DO NOT GET DISCOURAGED!
The more faith you have in your business, it will shine through everything you do. Customers will sense it and often times, come back to your business because of it. Also, a little advertising never hurt (unless you don't have any certification and then you might end up in a jam with the law).
You're probably thinking, Momma, I don't have any advertising skill! How do I advertise my business?
A little secret, I didn't have any advertising skill either when I started. I thought of a lot of different ways to get my business out in the line of public eye. Most, like my own website, cost too much for me to spend starting out. GET CREATIVE! Social networking sites are free to join and a lot of my own revenue and praise comes from it. My Facebook page,Momma's Bakery Facebook, did not however start extravagantly. I still only have a few friends and family that read my posts and order cakes. I do not, however, get discouraged by this fact because though it's small, it's still a start!
Think of it this way, if you ask your friends and family to share your page and one person shares it, then another will share it and another and another and so on and so forth. Soon you'll have tons of people! Also, starting out small is better than starting out big. As a starter, I didn't have a lot of the equipment needed to make 3 or 4 cakes a day, heck I still don't have a lot of the essentials, but I make due with what I have and never promise more than I can deliver.
Nothing is worse than getting your clients hopes up only to let them down when you reveal the cake. (If they don't like what they see, often times, they'll refuse to pay you and you'll lose that customer forever!)
So don't get discouraged with the small start up. It's better to be small than non existent.
If you're low on income, I'll give you a few tips to try to get your business out there.
1. Taste test! Bring in customers by holding a small stand in a busy area. (Again, have needed permits!) Bake 2 or 3 cakes, they can be your best flavor or multiple kinds, go by however many ingredients you have!
2. Print business cards! At my local print shop, a single color copy is 10 cents a page. I was able to go to my local library and use their computers to make my own business cards on the Word program. (There are a lot of different business card templates that are easy to retrieve and all you have to do is fill in the blanks. Remember to keep it simple! Business name, your slogan, your name, address, and phone number.) I was able to put 24 cards onto one sheet of paper! I took the design to the print shop and printed off one or two pages and went home and cut them up to hand out. (Pretty sneaky huh?) Mind you it was on regular paper, which I didn't mind, I was just trying to get my name out there.
3. Write a blog! (Hehe, sound familiar?) Ya, it can be hard to find topics to write about and most bakers don't want to let out their recipes. I totally understand that, but I'm bursting with so many ideas, I can't help but share them. Even if they are recipes, I don't mind. I'd like my customers to see my baking process and how genuinely happy I am to bake.
4. Ask family and friends to help! Ask them to buy your delicacies to help support your business! It always made me feel better to see everyone enjoying what I had made and although that doesn't put a lot of money in your pocket, it pays off with the smiles and gratitude and, sometimes, constructive criticism.
If you're low on ingredients:
1. LOOK FOR BARGAINS! Newspapers usually have leaflets with coupons! Go for them! Every penny counts as a start up baker! Do not shy away from the clearance shelves, if the packaging has been opened however, don't even give it a second thought. Making your customers sick because that ingredient was contaminated is not worth the bargain!
2. Look for whole sale! Whole sale tends to be cheaper in the long run and you end up with a lot of what you need.
3. Farmer's markets! Not only are you supporting local farms, but your also helping to build relationships! Give them your business card and talk to them about your business! They may be able to give you a good price down the road and may even be able to help your business grow!
4. Flee Markets! Not only can you find ingredients here, but you can also find equipment you need. Beware though! Look out for rust and other contaminates! Do not buy anything with rust, stains, and make sure, if electric, the thing runs at all.
Be vigilant, be hopeful, and be safe! Use your creativity and don't get discouraged if a plan doesn't plan out. There are always options! And in the state of Illinois, small business owners can get a grant to help them start up! Sure, it's not much from what I hear, but it's a start. Get your foot in the door and don't stop till you've made your way through that door and into bakery greatness!
- Momma's Bakery ("Like" me on Facebook! Momma's Bakery Facebook
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