You may be selling cookies, but you should plan to sell an experience. The baked goods will be gone in a couple of hours, but the event can produce a lasting memory … one you’ll build on next year. The sale should be fun, beautiful and profitable. As cheesy as it may sound, it should make it easy for the buyer to happily search for their wallet. The shopper must feel good because (1) they are eating delicious baked goods and (2) it is obvious that everyone is having fun and (3) they are participating in a very positive event.
If your bake sale is planned during the holiday season, look no further than a Christmas theme. If you have a specific goal in mind, such as raising money for the new school team baseball suits, take the time to create a display of the old uniforms alongside the proposed new uniforms. Do you have old photos of previous teams? Put them on display. Decorations can be used to create a good feeling and help your customers stay.
Spending a lot of money on decorations does not guarantee a well thought out theme. Decorations don’t have to cost a lot of money, but they do require a certain sense of coordination. Even simple decorations, like colored streamers and balloons, can create a festive feel when the colors are combined. These little touches will draw attention to your event. Remember that you can call on your volunteers for artistic talents. A little talent goes a long way in creating an enchanting event.
Regardless of how you decide to use table decorations, balloons, or streamers, make sure you don’t ignore safety. Be careful not to block important exit signs. Place direction signs carefully. Label important areas “Restrooms” or “Cafe.”
Before the sale, take some time to visit a few local bakeries. See how they use tiered plates and trays to create visual interest. Keep in mind that they never leave just one or two cookies on a tray. The tray is always free of crumbs and is full of many cookies. Think about how you respond when you see that there are only one or two cookies left on a tray. You probably don’t want to buy them. They may be old. You certainly feel like they’ve been chosen.
Look at the use of rugs in the bakery. Nice rugs give everything a fresh and clean look. Every time a mat is stained with grease, it is replaced. What colored rugs are they using? Great attention is paid to keeping exposed baked goods fresh.
For sale, see if you can use trays from the school cafeteria. Perhaps you have pretty individual hearth plates or tiered cookie plates that can be used. Even a simple cardboard box, covered with pretty wrapping paper, can make a great container. Perhaps some decorative boxes can lift baked goods off the table, making it possible to display more items and provide visual interest at the same time. Pretty baskets on the table filled with pre-wrapped packets of cookies adorned with ribbons give the feeling of being made at home. Use your artistic skills and have fun. Don’t forget to take some pictures of your table.
When placing display trays, make sure each section of the tray is clearly filled with similar items. If more than one item will occupy a tray, make sure it is a similar item. It should be cookies with cookies, brownies with blonde, etc. If you are using a basket, it is best to keep only one type of item in the basket.
If this is your first bake sale, be sure to take pictures of your volunteers at work. Be sure to take pictures of your baking table. Save these photos and consider talking to your volunteers after the event to see how they thought your system worked. What would you suggest be changed? Next year, you will be able to review these photos and share your comments and suggestions to your new volunteers.