Hello Everyone,

I will be making decorated sugar cookies and buttercream swirl cupcakes (some with a chocolate topper, some not) to sell at a mother-daughter community event coming up soon. In the past I have only made things specifically for a special event, like engagement party etc. where it was made for a particular person.

This will be the first time I will be making goods for an event where people will be coming and going and buying as little or as much as they want.

Should I price the items any differently (ex: instead of charging $2.50 for a cookie charge $1.75 so that people will be more inclined to buy it)? I hate charging "less than normal" but should I make an exception at such a venue? Help!

If you do that you will be cutting any profit you make using your original price.  Also it will bring people into your shop wanting the lower price.  They will argue w/you and/or walk out very UNhappy.  

It just is not a good idea.   

I agree with @kakeladi ‍ on both counts. If you're in business to make money, there's no point (and it's very bad PR for your business) to reduce prices and make no profit. You're better off skipping the effort: no shopping, no extra gas/electric charges, no mixing/baking/packaging, no clean-up, no driving to the event and standing there hoping people will buy your reduced price items. I'd sooner sleep in and then spend the day with my family. 

Do you mind me asking if you are paying a booth fee? 

Thanks for the advice everyone. 

@Webake2gether - I am still waiting on finding out if there is a booth fee or not. If there is, it will be minimal (hopefully) as there will be other vendors there as well.

Just found out it will be $45. 

Do you know how many people attended this event last year? Will you be the only cupcake vendor there? How long is the event? How much do you need to sell to break even with all the costs and fees taken into account?

We always say no to these events for a few reasons:

•the booth fee

•the estimate of people who attend is usually exaggerated (unless you've been there with personal experience to see the size of the attendance I'd ask a vendor who was there in previous years not the coordinator of the event)

•there is a lot of work involved with no guarantee  

im sure there are people here who've done them with success and maybe not so much so their opinion is probably more valuable than mine. But I would never lower my prices to pay to rent a booth and do extra work with no guarantee :) 

I have attended similar events in the past and they never paid for themselves for me.  Usually the only people who buy are those who want something to eat right then and now.  Very few, if any, purchased to take home.  I'm not say that is what you will run into but do keep my experience in mind when you consider this. 

Thanks for the responses everyone. The thing is, I just moved to a new city and haven't had much chance to get get myself out there. This may be a good thing to do at least as a one time thing. However, I do intend to follow up with the event organizer and get an estimate of how many people she expects to come. I think I will keep the prices the same, and keep in mind that it may be a smaller turnout than whatever estimate I get. From what I know so far, I am the only food vendor that will be there so it may be a bonus for me.

If you guys have any other thoughts, please feel free to let me know.

Thanks!

If you are doing it more for publicity, maybe a few small samples with your business card. Keep them hidden and only hand them out  as you see fit. Maybe small simple dot cookie, sealed in a little plastic with the business card?

and taking johnson6ofus' idea one step further -- if you did the outline of a handprint cookie with a smaller handprint on that -- and keep it all nice & basic -- no lambeth/japanese stringwork-- in fact you could use a stencil of the smaller handprint to lay on the cookie and spray over if you have an airbrush or a can of color -- to symbolize the mother/daughter impact --

if you Google 'hand in hand images' you'll see a real straightforward line design --

or you could do a stamp of the girl handprint just like they do on paper -- using foam or just brush it on --

no, use the negative of the hand stencil -- where it's the hole where you cut out/removed the hand shape -- put that on the iced hand cookie and dab paint or dust in the hole so you have a little hand in the big hand easily --

this way you've got a cookie with some pizzazz that corresponds with the event kwim -- it's poignantly noteworthy -- sticks in the mind

5am thought for you

so what i mean is a cut out handprint cookie with a smaller handprint on it -- 

Thanks @johnson6ofus and K8memphis

Those are all great ideas. I really appreciate it. I will contact the event organizer again so I have an update as to how many people she expects to attend.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Can I caution here... from what you posted, advertising was a big motivation to be there, and individuals sales was just part of it. Right?

My idea was DISPLAY your regular cookies and offer them for sale. Everyone at least, gets to see your work. Maybe even display some wedding cookies (ideas for brides) or some company logo cookies (ideas for businesses).  You want to hook the birthdays, baby showers, bridal showers, etc. market. At the same time, you want to SELL cookies for a profit. Same idea with the cupcakes. Do you have a nice tower to display them on? (Don't forget packaging for those who may take them home). Nice display so they can get the idea how it works at an event. Set it up to look like a nice dessert table display... just make sure you have signs posting individual prices for sale and some "barrier" that keeps them from touching or grabbing (no idea of "daughter" ages). 

I would not invest a lot of time or money into the sample cookies. I want to SELL cookies, but I want to be prepared to offer a little something to anyone I may think is really interested. Remember, this same customer has seen my work---- the display. I don't need to "prove it", I just want a nibble they can taste (any maybe even buy some immediately). I was thinking dots the size of quarters, or even nickels. 

Oops... and still tied to my business card. The idea is to get your info in their hands...

Good, good, good luck to you!

geez size of a nickel? that's a teeny tiny cookie, j6ou, would get lost in my filling :)

So then you have to buy a full sized one from me to get it unlodged...

 heheheheh of course! 

This time I fully agree w/j6ofus :)

Short on time here....I would keep your prices the same. When there is an hour or so left, and depending on how well things have been going on your sales, THEN reduce your prices for your items. Unless you want to take them home to eat. Or do two for the price of one. You might also take some smaller, less detailed cookies for give aways where you see fit. If a young child is there, behaves themselves, give em a cookie just to be nice. Sometimes just being nice will spark a conversation on who you are, and what you do. Might just be the spark needed for the person to place an order, or buy more product.....

Short on time here....I would keep your prices the same. When there is an hour or so left, and depending on how well things have been going on your sales, THEN reduce your prices for your items. Unless you want to take them home to eat. Or do two for the price of one. You might also take some smaller, less detailed cookies for give aways where you see fit. If a young child is there, behaves themselves, give em a cookie just to be nice. Sometimes just being nice will spark a conversation on who you are, and what you do. Might just be the spark needed for the person to place an order, or buy more product.....

Short on time here....I would keep your prices the same. When there is an hour or so left, and depending on how well things have been going on your sales, THEN reduce your prices for your items. Unless you want to take them home to eat. Or do two for the price of one. You might also take some smaller, less detailed cookies for give aways where you see fit. If a young child is there, behaves themselves, give em a cookie just to be nice. Sometimes just being nice will spark a conversation on who you are, and what you do. Might just be the spark needed for the person to place an order, or buy more product.....

Yes I agree as well this is a great idea...but cookies bigger than the size of any currency ;)

I do have some towers and platters I was thinking of using to display the cupcakes and cookies on and maybe keep some cheap small foil containers for anyone who might want to carry anything out with them.

Love this idea! I was also thinking of maybe selling things cheaper only near the end of the event..I think it's a great suggestion to have the small cookies for giveaways.

Thanks for all these great ideas everyone!

X

So just an update:

I had the event this past weekend and it went really well -kept all my prices the same and I sold out everything! Only in the last hour I had about 10 cupcakes left so I dropped the price down from $3 to $2,

Thanks for the suggestions :)

 way to go

I'm trying to post pictures of what I sold and my little stall but for some reason in my profile and my account I cannot find the little tabs that would let me post more pics! Grrr!! Help!