Tips & Ideas for a Successful Bake Sale
- For a little more variety, try offering some non-baked treats, like and even beverages. If the weather is cool, offering warm cups of coffee and hot chocolate could be a big hit.
- Create some excitement and play music in the background.
- Use themes to spice up your sale, especially around certain holidays. Organize a Valentine's Day bake sale, where all the treats are shaped like hearts or even a Christmas bake sale, with holiday-inspired goodies.
- Add a little pizzazz! Decorate cookies and cupcakes with sprinkles, little candies or even fresh fruit.
- Create instant gifts. Wrap your treats using colored cellophane and pretty ribbon, and then attach TO and FROM gift tags - this will allow your customers to give your baked goods as a present.
- Consider icing your cake at the sale to prevent the icing from sticking to your foil covering or cake carrier.
- Try to avoid treats that need to be refrigerated, but if you'd like to offer or desserts that feature dairy (), bring a cooler to prevent spoilage and to keep them fresh.
- Every now and then, move baked items around on your table in order to give all the items premiere display time.
- For more exposure, take out an ad in the local paper or request to be included in the community calendar. If the sale benefits a school, ask to be featured in the school calendar or lunch menu.
- Involve some audience participation and include a cookie decorating station. This will engage the little ones and let them eat their cookie creations.
- Try having local celebrities or well-known people in your neighborhood bake items. This could be as simple as a favorite teacher, the principal or even a donation from a popular bakery.
- Use an easel to display your pricing — that way you don't have to use any valuable table space.
- Make sure to clearly label items that contain any potential food allergens, including: nuts, wheat, coconut, and any fruits.
- It's always a nice idea to include a couple of sugar-free items.