Have you ever put real time and effort into a cake enquiry, only for the customer to go elsewhere? Or spent time designing a cake for someone who never actually booked?

In this episode, Cheryl shares what used to happen in her own business before she changed her process, and why taking a booking fee before doing any work is one of the most important things you can do to protect your time and your business.

In this episode we cover:

• Why doing the work before the fee is paid puts you in a vulnerable position
• What a booking fee actually represents beyond the money
• When detailed design conversations should really be happening
• How to structure your process so you are protected from the start

A short but important one for any cake maker who wants to run a more structured and professional business.

Resources Mentioned

Tier & Co Cake Management Software. Manage your bookings and orders in one place. Try it free for 14 days at https://tierandcocakemanagement.co.uk

If you are struggling pricing your cakes download the Free Cake Pricing calculator - https://bit.ly/Cakepricingcalculator

Follow on social media;

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cherylbottomleycakeacademy

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cherylbottomleycakeacademy/

Or watch the full video episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/1d_LjiD9PsY

In this episode, Cheryl explores one of the most underrated visibility strategies available to wedding cake makers; building genuine relationships with other wedding suppliers and venues, and explains why referrals and recommendations from trusted sources convert into bookings more effectively than almost any other form of marketing.

This episode follows on from Episode 6, which introduced the full range of visibility channels available to cake makers, and goes deeper on the practical side of supplier relationship building.

Cheryl covers:

- Why venue recommendations and supplier referrals carry a level of trust that social media cannot replicate
- Which wedding suppliers are most valuable to build relationships with, including venues, florists, photographers, wedding planners, and bridal boutiques
- Why the approach to building these relationships matters, it is about genuine connection, not asking for referrals
- How the relationship works both ways, recommending other trusted suppliers to your own couples builds reciprocal trust and strengthens your position as a well connected professional
- Practical ways to start and nurture supplier relationships, including sharing their work, attending industry events, and being consistently professional
- Why supplier relationships are a long term investment that builds over time and creates a more resilient business
- How to track which supplier connections are generating the most enquiries and bookings, and how Tier & Co's Connect and Grow feature helps you manage, engage with, and follow up on those relationships in one place

Resources mentioned in this episode include Tier & Co Cake Management Software, which includes a dedicated Connect and Grow section for tracking supplier relationships, engagement tips, and follow-up prompts, all alongside your enquiries and bookings in one place.

A 14-day free trial is available via the link below.

https://tierandcocakemanagement.co.uk

If you are struggling pricing your cakes download the Free Cake Pricing calculator - https://bit.ly/Cakepricingcalculator

Follow on social media;

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cherylbottomleycakeacademy

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cherylbottomleycakeacademy/

Or watch the full video episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/1d_LjiD9PsY

You have spent years growing someone else's platform. It is time to build your own.

In this episode, Cheryl takes a deeper look at email marketing for cake businesses, explaining what it is, how to set it up, what to send, and why it is one of the most valuable visibility tools a cake maker can build.

Cheryl shares how she personally uses email marketing in her own business, including a Flodesk automation that sends around 22 weeks of pre-written emails to every new subscriber automatically, running in the background without any manual effort once set up. She also explains how she personally follows up with new subscribers as warm leads, treating a list sign-up in a similar way to receiving an enquiry and tracking those conversations inside Tier & Co Cake Management Software alongside all other enquiries.

This episode covers:

- Why email marketing is fundamentally different to social media and why owning your list matters
- What Flodesk is and why it is well suited to cake and creative businesses
- How to use email automation to create a system that nurtures your audience without manual weekly effort
- Why new email subscribers should be treated as warm leads and followed up with personally
- How to track new subscriber follow-ups inside Tier & Co as part of your wider enquiry process
- How to build your list using your website, past customers, wedding fairs, and social media
- What to include in your emails to keep subscribers engaged and your business front of mind
- How email marketing fits into a broader visibility and enquiry strategy

This episode follows on from Episode 6, which introduced the full range of visibility channels available to cake makers, and Episode 7, which covered staying consistent on social media.

Resources mentioned in this episode include Flodesk (Affiliate link), an email marketing platform well suited to creative businesses with beautifully designed templates.

You can find the current pricing and plans via the link below

https://flodesk.com/c/FOBN8D

Tier & Co Cake Management Software is also mentioned, which helps cake makers manage and track enquiries from all sources in one place. A 14-day free trial is available via the link below. https://tierandcocakemanagement.co.uk

If you are struggling pricing your cakes download the Free Cake Pricing calculator - https://bit.ly/Cakepricingcalculator

Follow on social media;

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cherylbottomleycakeacademy

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cherylbottomleycakeacademy/

Or watch the full video episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/L01ag2rPYNo