First Wedding Cake Tasting - Please Help
Business By aaalfonso2000 Updated 4 Feb 2014 , 12:13pm by aaalfonso2000
I have just started my own cake business from home. Now I have my 1st Wedding Cake tasting appointment set up in a couple of weeks. I will be holding the tasting at my client's home. I was wondering what do I need to bring with me and is there something that would work for transporting?
So far, I have:
the cake selected
bottled water for the tasters
clear plastic plates, utensils and cups
napkins
Any advice on anything else that I need to make this tasting successful will be appreciated.
Thank you very much.
i would toss all that in a cute basket--
i carted my stuff around in a little cordon bleu suitcase on wheels--order book, books, pictures-- i can unashamedly copy most anything and so i carried books so the clients can gather up their ideas--i carried small post it notes so we could easily mark different pages where they liked this silhouette, that border, color, design etc. and a calculator usually found on our phones now i guess--pens and a nice big index card to write 'homework' fro the bride--where during the consult if i needed a color swatch from her or a decision about this or that i'd write it down and give it to her at the consult--reinforce it with and email later but--any how some thoughts for you--
and i always met at starbucks or at my store, church or some neutral place --
be aware of potentially giving them a moment to discuss things somehow--it sounds like you will be serving them rather than leaving the treats for after ward--
i have a dear friend who did samplings and consults like this at the client's house before she got her own cake shop--hope all goes very well for you
AAZCouture - I am doing that because I live in a small apartment and I would like them to be focused on the tasting and consultation than the size of my work space.
Leah - where would you recommend to me where there is no distractions?
ACoffee shop, non peak hours. How'd you get your apartment kitchen licensed? Or maybe you work out of a communal commercial kitchen. It doesn't take offer any consultation space?
AI am able to run a home base bakery without a commercial kitchen in my area but I have certain restrictions, like I can't sell anything that needs refrigeration or frozen. Don't you think there would be distractions at a coffee shop and are you able to bring in outside food?
For safety reasons, please do not go to someone's home you do not know. While they are probably perfectly nice and respectable people, you cannot know that for sure and should not take the risk. I would simply tell them you would be more comfortable meeting in a public place and suggest somewhere convenient for both of you. If they get upset or try and talk you into meeting at their house WALK AWAY from this client.
I would meet them at a local Starbucks or other coffee house to talk and send them home with a "to-go" box of samples that they can open and try at their home.
AK8memphis - What do you mean by be aware of potentially giving them a moment to discuss things some how? Should I not give them a moment to talk privately about the cake? I was going to also give them a couple I of samples to take with to enjoy after.
All - so, the smell of coffee and public place does not distract your clients?
Most brides are used to meeting wedding professionals at coffee shops these days, so they won't think it's weird. I would pack up the samples in a box for them to take with them, though. It's kind of tacky to take food out and eat it there IMO.
so if you're going to starbucks now--just say, let me give you a few minutes while i:
- get another coffee
- go pee
- take a smoke break (whole new meaning in colorado) lol
- contact my bookie
- whatever ;)
just kidding about tmi in #2- 5 but srsly be aware that they might need a few minutes to discuss without you there so just excuse yourself for a few--
i mean at a certain time in the process--when it's getting down to decision time for them--they'll probably need a minute to discuss things--not always--
it's called drawing the net
we were in st. helena ca on vacation and a florist was in the coffee house doing a wedding consult with a bride and her entourage--it was pretty cool
If you go to Google and type in the words wedding cake contract quite a few things pop up
And make sure that you take the randomly googled wedding cake contract to an attorney who can tell you if it will or won't fly in your state. You have to word things in a certain way in different places to make sure it would stand up in court if it did end up there.
AIs that expensive to do? Just starting out, I want to make sure that I am doing everything right.
A
Original message sent by aaalfonso2000
Is that expensive to do? Just starting out, I want to make sure that I am doing everything right.
It's less expensive than having someone sue you and have you end up paying their court costs. Chances are that wouldn't happen,but if you want to run a business you need to have everything in place before you start selling to the public. A well-written contract that outlines who's responsible for what payments when, who does what at the delivery, and who is responsible for what after the cake is set up and you leave will save a lot of headaches in the future.
AI guess I saw that comment coming. I do want to make sure that I do everything right. I suppose it doesn't help that I having a tasting set up for this Saturday.
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