I think the magnets are a great idea. Maybe shape it like a tiered cake, or a sheet cake with your info written on it. You can buy the cards at the office supply store and print your own.
As a follow-up to advertising......build a database of customers' info with the b-day/aniversary dates, then email and/or mail postcards a few weeks before the date as a reminder for them that it's time to order a cake. Offer a discount??
(P.S. I'm an English teacher, too. My DH nails me to wall whenever I commit an "error!")
I think the magnets are a great idea. Maybe shape it like a tiered cake, or a sheet cake with your info written on it. You can buy the cards at the office supply store and print your own.
As a follow-up to advertising......build a database of customers' info with the b-day/aniversary dates, then email and/or mail postcards a few weeks before the date as a reminder for them that it's time to order a cake. Offer a discount??
(P.S. I'm an English teacher, too. My DH nails me to wall whenever I commit an "error!")
does this mean I have to learn MS Access?!?! or is there a better way?
(re: getting "nailed" -- yep..gets tiresome having to be so "perfect" 
")
I know I've read about people who will make cakes and give them away. Basically all they do is bake and decorate a small cake and take it to different offices and businesses and give them the cake for free, as well as a pile of business cards. I know doing something like this would be more of a considerable investment then just handing out magnets and whatnot, but from what I've heard, sometimes people from these business will order cakes for their business functions or office parties and possibly employees will want to order cakes for their own functions. If you can get people to buy cakes from you for only having to give away one cake, then it should be worth it. If you do decide to do this, it's also a good idea to include some paper plates and plastic silverware, that way it'll be easier for them to serve the cake 
If you do decide to do this, it's also a good idea to include some paper plates and plastic silverware, that way it'll be easier for them to serve the cake
GOOD POINT!!
I'd already planned to do the sample cakes and was looking for what extras might help make a positivie impression.
and duh.. just because I bring a cake, doesn't mean they'll be prepared w/ the stuff to eat it..... Thanks for the great reminder (fits w/ my idea of the free cake cutter) (and that means a trip or two to Dollar Tree...gotta keep those costs down!!
(WOW -- loving all this help and all the great adivce I'm getting. THANK YOU ALL!!!)
(now if only someone had a magic wand to build my website!)
does this mean I have to learn MS Access?!?! or is there a better way?
I would use Excell (although i am much more comfortable with it) Then just sort your table by a certain column when you're looking for information
I use MS Access at work, and well it gets me my information, but for me is kinda a pain in the but b/c it won't give us all the printable reports we want (we're still trying to figure that out)
What about using Microsoft Office Outlook? You can use the calender in there and set Alarms to go off a day or week in advance. Then you can also set appointments up in there. Or if you want the reminders for birthdays/anniversaries to remind customers, you can make it an annual item.
OK I changed my mind I think I would go with Microsoft Office Outlook 
Leily
I LOVE the bib idea. I had a streak a couple months ago where all I was doing was first birthday cakes. Do you have a Dollar Tree in your area. I know a lot of time here they have bibs (usually in a multi-pack). So if you could then get 2 or 3 for $1 and like someone suggested earlier use an iron on image that would be pretty reasonable. Also check Family Dollar/Dollar General too. I really like the magnet idea as well. I think Office Max carries the business card size magnets pretty cheap. Sorry I don't have anything new to add, but I like where you are going with this!
Realize that I am reading this thread, and stuck on the bib idea, and when I saw this post I wanted to answer, but I haven't read the entire post, so I don't know if someone else has posted the same thing........
You could get the cheap bibs, then, ......... they make a product, or a paper, where you can scan and then print out, any kind of image for an iron-on........ I'll bet you could make up your own little bibs fairly easily.
ok Doug, I don't know how many baby shower cakes you do, but...when you do a baby shower cake, you could include a coupon for the baby's 1st birthday (some companies used to do that when you gave birth, then when the baby turned 1 you got a photo, or something like that) Along with the bib idea..you could do your logo and say ""Doug's cakes gave me a smashing 1st birthday!" or something along those lines. Grasping at ideas here. Btw Doug, I have ex-inlaws that live there in Lumberton.
Speaking of babies.......many hosptials give mom a goodies bag after the birth of a child. Maybe you can check the maternity wards in your area and see if you can include a coupon for 10% off the first cake, or a free smash cake or whatever. Be sure to bring a free sample cake to the person in charge when you talk to him/her about it!!
Leily...scared of Outlook, so many horror stories of software incompatabitly. will take second look...maybe it's better behaved now.
JulieB...exactly...the challenge has been finding cheap BLANK ones. know of a source (dollar store's all have a design on them...drat)
Cahrb31...great idea! "smashing good time" <<so cute!
lsawyer....another great idea...and it just so happens my instructor for my county food handlers certification is the head of the food (kitchens) there! (i gotta an "in" maybe!!)
thanks again...
and let's keep this going and see what other ways we can all enhance our marketing.
Doug,
I thought this would be up your alley given your design-sense.
