In this episode, Cheryl challenges one of the most common assumptions in cake business marketing, that posting more on social media will automatically lead to more bookings, and explains why visibility is a much broader concept than most cake makers realise.

Getting enquiries consistently requires being discoverable in multiple places, not just on Instagram. Couples planning weddings and celebrations are searching across a wide range of channels, and the cake makers who get fully booked are often the ones who understand how to show up in more than one of them.

Cheryl walks through the key visibility channels available to cake makers and explains why each one matters:

- Your website and how it can generate enquiries around the clock through search
- Social media and how to use it in a way that builds trust rather than just attention
- Email marketing and why a warm, engaged email list is one of the most underused tools in a cake business
- Wedding fairs and the value of face-to-face conversations with couples actively planning
- Online directories and wedding platforms that reach couples early in the planning process
- Supplier relationships and venue recommendations, and why word-of-mouth referrals carry more trust than any advert
- Local visibility and the power of being known in your own community
- Blogging and online content as a long-term, passive source of enquiries

Cheryl also explains why tracking where your enquiries come from, covered in Episode 5, is essential for making smart decisions about where to focus your visibility efforts. Without that data, it is easy to spend time on channels that are not generating results while underinvesting in the ones that are.

This episode sets up the next discussion around aligning marketing activity directly to income goals.

Resources mentioned in this episode include Tier & Co Cake Management Software, which tracks enquiry sources over time so cake makers can see which visibility channels are delivering real results.

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

https://tierandcocakemanagement.co.uk

Social media links;

If you would like to watch the full episode you can do this on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/cH_Gl4L6Xss

Instagram: Here

https://www.instagram.com/cherylbottomleycakeacademy

Facebook: Here

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

In this episode, Cheryl breaks down the six key numbers every cake maker should be reviewing each month to understand how their business is really performing.

Many cake makers run their business on instinct, with a general sense of whether things feel busy or quiet, but without the actual data to back it up. Without tracking the right numbers, it is impossible to make informed decisions, spot problems early, or plan with any confidence.

Cheryl explains the six monthly figures that give you a clear picture of your business at any given time, and how to use them to move from guesswork to genuine clarity.

The six numbers covered in this episode are:

- How many enquiries you received that month
- Where those enquiries came from
- Your enquiry to booking conversion rate
- Your average order value
- Your revenue against your monthly income goal
- How many bookings you have confirmed in your diary going forward

This episode builds on Episode 2, where Cheryl introduced income goals and understanding what you need to earn, and Episode 3, which covered conversion rates and how many enquiries are needed to reach your booking targets.

Resources mentioned in this episode include Tier & Co Cake Management Software, which tracks enquiries, bookings, and conversion data in one place, removing the need to piece information together from spreadsheets and notes. A 14-day free trial is available via the link below.

https://tierandcocakemanagement.co.uk

A cake business management system designed specifically for cake makers to organise enquiries, orders, recipes and pricing.

Social media links;

Instagram: Here

https://www.instagram.com/cherylbottomleycakeacademy

Facebook: Here

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

In the previous episode (episode 3), we explored enquiry to cake booking conversion rates and how understanding your numbers helps you predict how many enquiries you need to reach your booking goals.

In this episode, Cheryl breaks down what happens between the cake enquiry and the booking.

Many cake makers lose potential bookings not because of their skills or visibility, but because they don't have a structured enquiry management process.

This episode explains the cake enquiry journey and how small improvements in communication and follow up can significantly increase booking rates.

In this episode you'll learn:

• Why enquiries represent genuine interest from customers
• The most common points where cake makers lose bookings
• Why following up is professional rather than pushy
• How improving your enquiry process can increase your conversion rate

Cheryl also explains why tracking enquiries is essential for understanding how your cake business is performing.

If you currently manage enquiries across Instagram DMs, emails, WhatsApp messages, or handwritten notes, you may find enquiries slipping through the cracks.

This is exactly why Cheryl created Tier & Co Cake Management Software, a system designed specifically for cake makers to organise enquiries, track booking status, and manage their cake business with more structure.

You can explore Tier & Co Cake Management Software here:

https://tierandcocakemanagement.co.uk

If you found this episode helpful, leaving a review helps more cake makers discover the podcast.

Make sure you're subscribed so you don't miss the next episode

In this episode, Cheryl explains one of the most important numbers in a cake business: The enquiry to booking conversion rate.

Many cake makers focus heavily on trying to generate more enquiries without understanding how many enquiries they actually need to achieve their booking goals.

