More Cake Business Enquiries!

A cafe asks you to supply them with simple undecorated cakes. You are a business – and more cake business enquiries are important to you. What should you do?

You need to know your costings to the penny.

Selling to the trade normally means selling at a cheaper price. They normally want to make more money per slice. So you will end up selling cheaper than you want to.

Get to a price you are happy with as if this order was for your own customer. Then stick to your price. Unless you do this you will resent every cake you do.

Is the cafe going to advertise your cake business in a prominent place?

Perhaps if you offer them a cheaper price – they will give out leaflets or business cards and ensure that people know about you?

Don’t get caught like I did.

A local cafe asked for me to become their novelty celebration cake recommended supplier.

The story was they would take the orders in the shop from their walk in customers. Then their plan and promise was to pass these enquiries onwards to me, taking a small mark up for their trouble.

I made a dummy cake for their window that they asked for. A cake in the shape of a table laid up for tea. This was complete with sandwiches, cakes, plates and teapot and embroidered table cloth. They proudly added my cake to their window. I never charged for this cake. As far as I was concerned it was advertising for my business.

But not so…..as I found out…

When I received no orders, I got suspicious. I phoned and placed a phoney cake order for a novelty cake and waited. No phone call back to me from the cafe.

I furiously marched into the cafe to speak face to face with the owner. He was very sheepish.

They were keeping the orders for themselves.

So wrong. And nasty. Especially since I had spent a day helping them clean the cafe to start their business before it opened. This couple were friends of friends.

So for me…this was a lesson learnt. I would in future just sell direct to my own customers. Then no third party is involved.

I did see a lady in the community making 15 cakes weekly for a cafe. She decided to put her price up from £40 to £45 and the cafe stopped ordering from her promptly, after all her loyalty. So I am saying its best not to put ‘all your eggs in one basket’ as the saying goes!

But if you ever get cake business enquiries from a cafe – here is my advice…

Do price everything. And I mean everything. Or the only person suffering will be you.

So the question is…

Are looking for guidance and help in turning your passion and skills into a business? Something to be proud of? If yes – you are in the right place.

Check out our brand new Cake Circle Membership. Access to our Cash For Cakes signature Course is included for members. This covers pricing, finding customers, and a good deal of business help. We have guest speaks, craft sessions, community support, warehouse discounts and access to 1:1 craft tuition too.

Doors open a handful of times a year.

Here is a link for details.

CLICK HERE