You could improve on Marthas project and customize with your own business card/magnet. Combine the ideas from the following links:
http://a444.g.akamai.net/7/444/703/20041215172228/www.marthastewart.com/images/pdf/0105_bdaychart.pdf
Instead of just birthdays, make it a special occasions calendar and have room for customer to include anniversaries, holidays and such (and dont forget to list pre-order deadlines for the busiest times like xmas etc to keep your sanity). Easily done in MS Publisher or Adobe Illustrator/CreativeSuite or other desktop publishing software. You could export your customer information from Quickbooks Pro for a mailing or just attach with the invoice on the cake box. (Im fairly sure QBks Pro has the capability to export/import selected fields, therefore eliminating double entry of customer information no need for Access, although it is compatible if you need to do it, btdt.)
Hey, I bet everyone can come up with a cake pan for this one
http://www.graphic-design.com/DTG/Design/holiday_projects.html Look for Simple Hand Cut with Real Pizzazz section.
Bonus round stuff:
http://www.graphic-design.com/DTG/index.html Has interesting marketing and self-promotion articles along with tidbits of wisdom from this article: Sure Signs Youre Not Getting Paid.
HTH,
cakebox
I use MS Office Outlook for everything - and it is very user friendly! I use it at work for appointments, reminders, etc., and I also use it to remind me about cakes that I need to do, and Birthdays, anniversaries, etc. One of the cool things about it is the optional "recurring" feature. When you enter someone's birthday for example, you have the option of making it a yearly reminder. So once you have entered all the birthdays, etc., you don't ever have to enter them again! I have entered them with the year of the birth with the person's name, so that when it comes up on the calender I know for sure how old the person is that year! If you need any help with this feature, PM me - I would be very happy to help you with it.
Also, I love the idea of the clear holder for the business card. I have also used mailing labels to attach to the cake boxes, I had printed my "card" onto the labels. But the stick-on card holder is an awesome idea, especially for $0.11 each! 
I was looking for personalized party favors for my daughter and I thought this could be cute for here too. Why stop at just cake related promo's? At www.minisportsballs.com you could have different kinds of balls made, or what about a frisbee? I know I have had a sundrop frisbee forever now it seems. ALSO this is why I really came here, what about mint tins with your cars/logo thing on top? http://www.favoronline.net/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=123
Okay I really love this! Maybe a little too costly for a promo
http://www.wrapwithus.com/Favors/bg003-wp.html
And what about personalized coasters?
I'm in agreement re things like ice cream scoops, and spatulas and cake cutters- everyone always needs those.
I like the fridge magnet idea also- super cheap to do (magnets of any kind) as was mentioned, the paper can be bought from Staples or a variety of supply stores, and you can print them up yourself. Even cut them up in your own specialty shape, make it stick out more. Everyone needs a fridge magnet, or even a notepad, magnetic or non. Matches cheap and great idea too IMO. Always keep a few notepads/pens in your purse/bag/pocket, so when you run into joe blow or anyone out in public who wants to write the name of something down while talking to you, you pull out a notepad and pen, give it to em 'keep it'- voila.
Bib idea sounds cute but not really effective IMO. If it was maybe a baby hat where the kid would be wearing it out in public, I can see where that would be effective advertising- (the point of shameless plugs/advertising on clothing and other items, being that a large number of people see your logo/name 
)
OK I love the bib idea - see if you have a trade school nearby that does screen printing - you can get a discount because they are learning on your product. We have a place like that here and I'm small town so it's worth checking. I agree with whoever said Oriental Trading. They have lots of stuff you can personallize they might even have bibs!
Magnets are always good- I have them all over at home and work.
Birthday candles are always a good giveaway. Have the number candles (otherwise people will ask for a few packages for grandma's 75th birthday, just give them a 7 candle and a 5 candle) and the regular ones.
great ideas...thanks Leily, Jenn123, ncdessertdiva, and Jorre.
keep those ideas coming!
(still got that baby bid idea stuck in my head...but can't figure it out)
I love the bib idea but how could you get it so cheap a bid for a dollar at the dollar store may be
I love the cake cutter for offices. In every office I've worked we could scroung up plates and napkins and forks, but could NEVER find anything to cut the cake with. I sent a cake to my husbands work, and apparently his coworkers just went to town on it with a plastic fork.
If you do give out sample cakes, make sure you hit the media. I don't do cakes, but I've found that food will open LOTS of doors. I would take a cake by every local TV station and every radio station. Maybe newspapers too. It wouldn't be a bad idea to actually send it specifically to one of the news anchors or key people there. If you want to go all out, put together a whole package wtih the cake, server, plates, forks, and get some napkins printed up cheap wtih your logo/name.
And maybe figure out a charity tie-in. I've gotten on two local news shows in the past 4 months by coming up with a program to donate meals to the local Ronald McDonald house. Perhaps find a womens/childrens shelter and offer to do a monthly birthday cake for the residents?
Another idea I'm big on right now is frequent customer cards. Maybe after 5 paid cakes, they get a coupon for 50% off their next cake. After 10, they get a free cake (you'd obviously want to designate the kind - 8" round or something). I'm going to design some and get them printed as business cards at Vista Print next time they have a special (which I think is like every week).
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