By understanding conversion rates, cake makers can work backwards from their income goals and calculate how many enquiries are required to reach their target number of bookings.

Cheryl explains how to:

• Understand what an enquiry to cake booking conversion rate is

• Calculate how many cake enquiries are needed to achieve a specific number of bookings

• Track enquiries and bookings to identify real business performance

• Use simple spreadsheets or systems to record enquiry data

• Understand how marketing activities such as social media, websites, wedding fairs and supplier relationships influence enquiry volume

• Link marketing activity directly to booking goals

• Understanding conversion rates allows cake makers to move away from guessing and start running their business using clear, measurable numbers.

Resources mentioned in this episode include Tier & Co Cake Management Software, which allows cake makers to organise enquiries, orders and bookings in one place while tracking key business metrics.

Resources mentioned in this episode;

Tier & Co Cake Management Software - https://tierandcocakemanagement.co.uk

Which allows cake makers to organise enquiries, orders and bookings in one place while tracking key business metrics.

Follow on social media;

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

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

Are you struggling with cake pricing confidence?

In this episode, we take a deeper look at why most cake makers don't actually have a pricing problem, they have an income goals planning problem.

If you've ever said, "I want to earn £3,000 a month from my cake business," but haven't worked out what your business needs to generate after expenses, tax and National Insurance, this episode will change how you think about pricing.

Because £3,000 in your bank account is not the same as £3,000 in revenue.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why pricing should start with income goals, not ingredients
• The difference between revenue and take home pay
• How business expenses, tax and National Insurance affect your cake pricing
• How to reverse engineer your monthly income target
• Why clarity creates pricing confidence
• The simple structure that turns pricing from emotional to strategic

If you want to move towards consistent £2–3k months in your cake business, you need more than confidence. You need a clear income plan.

Mentioned in this episode

The Cake Maker Income Plan (£9)

A practical income planning toolkit designed specifically for cake makers.

Inside you'll get:
• An income goals calculator
• A guided video session walking you through your real numbers
• A printable worksheet to map out your income goals clearly
• A 12-month projection sheet to see your annual plan at a glance
• A simple next-step guide highlighting your biggest income gaps

If you're unsure what your business needs to generate each month, this is your starting point.

The Cake Maker Income Plan: Here

https://cherylbottomleycakeacademy.thrivecart.com/the-cake-maker-income-plan/?ref=cakemaker

Follow on social media;

Instagram: Here

https://www.instagram.com/cherylbottomleycakeacademy

Facebook: Here

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

In this episode, Cheryl explains the four tools she created to help cake makers move from inconsistent income to a more structured and profitable business.

Many talented cake makers struggle not because of their decorating ability, but because the business side of running a cake company often lacks systems and financial clarity.

Cheryl walks through the four core tools she built after seeing the same challenges repeatedly appear in cake businesses.

These tools help cake makers understand their numbers, set realistic income goals, organise their orders, and receive personalised guidance when they want to grow faster.

The episode covers:

- Why pricing mistakes are one of the biggest reasons cake makers struggle financially
- How the Cake Pricing Calculator helps price individual cakes properly
- Why a lot cake makers never calculate the income their business actually needs to generate
- How the Cake Maker Income Plan helps set realistic income targets
- The importance of systems and organisation in a growing cake business
- How Tier & Co Cake Management Software helps cake makers manage enquiries, orders, recipes and costs in one place
- When personalised guidance through the six week Cake Business Breakthrough programme can help accelerate progress

If you want to explore the tools mentioned in this episode:

Free Cake Pricing Calculator - Here

https://bit.ly/Cakepricingcalculator

The Cake Pricing Calculator helps you calculate the real cost of individual cakes.

The Cake Maker Income Plan - Here

https://cherylbottomleycakeacademy.thrivecart.com/the-cake-maker-income-plan/?ref=cakemaker

A step by step guide to working out how much your cake business needs to earn.

Tier & Co Cake Management Software - Here

https://tierandcocakemanagement.co.uk

A cake business management system designed specifically for cake makers to organise enquiries, orders, recipes and pricing.

The Cake Business Breakthrough - Here

https://cherylbottomleycakeacademy.thrivecart.com/6-week-1to1-cake-business-breakthrough/?ref=breakthrough

A six week one to one programme focused on building stronger business foundations, improving pricing, and creating a more predictable flow of bookings.

Social media links;

Instagram: Here

https://www.instagram.com/cherylbottomleycakeacademy

Facebook: Here

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