Thursday, July 19, 2012

CakePops in DC - Why is this so hard?


Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a sucker for sweets, especially those of the cake persuasion.  My birthday is coming up at the end of July and I've been dead set on finding an alternative to cupcakes because they are so 2011. :-)  I've made it my mission to find DC's best cakepops.

The main issue I've come across is none of the major cupcake bakeries make cakepops and I much rather go with an established brand.  I would hate to spend $100+ on cakepops only for them to be dry and not the quality I'm looking for.

I've search high and low but after weeks of searching I haven't had much success.  I reached out to my 2,000+ Twitter followers but most of those referral were for one-woman operations who didn't have a website for guidance, just Facebook fan pages.  Some didn't even have that, one person sent me a PDF.   

While I understand they may just be starting out, building a basic website adds value to a brand.  Besides, it doesn't cost that much nor does it take a lot of time.  Maybe I'm just a snob, but I want to know your business has staying power. 

Also, not that all businesses that have websites are reputable but it shows they've made an investment, it's not just some fleeting concept.  I'm not shelling out money or giving you my credit card info for you to just disappear with no way to track you but to your FB fan page.  

So back to the whole Facebook fan page thing, a fan page with 8 pictures doesn't really tell me much.  I want to know who you are and what you're all about.  Is that too much to ask?  I don't think so.

Recently, I went to an event and had 2 amazing cakepops (see the photo above that I took) and was put in touch with the sister duo who made them.  They also did not have an official website, but a TUMBLR page which includes nothing but photos of their creations, still not a real website but at least it linked to an actual domain.  

The only issue I had with them was the cost.  Their cakepops are $4.00/each.  Yes, $4, that what I said.  I just cannot fathom paying nearly $50 for a dozen cakepops, when I'd need at least 4 dozen.  I can get a dozen large cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcake, my old standby, for $29.

So far I have about 50 people who have already RSVPed for my birthday happy hour / fundraiser that will be benefiting the Chris4Life Colon Cancer Foundation.  Unless I can find a reputable cakepop company in the next 2 weeks, looks like Georgetown Cupcake is where I'll be heading.  They never seem to disappoint.

For all you cakepoppers out there, please take my advice.  Build a website with photos and a pricelist, you'll get more business and you'll appear more trustworthy.

Shameless plug...If you'd like to donate to my fundraising campaign, please visit: http://tinyurl.com/2012C4L .  Thanks in advance for your support!



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