I give my cakes away for free for the experience and I just can't seem to say NO even though I'm learning too. I get calls to do cakes or some dessert about every week now and not one person has ever offered to pay even for just the ingredients. I always just used it as a learning experience since I'm not too terribly talented (I'm scared to post pictures because you are all so good!) My DH says it's past time for me to start charging since the requests are coming too frequently now. How did you all know that it was time to charge or start a business?



A LITTLE BACK GROUND ON WHY IM ASKING:
on the up side my cousin wants to pay me for a dessert table at her wedding and wants me to do the wedding cake too but I'm too chicken to even think about doing a wedding cake for my first paid cake! (The dessert table I can handle though) The big opportunity I had fell through was to exclusivly make desserts for a flower shop to sell in menu form (to costly to add this in to the flower shop) The other one was to make a specialty cake for a restaurant, but they decided they didn't want 2 choc. cake items on the same menu. The owners of a fancy golf resort/restaurant is wanting to set up a tasting. opportunity seems to be knocking at my door and I'm just not answering I really just don't know if I'm ready right now talent wise. so once again...How di dyou all know?

If they are knocking on your door, you must have a product worth having!
Go for it. If you don't know how to do a cake, ask questions and practice, practice practice... The more you do, the more confidence you will gain.

Those are some BIG opportunities, clearly THEY think you are good enough! Please please post some pictures. Everyone is very kind and you should never think you aren't good enough to be amongst everyone else here.
1) we all learn from each other
2) You clearly are talented, show off a little!
3) If you ASK for it, people will give you some tips so you can be at the level you want to be at (although I suspect you far exceed some..)

So far as the freebies... church, school, charity... okay, but what is up with them calling and putting in "orders." I volunteer my talents, but how weird of them to just expect you to bring stuff.

Take some money it is only weird the first couple of times!

I never took orders for free. I used to make cakes as gifts for birthdays etc, and ppl used to ask me if i would sell them cakes, and i always said no because i didnt think i was good enough, to get better i did a course, and started to sell. You just gotta take a leap out there, if ppl are asking, than they think you're good enough. If you're making cakes every week, then you should start charging, i dont even want to think what all this is costing you.
and come on, show us your work!!!
we were all beginners at some point : )
Nati

alright you all talked me in to posting some pics, unfortunantly they are my first attemps at different cakes so they are not the best. I think I'm going to try building up my confidence some and just go for it when the opportunity presents itself again. (I have 4 small kids + in school full time) I want to make sure if I'm doing it as a job that I'm doing it well and can concentrate on the cakes and desserts I'm making. (especially the cakes since they need some work) Thanks for the advice, like I said I'm a chicken so sometimes I just need to hear advice from someone other than my husband! As soon as I figure out how to post pics I'll put them on CC. thanks again and happy baking, melissa

I strictly bake for the fun of it. I do freebies for my closest friends and for charity functions. I often have people ask me to do cakes for thier events, if I don't want to be bothered by that particular person, I politely decline and refer them to a local baker that is much more talented than I am.

At least ask for money for the supplies. It can be fun to do, but what about when it starts costing more? Supplies are not cheap and neither is gas. Don't let people take advantage of you by always asking and not offering. Give them an excuse to either pay for the supplies or have them purchase everything and them bring it to you and then they will see what it actually cost.
Also, be careful, from what I read in other post people need to be "legal" in order to sell their cakes for profit. Good luck and take the leap if your ready.

yeah, I have to agree that they should at least pay me for the supplies. I actually ment becoming legal if I could, I'm scared to not be. I've already talked to the people I need to and received all the info needed....wow there is a lot of rules. Only one home based business allowed (hubby offered to move his home business over to his office) But I don't know if they require a commercial kitchen or not, I can't tell. If they do I'm back to square one, if not then I'm good to go once inspected.