Hard Time Taking Money For My Cakes?

Business By Ishi Updated 27 Oct 2006 , 11:47pm by Ishi

Ishi Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Ishi Posted 26 Oct 2006 , 5:16am
post #1 of 22

Ok. So far, all but like 1 of the cakes I've done have been "gifts." I've really have had a hard taking money. Every time it's offered I just tell them it's a gift and I just like to do it to practice my decorating techniques. It's such a cop-out! I think it's because I just feel that my cakes aren't good enough yet. However, I do want to start selling cakes. I'm ready to have my own business but I guess my question is, how do I get to the point where I feel comfortable enough quoting prices and accepting payment for the hours of work I put into some of the cakes I do? This seems to be like a big step for me. icon_redface.gif

21 replies
patticakesnc Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
patticakesnc Posted 26 Oct 2006 , 5:28am
post #2 of 22

I think it is hard for a lot of us. Maybe if you make a price list and give it out then it will feel more official and you will take the money.

I haven't taken money for my bakes goods either but my son who is 11 sold a batch of fudge for $20 and a pan of brownies for $20! He had no problem taking the money LOL Guess we could all learn from him.

JoanneK Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
JoanneK Posted 26 Oct 2006 , 5:29am
post #3 of 22

Well it sounds like you don't ask anyone to pay you so the next time someone offers to pay you just say thank you. If they don't offer to pay then you won't feel bad because you were not going to ask for the money anyway.

AMW Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
AMW Posted 26 Oct 2006 , 10:38am
post #4 of 22

Accept the cash!!! Otherwise, no one will ever think you are seriously thinking of turning it in to a business. As far as getting comfortable: Do your research and your calculations. Once you are set then treat your business like a business- otherwise you will end up with a hobby or a charity. And like Nike says, "Just do it!"

dydemus Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
dydemus Posted 26 Oct 2006 , 10:53am
post #5 of 22

I think it's something you get comfortable by doing! It takes a while, but after you've gotten paid a few times, you realize - hey, this hobby pays for itself... then it can be a business. It's like decorating - the more you do it, the more comfortable you'll feel.

kerririchards Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
kerririchards Posted 26 Oct 2006 , 11:08am
post #6 of 22

Oh, you will quickly get over THAT! Just consider this a JOB that you absolutely LOVE doing! There is nothing wrong with loving your job AND getting paid for it too!

SUELA Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
SUELA Posted 26 Oct 2006 , 11:22am
post #7 of 22

Your halloween cake is amazing!

So take a picture of that, walk into your local grocery store and compare...look at what they are charging and look at what you are giving away for free.

I often give cakes as gifts, however, even for friends when the cake is for something specific, they want to pay.

mgdqueen Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
mgdqueen Posted 26 Oct 2006 , 11:46am
post #8 of 22

If you offer a cake, it can be free. If someone asks you for a specific cake, charge them. Your Halloween cake is great and I sure would have charged for that! I think you get over the feeling bad after you have done several or if you are asked to do several cakes at once. The feeling hits like "Seriously?? Am I doing all of this out of the goodness of my heart or am I doing it to make a little money?" Be compensated for your talent. If you don't feel right about it, be compensated for just supplies for now-but remember cake, icing, boards, boxes, etc.

ChristaPaloma Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
ChristaPaloma Posted 26 Oct 2006 , 11:51am
post #9 of 22

Well, you have to transition at this point.
First check your local area prices for bakeries, comparing grocery stores, & specialized alike just to get a feel for what your market is doing. Then create your own price list. Specialized caking can be very labor intensive so you have to find the market that cares more to have the unique creations you can do & sell to that. For family & friends that have been getting the gifts; as they order, transition them with a price list and a discount if you feel to, with the added thank you for the opportunities to practice and hone your skills, and let them know you are ready to start the business end of things. Those that don't get on board will always look for the free cake wherever they can get it..you should be busy enough with those that need your services.
Good luck on your endeavor Ishi.

melodyscakes Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
melodyscakes Posted 26 Oct 2006 , 3:38pm
post #10 of 22

I've got the perfect solution for you. you can make your beautiful cakes, and when people offer to pay you, you say I don't accept money....but my friend melody will. just send her the check.

haha


LET PEOPLE PAY YOU!!!

