Selling and marketing
How to Get Customers for Baking Business: 5 Free Moves
Five free moves that turn a name list into paid orders and repeat customers.
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What to remember
- Your first 20 buyers are probably already in your contacts.
- One clear item, price, and pickup date beats a vague menu.
- Ask every buyer for a phone number and a repeat day.
- Use a $0 start: Brevl is a 30 day free trial, no card to start.
The practical side of how to get customers for baking business is not a flyer. It is a name list, a clear order window, and a payment method you can text. Build those three things before you spend a dollar on ads.
Start with the 20 names already on your phone
Open your contacts and write down 20 people who have eaten your baking or heard you talk about it. Do not pick only friends. Add neighbors, school parents, church friends, and coworkers from any past job. These people already trust you, so they are the lowest cost source of first orders.
Write your 20 names
List 20 people you can text today. Put a star next to anyone who has asked you to bake for them before.
Send a short first message
Say what you are selling, the price, the order day, and the pickup place. Ask one clear question: do you want one?
Make pickup easy
Choose one porch or parking lot spot and a two hour pickup window. Send the address only after payment.
Collect phone numbers
Save every buyer’s name and number. Ask if you can text them when the next order opens.
Give a reason to return
Add a small thank you, then text a repeat offer seven days later. Keep the same item and price so it is easy to say yes.
Write your first message once, then reuse it. Keep it to four lines: what you made, the price, the pickup day, and the order cutoff. A saved note on your phone saves you from rewriting the same text 20 times. It also keeps your price the same for every buyer.
Ask for one order with a clear price and date
A general message like I am selling baked goods gets ignored. A clear message names the item, the price, the pickup day, and the number left. You can borrow the price math in our guide to how much to sell sourdough cinnamon rolls for, which uses a $48 pan as the example.
Keep the ask to four lines. Name the item, the price, the pickup day, and how many are left. Send it to five people at a time. A short message that asks one question is easier to answer than a long menu.
Send the message to five people at a time, not 20 in one group text. A personal text gets a personal answer. When someone says yes, ask for their phone number and mark the order on your calendar.
Make paying and pickup dead simple
On a phone, a buyer wants two taps: one to pay and one to get the address. Send a payment link and the pickup details in the same message. If you take cards through your own Stripe or Square account, add Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, and cash as options. If you sell loaves, our guide to how much to sell sourdough for gives a $10 to $18 range you can check against your costs.
Brevl is one flat $20 a month with no cut of your sales. It has a 30 day free trial with no card to start. You can take payments through your own Stripe or Square account, and you can run your shop on a computer or a phone.
Pick one pickup window and stick to it. A two hour porch pickup is easier to manage than all day. Send the address after payment, not before. That one rule cuts down on no shows and keeps your day moving.
Turn one buyer into three
One happy buyer can send you two more if you make it easy. After pickup, text a thank you and ask one question: who else in your building or on your street would want the same item next week? A referral is warmer than a cold message.
Keep a simple repeat day. Friday pickup, Saturday pickup, or the first Sunday of the month. A fixed day gives people a reason to plan and gives you a batch size you can cost. If you sell cookies, use our guide to how to calculate cost for cookies so a repeat order does not become a repeat loss.
Write down who referred whom. A simple note in your phone is enough. Next time that person orders, thank the buyer who sent them. You do not need a reward program to make referrals feel noticed.
What a $48 pan leaves after ingredients, labor, and overhead
For example, our cinnamon roll guide lists a pan at $48. Write down the ingredient receipt for that pan. Write down your hours at the rate you pay yourself. Add your share of the $20 monthly Brevl fee. Your margin is the $48 minus ingredients, minus labor, minus overhead. Brevl takes 0% of the sale, so the fee is the only Brevl cost in that sum.
If the $48 does not cover all three, raise the price or shrink the pan before you take another order. Our guide to how to calculate price for cake shows the same three part check for a larger bake. The goal is not a busy week. The goal is a week that pays you.
Mistakes that cost you customers
The first mistake is selling a full menu before you can fill one order. The second is quoting a price that leaves out packaging, delivery, or your time. The third is taking an order without a pickup date and a paid deposit. Each one turns a friendly yes into a stressful week.
Check your price before you post. Use our guide to how to fix price for brownies for the cost, labor, and margin steps. If you deliver, read how to charge for cake delivery so the drive is not free. A price that ignores your costs is not a customer favorite, it is a slow leak.
Check the pickup place before you promise it. A porch with a cooler works in mild weather. A parking lot meetup works when you have several orders at once. Tell the buyer what to expect so they are not standing outside with a cold pan.
Your next seven days
You do not need a big launch. You need seven days of small, clear asks. Use the five moves above and keep a written list of every person who says yes, no, or maybe. The maybes are your next customers.
At the end of the week, count three numbers: messages sent, orders paid, and repeat orders booked. If messages are high and orders are low, the offer is not clear. If orders are high and repeat orders are low, the pickup follow up is missing.
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Common questions
Where do I find my first 20 customers?
Start with your phone contacts, then add neighbors, school parents, church friends, and people from any past job. Pick 20 names you can text today. Send a personal message to five at a time. Ask one clear question: do you want this item on this pickup day?
Should I offer free samples?
Free samples can help, but only if you set a limit. Bring a small tray to one group you already know, such as a school pickup line or a church event. Put a price card next to it. Ask people to order for a set pickup day, not to take a full box home.
How do I ask for referrals without sounding pushy?
Ask at the moment of pickup, not weeks later. Say you are taking orders for next Friday and ask if they know one person who would want the same item. A specific request is easier to answer than a general request to share. Thank them either way.
What should I post on social media?
Post one clear photo of the item, the price, and the pickup day. Do not post a full menu. Ask people to send you a direct message to order. Use the same post format each week so people learn when to look. Then send the payment link in the message.
When should I raise my price?
Raise your price when ingredients, packaging, labor, or overhead rise. Check one item first, not the whole menu. Use our pricing guides to see the cost, labor, and margin for that item. Tell repeat buyers before the next order day so they are not surprised at pickup.
Do I need a website to take orders?
You can start with texts, a payment link, and a porch pickup. When you want one place for orders and photos, Brevl gives you a shop on your own web address for one flat $20 a month. It takes 0% of your sales and has a 30 day free trial, no card to start.
General information, not legal or tax advice.