How to Keep Your Calendar Full: 5 Tips for Getting Orders All Year Long

by Sweet Success Magazine Staff

Home-bakers and cake businesses alike often ask how they can keep their calendars full all year round. Bakers struggle with keeping the momentum going in their businesses with a steady stream of orders. They also talk about the ebb and flow of their clients--feast or famine--and want to know how to keep the calendar full. One important element to remember is that anything you do to market your cake business, or implement today, generally won’t show up until 1-3 months into the future. What that means is that clients are not instant.

Potential clients have to first learn about your company, compare you to other businesses, decide they want to work with you, and be confident in your product before they will pay you and become a new client. There are exceptions to this rule, such as running a sale or promotion, but generally you will not see a return on your efforts until sometime in the future. If it is a wedding client, that timeframe can often extend to six months or longer.

So what exactly does this mean? It means that you need to constantly market and promote your custom cakes, cookies, and desserts all year round, even during the slow periods. Here are five tips to help you keep your calendar full.

Be consistent in your efforts. You cannot expect a promotion to be successful by only announcing it one time. Schedule promotions and announce them on your website/blog, social media, and in your newsletter. (What? You don’t have a newsletter? Add that to your to do list!)

Be proactive in seeking out new business. Don’t wait for clients to come to you, go out and find them. Networking, marketing, advertising, and promoting your business is how you will find new clients.This leads into the next key point.

Ask for referrals. The best way to find new clients is to ask your former clients. They know, like, and trust your business and may know someone else that is looking for you. Don’t forget to ask your vendor network for repeat business as well. Everyone has a birthday, or knows someone celebrating a birthday, anniversary, or other special occasion. Again, It’s important to be consistent.

Use social media to your advantage. One of the great things about social media is that.....

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