Cake Boss

Business By kimmyboo925 Updated 4 Nov 2009 , 4:00pm by milkmaid42

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kimmyboo925 Posted 10 May 2008 , 6:14pm
post #1 of 29

Those of you who have purchased it... how do you like it? I would imagine it is worth the money since most of us are probably just cutting ourselves short on how much we are charging.. so if we spent the few bucks on it then we would benefit in the long run...

Who has it... and how do you like it?

28 replies
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lainalee Posted 10 May 2008 , 6:49pm
post #2 of 29

Cake boss is what brought me to CC, but then I found Alices Cake Matrix on this sight. She has done all the work, and shared it with everyone. I believe its pretty much the same thing. What an angel. Just type in Alices cake matrix in the search and you can download it . Her directions are pretty clear. I'm still playing with it cause I'm not great with excell yet, but what a great tool!! Thanks again Alicel

Alaina
(Sorry Cake Boss)

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kimmyboo925 Posted 10 May 2008 , 6:49pm
post #3 of 29

anyone out there...

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lainalee Posted 10 May 2008 , 7:00pm
post #4 of 29

sorry, it didnt come up in the search, so I copy and pasted the post for you. If you then type it in Google it will take you right the the post where you can download the matrix.
Let me know if you have any questions.

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kelleym Posted 10 May 2008 , 7:14pm
post #5 of 29
Quote:
Quote:

I believe its pretty much the same thing.




Alice's matrix is great thumbs_up.gif But we do not believe it is the same thing at all. icon_wink.gif In addition to the recipe costing and pricing calculator, CakeBoss includes:

Invoices (customize them with your own business logo)
Customer History
Calendar (hmm, HOW many orders do I have next week? icon_eek.gif )
Reports (what percentage of my profits last year came from birthday cakes? wedding cakes?)

Here are other CakeBoss threads with similar questions to yours answered:

http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-boss-ftopicp-5863191.html

http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopicp-3494683-cakeboss.html#3494683

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=330753&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=cakeboss&&start=0

http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopicp-3563723.html

I also want to re-iterate that we are 100% dedicated to customer service and satisfaction. We offer a 30-day money back guarantee so there is NO RISK with your purchase - if CakeBoss isn't meeting your needs, just let us know within 30 days and we will refund your money with no hassles. thumbs_up.gif

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disneynutbsv Posted 10 May 2008 , 7:32pm
post #6 of 29

I have to say, I love Cake Boss, its pretty easy to use (just have to play around with it a little), it holds your recipes, does your invoicing and you know exactly how much you should be making on your cakes!
Plus, I did have one issue with Cake Boss, contacted Kelly and she got everything all under control!

Very friendly service and I am so happy to have purchased it!

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psurrette Posted 10 May 2008 , 7:38pm
post #7 of 29

CakeBoss is the best tool we can have! Even better than a kitchen aide!
With this product you know how much you should be charging. NO MORE UNDER PRICED CAKES! No more loosing money, no more loosing papers,
Keep it all in one place. Kelly has been excellent when I have a question. and if there is a problem they are always right there to fix it.
CakeBoss is the best investmenty you can make!
Get it you wont be sorry

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jonicca Posted 10 May 2008 , 7:40pm
post #8 of 29

I have CakeBoss and Alice's Price Matrix. I haven't used either a whole lot, but I definitely prefer CakeBoss. I had Alice's first and it was just too much to go through, for me. It took me a second to get CakeBoss, but I love it! The best part about CakeBoss is that its constantly being updated and improved. If you have any problems or questions, Kelly is readily available to help you through it. If you would like to see a feature implemented, chances are they are already working on it. You can't beat the customer service. The "Customer History" is great too because you can note special dates. So you can send out a postcard and remind your clients that you're still around to make little Timmy's birthday cake again this year.

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cakeiteasy Posted 15 May 2008 , 3:51pm
post #9 of 29

Hi everyone!

Alice put so much work in and shared it with everyone that was very very kind- My hat goes off to her. thumbs_up.gif , however for me I find cake boss great for me now that I sell my cakes. I find the software simple, neat and user friendly. I did have a problem with a section but within minutes Kelley was there and solved the problem. Great service great product. I am very happy with it. icon_biggrin.gif

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4Gifts4Lisa Posted 16 May 2008 , 1:03am
post #10 of 29

I want cake boss so bad, but can't justify the cost since I am just a hobbyist. Still, it would be fun to have to keep track of the stuff and events I do for my kid's three different schools!

