet and talk about cake and to get a feel for each other, somewhere public is fine, but if it's for a tasting, I usually like their house or somewhere where taking and eating food isn't a problem.

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