Well I will be officially legal in about a week and want to start building my business... any ideas on marketing or how to get your clientele started? Thanks!!!

I don't have any ideas, actually I need the advice myself. I just wanted to say congratulations, I wish you much success!

I just did a craft show today to get my name out I already have a few orders. Also do you have a welcoming committe in your area?? It is a person that goes around to new people in town and hand out your information for a small cost. I do it for my candle business and she is going to let me do it for my cakes as well. These are just a few ideas I have I hope thiese help Good luck on your new venture to great success

Well, though I have been making cakes since I was about 12, I haven't every really had a "business", just family and friends. I have however had a prosperous nail clientele when I lived in California and built it up in about a year from right out of school. The best way I built clients, was to barter with area business. I bartered flowers, pictures and chiropractor care. You could see if especially a flower shop would like to have a "dummy cake" of yours there in exchange for a "silk" flower arrangement for your shop. Then people could get ideas from each of you. Also, how about passing out cards wherever you go (I used to pass them out with my tips!) with say a 5 or 10% discount on them for 1st time cusotmers. The best way to keep them comming back is word of mouth though. Good luck and congrats on your new venture, I'm sure you will do great!!

I have seen some new bakeries put an ad in local papers and offer a coupon for a discount during the first 30 days. The coupon I saw was 10% off of anything except wedding cakes. With the holidays coming up, this might really be a good idea to kick start the business.

I think one of the easiest and best ways to promote is through people you are "kinda" connected with, such as your doctor's office, bank, kids school, husband's/boyfriend's workplace.... You can always send them a free cake nicely and simply decorated along with brochures/cards explaining what you do. I think word of mouth is the best promotion, it's free (except for the cake you send) and it's more convincing to people than looking someone up in the yellow pages. Network network network!!!!

i gave alot of stuff away...just showed places at lunchtime with a free cake and a pricelist.

people love free stuff.

teachers are the best at spreading the word...i showed up at every school at lunchtime with a free cakeplus price list...(at the teachers lounge).

i have a storefront...and never advertised outside of this...and i got more work than i can handle.

Network with other wedding vendors, especially wedding planners and photographers. Brides tend to book those vendors first.