Quite early on in the launch of my business I was really fortunate to find a couple of venues who have become regular suppliers of my products. Big thanks to #ThrussingtonVillageStores and #TheWhiteHorseBirstall for their continued support. I have also had a steady stream of one-off commissions for birthday cakes by customers who have found me via local advertising. But it's not yet sufficient to keep me busy enough week in / week out (and I am easily bored) and I do need to grow my customer base further.
You will no doubt remember (because you are of course avid readers of my blog), that on 16.02.2024 I wrote about touting my trade to local cafés. Well, sad to report the result of that was a 100% unsuccessful return, despite follow up emails to everyone I visited the week after. Un-deterred, and ignoring the fact that it is literally THE least favourite part of my business so far, I headed out again, this time with brownies and blondies in hand and did it all over again last week. Again, reception is always good, but so far still no new customers to report (sound effect stage left - Wendy lets out a prolonged and slightly disheartened sigh...).
The thing is, I know my bakes are not exactly cheap (which seems to be the sticking point with many potential suppliers) - but I also know that they are made with quality ingredients and components which I can guarantee are gluten free. For many of my ingredients, sure there are cheaper options available, but many have 'produced in factories which also handle gluten' or 'may contain traces of gluten' warnings, so whilst they are not inherently wheat-based themselves, I am not prepared to risk the safety of my customers by compromising on saving a few pence here and there in my own purchasing. Sadly, this does seem to be the case for many wholesale options, so I struggle to see how I can make my products much cheaper, and does lead to me question how others might bake gluten free options more competitively. This isn't meant to be an exercise in discrediting other bakers - just quietly suggesting that they may not be quite as paranoid as me about accidentally 'glutening' someone!
So I am not completely writing off my cold-calling strategy for customer growth, but I am looking at new ways to expand. Enter stage right my new Etsy shop (accompanied by sound effect of Wendy whooping joyously). Watch this space for more details soon.
You can only plateau for so long before you identify a new hill to conquer.