If you read my blog last week on my first book, you may remember me mentioning that I am going to do a bake sale to help raise money for publishing. At first I thought, this will be fun; a great idea. Everyone loves desserts. And I do enjoy seeing the smiles on people’s faces when they get to eat good food. But now that I’m getting into the thick of the planning stages it’s actually a lot of work. Join me in planning a bake sale.
Bake Sale Menu
First thing’s first. I have to figure out what I want to sell. Do I just do desserts and sweets? Should I try some savory options like breads and scones. Is it okay to do muffins and cupcakes, or should I just stick with one of those options. And options – how many should I have? What amount is overwhelming? Don’t forget, I have to make all of these things too, so they should all be something that I can make. On top of that, how many do I make? After all, whatever I don’t sell, I have to figure out what I’ll do with them. I know my husband won’t be opposed to having some extra desserts around the house. Neither will my stepdaughters. But the goal is to sell. A bake sale menu seems to be quite difficult to make.
Packaging
Another thing to consider is how I want to package the items to sell. I think I can find packaging easily enough, but I still have to figure it all out. For example, if I make a cheesecake, do I sell it by the slice, or the whole cake? What kind of pack is too big, and what’s not worth someone spending money on. These are all things I have to consider. In fact, every time I’m in a grocery store I look at the bakery section to see how they package things. Obviously I can’t use those prices, but I just want to see the different options. And that leads me to the next dilemma.
Pricing the Bake Sale
Obviously, I need to be able to make a profit, and not just cover the costs of actually putting the sale together. I’ll need to consider the prices of the ingredients and the packaging, the cost to be in the market, and if people help me – compensating them for their time. And remember, this is to raise money for publishing my book. If all the money I make goes towards covering those costs, it will have been for nothing. Maybe I’ll make a donation jar as well. So, I’ll have to figure out the cost so that I can make money, but also not have the price so high that no one buys anything.
Stress vs Reward
Let me tell you, I am praying that all the stress of it will be worth it. That the reward will make it worth everything. Do I expect to make hundreds of dollars for my book? It would be nice, but I have to be realistic as well. I can’t expect this book sale to be a big payday for me. Of course I can hope, but that’s it. It really is in the hands of God and everyone who comes to the market. And I’ll admit that I am worried about it. But stressing about it won’t help. I won’t know how much money I’ll make if I don’t try. And, in the mean time, I have my blog and my full time job to help me. Sure, maybe the full time job is more reliable at the moment, but I can still hope for a blog pay day. And, if I can get my podcast going, I can hope there too.
Bake Sale Invite
So, I invite you to come. The market is at Roadhouse 52 Inn & Suites in Steinbach on August 8 from noon till 5pm. There will be so many exciting vendors there, not just me. On top of that, there will be a BBQ, face painting for the kids, and more. Vendors will be inside and out and it will be a lot of fun. So I hope I’ll see you there. Come say hi, check out the cover of my book, and let’s see what else happens. And yes, I will update you all after to let you know how much I am able to raise. Thank you for your support and encouragement. And I will remember that anything can happen if I try.
