1. Search Disboard for baking servers
Disboard.org is a public directory of Discord servers. Search the tags "baking", "cake decorating", "sourdough" and "small business", then sort by recently bumped to skip dead servers. Join 5 to 8 with more than a few dozen members online, and read the #rules channel before typing anything, since most ban promotion outside a self-promo channel.
2. Check Discord Server Discovery
In the Discord app, open Discover and search "baking" and "bakers". Verified and partnered servers are larger and usually stricter about promotion, but their #show-your-bakes and #business channels are where people who sell mention order problems. Search inside each server for "orders", "DMs", "spreadsheet" and "pickup" to find bakers complaining about their current setup.
3. Use subreddit sidebars to find linked Discords
Many baking subreddits link an official Discord in the sidebar or a pinned post. Look at r/Baking, r/Breadit, r/Sourdough, r/cakedecorating and r/Cookies, and only join servers the subreddit links itself. These servers are mostly hobbyists, so go straight to channels about selling, pricing or markets, where the sellers are.
4. Find small business Slacks on Slofile
Slofile.com lists public Slack workspaces. Search "small business", "food business", "makers" and "women entrepreneurs". Home bakers are a minority in these groups, so use the workspace search for "bakery", "cottage food" and "custom cakes", and DM only people who have already said they bake and sell.
5. Lurk for the exact pain, then reply with help
For the first week, only answer questions. When a baker writes something like "I lost an order in my Instagram DMs again", reply with practical help first: "I keep one form for all orders with a pickup date field, then sort by date every Sunday. Want the template?" Share a free Google Form or Sheet that works without your product, so you earn trust before you pitch.
6. Post once in the self-promo channel, framed as research
After you have helped a few people, post in the allowed promo or feedback channel: "I'm building a simple order page for home bakers: customers pick a date, item and pickup time, and you get one list instead of 40 DMs. Looking for 5 bakers who sell weekly to try it free and tell me what's missing. Reply or DM me." Post it once per server, never in general chat, and reply to every response within a few hours.
7. Check nearby forums the Discords point to
Bakers in these servers often mention cottage food resources like Forrager.com, which covers cottage food laws by US state and has its own community. When someone asks about permits or labeling, pointing them to their state page on Forrager is useful help that builds your reputation. Keep a simple sheet of every baker you talk to, what they sell, how they take orders today, and when to follow up.
8. Keep a daily routine
Spend 20 minutes a day: search each server for new order complaints, answer two questions, and follow up with anyone who tried your product. Hulby, an AI cofounder, can run this search and follow-up list for you each day so you only handle the conversations.
Mistakes to skip
- Dropping your link in #general on day one, which gets you banned before anyone reads it.
- Pitching hobby bakers who never sell, instead of people who mention customers, orders or markets.
- DMing members who never posted about selling, which most servers treat as spam.
- Asking for feedback and then going quiet when a baker replies with problems.
Want this done for your order system for home bakers, every day?
Hulby finds the people asking for what you built, writes every reply and email, and keeps you on it until they pay. Free to start.
Find my first customersQuestions
Are there Slack groups just for home bakers?
Very few public ones that stay active. Discord has more baking servers, while Slack is better for general small business groups where some members bake.
How long before I can mention my product?
Usually after a week of helping, and only where the rules allow, like a self-promo or feedback channel.
What should I offer first?
Free use for a few weeks in exchange for honest feedback. A free order template that works without your product also builds trust.
How do I know a member is a real potential customer?
They mention taking custom orders, pickups, markets, pricing or messages from customers. Hobbyists posting bakes for fun are not your buyers yet.