I feel like it is a fair price, I just wish there were a scaled down version for a hobbyist. Of course, I'm not sure what part you would scrap...

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southerncake Posted 18 May 2008 , 2:36am
post #11 of 29

I cannot live without CakeBoss. I use it for all my cakes plus I use it as the scheduling calendar for our whole family. It is really nice when a customer says "I want exactly what I ordered last year" to just pull up CakeBoss while I have them on the phone. Also, my invoices look so nice!

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kathybenitez Posted 2 Jun 2008 , 7:36pm
post #12 of 29

I agree with 4Gifts4Lisa. I would love to have Cake Boss but I just can not afford it. Being a foster parent and currently having 6 kids every bit of money I receive from cakes go to buy whatever they need. I am waiting for the price to go down.

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jhutch04 Posted 15 Aug 2009 , 7:36pm
post #13 of 29

I feel the same way. My DH is so frugal that if I told him the price he would laugh in my face. So I'm saving up little by little from what I make off of my cakes to get it. Even though I do anywhere from 1 to 2 cakes a month, not including family get togethers, I have a lot of brides emailing me a year in advance, so it's getting hard for me to keep track of everyone's orders. Plus don't forget CC members get it 10% off I think!

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indydebi Posted 15 Aug 2009 , 8:18pm
post #14 of 29

I haven't used cake boss but have read many many good reviews on it.

I have pulled up the Alice's matrix. I may be a little dense in how to use it, but when I plugged my numbers in ...... well, let's just say if I went by this matrix thing, I'd be out of business in about 20 minutes. (And I don't think I'm totally numbers dense. "Debi Does Data", remember? icon_rolleyes.gif )

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Amymnn Posted 15 Aug 2009 , 8:26pm
post #15 of 29

I saved up some money to buy Cake Boss and am so glad I did! It gives me so much confidence to know I'm charging a fair price for my cakes. I also love having all my recipes, calendar in one place - and knowing exactly how much every single ingredient costs me to the penny. icon_smile.gif

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cs_confections Posted 15 Aug 2009 , 8:41pm
post #16 of 29

I am only a hobbyist, but I purchased Cake Boss and love it. It's great (or maybe not so great...in that now DH knows the true costsicon_smile.gif knowing my real costs in this expensive hobby. I also figured I could start adding in my recipes, costs, contacts, etc, so if/whenever I decide to get legal and start selling in (hopefully) two years, I'll already have everything entered that I need and will have a realistic understanding of my costs.

It's also helped me get over feeling bad for just giving a cake as a gift, so I no longer run to purchase a gift in addition to the cake. So Cake Boss is actually saving me money icon_razz.gif

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CutiePieCakes-Ontario Posted 15 Aug 2009 , 8:44pm
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Three little words --- I LOVE IT! icon_biggrin.gif

I am not as busy as some, mostly 2 or 3 a month and just family and friends, but for those who want me to give them a price, it's great. No more trying to get my brain around size of cake, number of box mixes needed, number of eggs, how may mixes of BC, etc.; it's all in my Recipe section - I created the initial 'recipe' (aka amount per item) - so I just tell it how may of each I need (2 boxes, 3 BC) and it gives me all the info. (For mixes, it's 1 box is $X + 3 eggs is $X + oil is $X = $X/per mix; BC, shortening =$X ... you get the idea.) Or you can plug in the ingredient totals for a scratch cake recipe, and multiply that as needed as well.

If you use more than one brand of, say, fondant, you can work it out by that as well - ie. Wilton pre-coloured vs. white and add your own colour.

And once you buy it, that's it! No extra costs, no licence to renew. It's yours forever and ever.

And if you do end up with a business, you can use it as a write-off for start-up costs. Yes, you do get 10% off by being a CC member. That's what brought me here ... and I'm glad I stayed! thumbs_up.gif

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jhutch04 Posted 15 Aug 2009 , 9:02pm
post #18 of 29
Quote:
Originally Posted by indydebi

I haven't used but have read many many good reviews on it.

