Cake Decorating Community - Cakes We Bake

I have baked since I was a kid, but started cake decorating last Summer.  I have tried promoting myself by giving away free cakes to get people to try them.  I've given cake to family, friends, and sent cake to work with my hubby.  I've spent a lot of time doing this and have really wanted to impress.  Everybody has raved about the cakes and complimented the look and the taste.  My hope was that giving freebies would lead to orders.  I at least thought I could count on my family and close friends to give me a little business.  None of this has happened.  In fact, it seems that people who have received free cake just want more free cake.  They don't want to pay.  (I've also tried other forms of advertising--some free and some not--and that hasn't been very fruitful.)

 

My husband said that when you give things away for free, they loose their value--even if people like them.  He suggested that I stop this free for all stuff, but how else will people know the cakes taste great?  What do you all think?  Also, how in the heck did you get started?  I'll take any insight that I can get.  :-)

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Your husband is right, no more free cakes as all your close contacts know how good your goodies taste. Let them now get used to buying your goodies - there may be some resistance for now but they will soon give in. same thing happened to me and a friend of mine, but am glad to say that phase is now gone and they are now used to paying for cake and also refer other clients to me. Good luck

have you had troubles donating cakes to schools? I hear about all the rules that you have to follow and I wondered if it was hard with all the limitations.

Diana Viera said:

I started out making cakes and taking them to work so that my co-workers can try them out and give me their opinions. Well that went into "I'll sample anything you make". Giving away free cakes gets extremely costly and you end up frustrated because your intentions are to build a clientele not feed those that can afford it. If you must give away a free cake, do it by samples or make cupcakes and do it that way. Steer towards the schools, places you do a lot of business with, your children's dentist office or even the one you go to, etc. Good luck!

I started baking for events at school, just on the school baking comittee,  and people started easking if I would bake for them. Those people started giving my name to people at their parties, and word spreaad from there. I put all my pics on my Facebook page, to -publicly - so anyone who wants to view them can. I get requests from FB alllll the time. Good luck!

so no problems with limitations like food allergies and all that? good. suppose it depends on the situation from school to school.

thanks!



Joann Gottermeyer said:

I started baking for events at school, just on the school baking comittee,  and people started easking if I would bake for them. Those people started giving my name to people at their parties, and word spreaad from there. I put all my pics on my Facebook page, to -publicly - so anyone who wants to view them can. I get requests from FB alllll the time. Good luck!

I was surprised that the school allowed home baked goods, let alone have a baking comittee! The school district we had moved from was soooo strict. This is a lot more fun!

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