Just started my business this year and things are starting to pick-up. I have a few wedding cakes on the calendar, and two of my customers are asking for a tasting so they can choose a flavor.
I have a few questions:

1) what's the best way to do tastings so you can offer a variety of flavors (I was thinking cupcakes)?

2) Is it common to charge for tastings or should it be inlcuded in the price of the cake?

Thanks!

There are tons of threads on here on this topic. Did you try a search?

Decide what they're flavor limit is and make some recommendations on what goes well together.

I do cupcakes, it's just easier for me. I bake up the cupcakes and have the fillings and icings in separate bowls with little spatulas so the client can mix and match however they want. I have a sheet with "recommended" flavor pairings that I give them as well.

This is what has worked for me. There are a lot of really great threads on here with some awesome ideas regarding this.

We make 6" rounds for tastings and cut out bite-size pieces with a round cookie cutter.

When I have extra batter I bake a cake with it, cut the cake in bite size pieces, put the pieces in the freezer and pull them out 30 minutes before the client arrives. I put them in jello shot plastic cups. I also have fillings in jello shot cups with little tags stating what they are. I put all this on 2 nice platters (one with the cake and one with the fillings). The client never picks the flavors for the tasting. They get whatever I have in my freezer.

The fillings they can share with whoever they bring, but I put out a piece of cake/flavor/person (up to 3 people are allowed which I tell them when they schedule).

They usually get to taste 6 cakes and 7 or 8 fillings depending on what I have on hand that week.

I don't charge a fee. I really don't have much cost in the consultation since the cakes are not baked for each consultation. I know I have my time involved, but for consultations, I chalk it up to the cost of business. They usually last from 30 minutes to an hour. Plus, I don't have a credit card machine so getting someone's credit card number before hand to charge in case of a no show is not something I can do. So, for me charging will not decrease the chance of someone not coming. (in 3 years I have had 2 no shows)

I couldn't seem to find the threads -- perhaps I was using poor search words. Really appreciate everyone's feedback!

Thanks,

Dan

Dan, the search function on this site is just pathetic, so don't feel bad about not getting good results. I've started using advanced google search, adding cakecentral.com to the domain to be searched.

Here are a few interesting threads to get you started:

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=587351&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=15

http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopic-275863-0.html

http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopicp-3527973-.html&sid=7a27d65c1047f79a1eca48741eea51e4

Wow! There are a lot of threads -- thanks so much for the links to them -- extremely helpful. There's so much to know, which I guess will come with experience.

Thanks again!

Dan