I have pulled up the Alice's matrix. I may be a little dense in how to use it, but when I plugged my numbers in ...... well, let's just say if I went by this matrix thing, I'd be out of business in about 20 minutes. (And I don't think I'm totally numbers dense. "Debi Does Data", remember? icon_rolleyes.gif )




I have pulled up Alice's matrix as well, and consider myself to be fairly competent when it comes to crunching numbers and excel, and I am completely lost when it comes to the matrix. After that, I decided to save up for CakeBoss, I'll get it one day icon_lol.gif

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buggus Posted 16 Aug 2009 , 1:28am
post #19 of 29
Quote:
Originally Posted by Amymnn

I saved up some money to buy and am so glad I did! It gives me so much confidence to know I'm charging a fair price for my cakes. I also love having all my recipes, calendar in one place - and knowing exactly how much every single ingredient costs me to the penny. icon_smile.gif


This is exactly how I feel. I just purchased it, and can't believe all the things is does. I love it! I can't wait to be using it regularly.

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diamondsonblackvelvet13 Posted 16 Aug 2009 , 2:59am
post #20 of 29

Buy the CakeBoss...save for it, sell more cakes for it...anything you need to do. I have a cake that I made not too long ago...before CakeBoss... $297. I had an order for the same size cake and THIS time I used CakeBoss. The total came out to $515. A HUGE DIFFERENCE! You know how much you are making...where the money is going...how much you need...everything! It is awesome!

BUY BUY BUY BUY IT!

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tirby Posted 28 Aug 2009 , 2:34pm
post #21 of 29
Quote:
Originally Posted by indydebi

I haven't used but have read many many good reviews on it.

I have pulled up the Alice's matrix. I may be a little dense in how to use it, but when I plugged my numbers in ...... well, let's just say if I went by this matrix thing, I'd be out of business in about 20 minutes. (And I don't think I'm totally numbers dense. "Debi Does Data", remember? icon_rolleyes.gif )




Care to elaberate? Just curious.... Because you wouldn't make enough is that what you mean?

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tirby Posted 28 Aug 2009 , 2:38pm
post #22 of 29

Also for all or you who Love cake Boss. and I do to. How do you figure out the hours it takes? most of my cakes are not just cardboard cut outs... So do you guess? For a while I would pull up the matrix and look at the hours then still guess the amount to put into cake boss... Just looking for a little guideance

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indydebi Posted 28 Aug 2009 , 2:52pm
post #23 of 29
Quote:
Originally Posted by tirby

Quote:
Originally Posted by indydebi

I haven't used but have read many many good reviews on it.

I have pulled up the Alice's matrix. I may be a little dense in how to use it, but when I plugged my numbers in ...... well, let's just say if I went by this matrix thing, I'd be out of business in about 20 minutes. (And I don't think I'm totally numbers dense. "Debi Does Data", remember? icon_rolleyes.gif )



Care to elaberate? Just curious.... Because you wouldn't make enough is that what you mean?




Depends on what you mean by "make enough". Make enough profit (extra money that goes in my pocket and pays for movies and play time) or make enough to pay my expenses every month and HOPE I have some profit left over to pay for movies and play time? icon_biggrin.gif

When I plugged in my numbers, it came up with a selling price of about $1.15 a serving. Since I'm a storefront business, I have to account for commercial rent, commercial auto insurance, $75,000 worth of kitchen equipment and build-out expense to pay for, commerical utility rates, etc.

Can't pay all of that and sell wedding cakes for $1.15/serving.

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tirby Posted 28 Aug 2009 , 3:06pm
post #24 of 29

Got it. I agree with you..... I think the hardest part for me is choosing per hour or per slice!

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neelycharmed Posted 28 Aug 2009 , 3:11pm
post #25 of 29

I love Cake Boss!
I think its a great purchase... the only thing that was bad for me is my computer died and waiting for a new before I enter all the info again...
It was great while I did have it, and recommend it to anyone.
icon_smile.gif
Jodi

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love2makecakes Posted 3 Nov 2009 , 1:31pm
post #26 of 29

I bought Cake Boss last night. I entered my Master Ingredients list, my first cake recipe and an order. Very easy I must say - the how to videos helped.

How do you calculate for the cake boards that you use on each cake? Such as bases for just regular round cakes or all the boards and base you use in wedding cakes.

Also I saw one post somewhere where someone said they have their cake charts on there?? Did I miss that?

Thanks!

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love2makecakes Posted 3 Nov 2009 , 1:33pm
post #27 of 29

Just found the cake chart!

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cylstrial Posted 3 Nov 2009 , 2:02pm
post #28 of 29

Cake Boss is great!

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milkmaid42 Posted 4 Nov 2009 , 4:00pm
post #29 of 29

I would buy Cake Boss today if it were compatible with my version of Mac. I did read where some Mac users were able to use it, but was told my version couldn't. Can't afford both Cake Boss and new computer, too. Darn, it would be wonderful. icon_cry.gif

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