Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 308
Location: Missouri
Posted:
Wed Apr 19, 2006 6:34 am
Put a couple of your cake pictures on your flyer. This way they see your work right up front. Maybe two or three of your best cakes.
I wish you so much luck.
Tab
P.s Thanks all for the freewebs info. I am going to check it out.
A photo or two of your best cakes is a great idea, especially if your website isn't up and running. I think before I had the flyers printed up and distributed in mass numbers I'd try and get a website going, even a simple one with photos. Your cake photos should sell themselves. That's the first thing a potential customer wants to see!
JollyRoger Newbie
Joined: Apr 20, 2006
Posts: 7
Posted:
Fri Apr 21, 2006 7:29 am
A couple random thoughts for you:
Don't worry about building a typical website - do what was suggested earlier and create a blog - they're free and you can treat it almost like an online portfolio. Take photos of your cakes and write a little summary describing the ingredients, the event it was for, and how people liked it. This will help readers better connect with you - if they feel they know you a little bit, they're more willing to give you the business over a grocery store or a baker they don't know.
Don't bother with a coupon - leave those to Target and Wal-Mart. Readers assume that because they're dealing with someone personally, they'll get a fair price. The real estate on a flier is limited and you're better off using it for photos. Coupons don't make people hungry - seeing your cakes will.
Definitely hand out as many samples as you can - try finding places that handle private parties but aren't so big that they'd have a baker on staff (like a hotel). It wouldn't hurt to have a binder with some photos of your cakes on hand to show them what you can do.
Take some cakes to fire stations - fire fighters like to eat and they're always really dialed-in to their communities. If you impress them, word will spread to the police, emt's, hospitals, churches, etc.
Going to Sororities is a good idea - most have weekly "chapter" meetings on Mondays. If you drop some cakes off on a Monday afternoon, you'll reach the most members. If you're sending them something in the mail - address it to either the President and/or the Socail Chairman.
I wouldn't bother taking samples to the Fraternities. They'll be really appreciative but they probably won't buy any cakes. Most charity/social events are done in conjunction with a Sorority - so you're better off focusing on them. I could be wrong, so you could send them a flier to be safe (maybe offer to bring them a sample cake if they're interested).
You were talking about pizza - if you really want to appeal to the college crowd, try creating a cake that's decorated like a pizza and drop off fliers that mimic the ones used by pizza places - just be sure to make it clear that you sell CAKES so you don't get a bunch of calls every day at 1:00 in the morning.
Well, I'm getting a little long winded (too much coffee), so I'll wrap this up by saying Good Luck!
cmmom Frequent Member
Joined: Aug 26, 2005
Posts: 259
Location: Illinois
Birthday: Feb 06
Posted:
Fri Apr 21, 2006 10:16 pm
1. Talk about yourself all the time to everyone you know. You will never know who THEY will know who will need a cake sometime.
2. I was asked by my MOPS group (Mothers of Preschoolers) to donate a gift certificate for one of my cakes because they knew I did cakes. Not only did I donate a gift certificate, I made a tiffany cake to donate so someone can taste the product AND everyone got to see the quality work I did up close. I also handed out brochures that had pictures of my cakes so people could see the type of cakes you do. It was perfect because it was a group of 60 women who are all mothers that will have upcoming birthday parties, showers, etc.
3. Another idea is show your pictures of all your cakes to everyone all the time. I know this sounds weird but I actually get orders of cakes because someone sees something that I have done and it sparks an idea that they want that cake for someone they know. (Example - I was showing someone my pictures just for the hell of it and she saw that I did a baseball cake. She was suppose to go to a party in two weeks for a die-hard baseball fan and she actually called up the person who was throwing the party and tolded them that she found the PERFECT cake and they had to get their cake from me!)
ASupergirl Frequent Member
Joined: Nov 20, 2005
Posts: 259
Posted:
Wed Apr 26, 2006 1:06 pm
bump....going to a small business seminar tonight..will let you all know how it goes....Any questions you think I should ask? or ask for you?
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Your cake photos should sell themselves. That's the first thing a potential customer wants to see! 
