Keep up with the latest cake trends and design styles with these 5 tips. Learn how to stay ahead of the curve and prepare for the wave of orders which are sure to come your way.
Much like in the fashion world, cake design trends can come in waves. One day, unicorn cakes are the big thing and the next day unicorns are out and Chocomellon is in. When you’re running a business, it can feel difficult to keep up with the latest trends and design styles.
Of course you could wait until you’re on your 5th drip cake to notice that a trend has emerged, or you could stay ahead of the curve and prepare for the wave of orders which are sure to come your way. In this post, I’m sharing five tips to help you with staying up to date on the latest trends in the cake & sugar world.
Use your team.
Your staff is there to support you in business. Make sure to use them as a resource. Surely you have a few Millennials or Gen Z’ers amongst your team who can help you stay in the know, right? If you don’t happen to have anyone on staff who stays plugged into social media, consider outsourcing this area of research to a family member or close friend who seems to always stay in the know. Don’t feel like you have to be a one person show. Use the resources around you to stay informed of emerging trends.
Subscribe to industry publications.
Industry magazines are not just meant to be pretty decor in your waiting area. They are also a valuable source of education related to new trends, techniques and other relevant business topics. Whether you want to go with a traditional printed publication or a fully online magazine, I strongly encourage you to consider subscribing to one of our industry’s leading magazines to help you stay in the know.
Set up Google Alerts.
According to Bigcommerce.com, “Google Alerts are a free notification service provided by Google that sends emails to subscribers that summarize the search activity around search terms.” This free tool can also be used to keep you informed of emerging trends. For example, you can set up an alert for the phrase “wedding cake trend” and Google will alert you when any new blog post or news articles surface regarding wedding cake trends. Then, either you or a staff member can do further research on the topic at a convenient time.
Listen to your network.
As you attend networking events or engage in online forums, the industry will organically alert you to any emerging trends. Your colleagues in the industry are likely receiving the same requests as you are or will be, and they will likely discuss their woes and highlights within industry specific spaces. For example, the Retail Bakers of America has a strong forum available to its membership where industry peers can share ideas and solicit feedback. If you’re plugged into this network of professionals, you’ll also be able to stay in the know.
Be a trendsetter.
Innovation is definitely a trait of business owners in our industry. If you’re a Creative, lean into that part of your nature. Think outside of the box and set your own trends. Develop new techniques and design styles that will wow your clients and their friends. If your customer brings you a cute trend that they discovered on Pinterest, find a way to put your unique spin on it. Make it your own and set the internet on fire!
Conclusion
If we’re being honest, certain desserts will never go out of style. It’s hard to turn down any delicious looking slice of birthday cake. Therefore, not keeping up with this year’s cake design trend won’t be the death of your business. However, if you’ve been serving customers the same designs for the last 20 years without any regard for new techniques, you might find it increasingly difficult to win the attention of customers with evolving design expectations. I’m not saying that you have to change your style from year to year. However, it should be worth your while to stay in the know so that you can provide the best customer service experience to those clients who are only familiar with the latest in cake trends from social media.
Cyd N. Mitchell
Business Blogger, Retail Bakers of America
Cydni N. Mitchell (aka Cyd) is a Bakery Consultant and the Sweet Business Coach behind Sweet Fest®. Based in Atlanta, GA, Sweet Fest® is an online company that supports the business needs of the Sweet Community in the areas of professional development, marketing, branding and web design.
By trade, Cyd is an accountant & financial analyst with a Masters from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is the Founder of the Sugar Coin Academy, an online business academy for business owners in the baking and sweets industry, and she is also the organizer of The Ultimate Sugar Show, Georgia’s Largest Annual Baking and Sweets Expo in Atlanta. She is also the Business Blogger for the Retail Bakers of America.
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