http://omaha.craigslist.org/bar/440018903.html

Not very professional. It may not even be a legal business.

I post on Craigs list all the time. I advise them that I'm a licensed by appt. bakery (which I am) and I post pics of certain cakes or cookies, advise them on what I can do and contact me if interested.
Never do I try to sell a cake that's already made??

I get at least 2 bookings a month from Craigs List.

All of my wedding cake customers have come from Craigslist and they've all been great. I don't think just because you post on Craigslist, you're unprofessional or your business is automatically illegal. It's just like the yellow pages really.

eeeeewwwwww!!!!!!!!! The cake is nice but give me a break, and how fresh can that cake be. I would believe it to be a scam. She is just trying to sell her cakes that way.

I posted once on CL, and didn't like the response. Everybody there is looking for a bargain - and I'm not in the business of selling "bargain" cakes.

Someone from Vegas recently posted on my local CL that they will do cakes for free (customer pays only for supplies). When I read that, I felt sick. I know there was a thread posted about that type of thing several months ago, but seriously... if you're going to make cakes... CHARGE SOMETHING!!! And if you're not legal and can't charge, then advertising is simply going to bite you in the butt and invite all kinds of problems for you.

90% of my business comes from CL and no one tries to "bargain" with me. Out of the tons of feedback, I've probably had 2-3 people say it was more than they can afford; and belive me' I'm not shy with my prices. I'm a homebaker and CL has really saved me.

I am interested also - I need lots of practice lol

i dont see anything wrong with posting on craigs list. it is a free form of advertising and is perfectly legal.
cl is available for people to sell items. cakes are items.
why pay for advertising if you dont have to. this allows the baker to pass on some savings to the customer or have a higher profit margin.
good for them.

I do have to say that you really have to be careful! I haven't advertised on Craigslist but.... I got a cease and desist from the head county health inspector when my website was up for only 1 week or so! (And I am working out of a licensed kitchen and had been down there 2 weeks prior to talk to them about it! ) I would hate to think about someone getting into trouble for doing something illegal!

I've never posted cakes for sale on Craigslist, but I love Craigslist and I don't see anything wrong with it as long as you're licensed. I would be afraid of getting busted otherwise. I've thought about it before - maybe if I get licensed, I'll do it.

If you're legal and want to advertise that way, go for it. In my opinion though, it "cheapens" you. (Not meant to be an insult... just don't expect to charge $3/serving when you advertise there) To me, it's liken to posting a hand written flyer with little tear off strips on your grocery store's bulletin board, versus handing out business cards or having an ad in the yellow pages (I don't - I think it's a waste of money).

The kind of advertising you do DOES effect the type of customers you attract.

That's my opinion on it. But I realize not everyone can spend money on advertising or have a nicely done website.

For ME, I wanted a legitimate presence on the web... and the way I see myself and my business, advertising next to sexual services, personal ads and people offering up free broken lawnmowers just wasn't the right thing to do.

To each his own though, and there's room for all of us. I would just like to see all decorators get paid what they are worth.

This is the ad I mentioned earlier:

http://boise.craigslist.org/bfs/436437568.html

I used to post on craigs list until it got to hot in the summer to make cakes and right now i'm a bit caked out. But i never had a problem, i let them know straight up that I do this as a hobby and I am "new" in the industry. I got several cakes off of craigslist the only thing is i make sure i recieve 50% deposit 5days prior and whenever they come to pick up the cake I make sure I am not home alone. Sorry but I live in philly and lately it has not been the city of brotherly love I also post pics of prior cakes that I have done. The fbct is a big seller for me on cl. GL

I do some of my business advertising on Craigslist and I do charge $3.00 per serving. I would say 80% of my business comes from Craigslist, and they have never balked about prices. Some of them order a cake a month. I say to each his own. I am a licensed, inspected home baker though.

Well even as a newbie I was not overly impressed by the pics of cakes in the free wedding cakes on craigs list. But its Vegas so guess it works for some people.

I have thought about posting on Craigslist....that i am a home baker and such....I am just too worried about getting in trouble somehow, b/c i'm not licensed or anything and bake every cake from my own home. i'm afraid i would like getting an email from a health inspector or someone saying I can't do this and so on....and then i get into a heeping amount of trouble. Granted the place i live at is just a little bitty town...and getting in trouble for doing cakes from my home probably won't EVER happen....there is just that chance though. I would LOVE to advertise on there....but i'm just not sure.

Hmmm. I'd just be interested to know if baking your cakes for free (just asking the customer to cover the cost of supplies) gets you around the health inspectors. If you're not "selling" them, do you still have to be licensed and inspected because you advertised??? Could the state still "raid" your kitchen? I'm curious.

Mickig

Doing cakes for anything in return is illegal. Even if they just buy the pan it is still considered payment for services. Buy the groceries or pay for supplies.... same thing!