Ishi Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Ishi Posted 26 Oct 2006 , 5:15pm
post #11 of 22

Ha Ha, Melody! You're too funny! Seriously, I'm going to take y'all's advice and go price compare and get a price list going. Also, I think if I write out all of my expenses, I'll be more willing to charge people something! This is becoming an expensive hobby! I'll probably start out small and just have people pay me for a little over supplies until I feel like I'm up to snuff. I'm sure most of my orders are going to come from family and friends anyhow right now. Although, if I get an order from hubby's co-workers or something, I'll probably charge a bit more. I'll just inch my way into all this. icon_smile.gif We are planning to move out of state soon, so it's no use really trying to build a client base here. I will just take this time to get better at what I do. Thanks for the support everybody! I love this site! SO glad I found you guys!

*alicia*

butterflyjuju Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
butterflyjuju Posted 26 Oct 2006 , 6:37pm
post #12 of 22

I'm having the opposite problem. I have a person that wants it free and I'm saying no way. I'm giving a discount but I want paid. DH is to deliver it and I told him not to hand over the cake until he gets the money.

kerririchards Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
kerririchards Posted 26 Oct 2006 , 6:37pm
post #13 of 22

Just make sure that when you move out of state that you immediately start charging competitively with the upper-end bakeries in that town. You will already have the experience, and they don't need to know that you weren't charging full price where you are now.

vww104 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
vww104 Posted 26 Oct 2006 , 6:54pm
post #14 of 22

If you take the time to break down your cost of all your ingredients, I'm sure you will have an easier time charging if for nothing but ingredients. You will probably be very surprised to see how much it really costs you to make one cake. Once you do this I'm sure you will feel a lot more comfortable telling friends and family in advance what your ingredients cost you. And I agree with mgdqueen, if someone asks you for a cake charge at the very least for ingredients. If you are offering the cake, then it can be a gift.

noreen816 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
noreen816 Posted 26 Oct 2006 , 7:02pm
post #15 of 22

I also felt guilty taking money for my cakes Iguess because I just started and I like having the practice and I didn't feel like they were worthy of being paid for ! haha. But after I thought about it, I put a lot of effort into it and I deserved it! I like the price list idea, maybe that way it will be more official and you won't feel wierd charging. Plus, it will be more official

rshippo Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
rshippo Posted 27 Oct 2006 , 7:36pm
post #16 of 22

i understand where you are coming from I quoted a cake for $100 the other day feeling bad because it is a fair bit of money. However they do want a 3 teir fondant cake with different flavours on each level. So i stopped at local bakery 20 miles away nothing in our town. Asked them they said they wouldn't do that stlye for 40 to start with and it would feed about 75-100 for the ball point price of $250 - 300. I don't feel bad anymore.

kettlevalleygirl Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
kettlevalleygirl Posted 27 Oct 2006 , 9:28pm
post #17 of 22

I am hoping to get started at charging people for the cakes I make. I have been giving away practice cakes lots!! And I don't mind, because they go in my photo album, and I actually don't have a lot of spare time, to do it full time. So I want to do a slow start up to my business, taking as many courses as I can along the way.
But seriously, I started this "addiction" in 2003, and I have spent a lot of money buying equipment, and cake stuff along the way, so hopefully I can at least cover my costs and pay for this very expensive addiction!!

alicegop Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
alicegop Posted 27 Oct 2006 , 9:44pm
post #18 of 22

I didn't want to take money, since that made it low stress. If it fell over or something... oh well. But once you take money you start to realize your value. I don't do them for free anymore (mostly because the DH forbids it! That helps a lot in accepting money. I am honestly NOT ALLOWED to do them for free. He says I need to charge AT LEAST for his time in putting up with me and the mess when I make it.)

I have an excel spreadsheet I use to help me price the cakes, that helps alot. (If you want it email me [email protected])

See if you husband will forbid freebies!

yellowdog Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
yellowdog Posted 27 Oct 2006 , 9:56pm
post #19 of 22

I just viewed your halloween cake in the gallery. Really cool! I'm a newbie too so I have a question, how hard was it to torte and fill that cake. It looks like an 11 x 15 which is what I'm making (my first paying order) and I'm wondering what I got myself into.

Ishi Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Ishi Posted 27 Oct 2006 , 10:14pm
post #20 of 22

yellowdog- I sent you a PM.

elvisb Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
elvisb Posted 27 Oct 2006 , 10:16pm
post #21 of 22

I don't think we really give ourselves enough credit for all the time and hard work we put into our cakes, of course, neither do our customers and that's part of where the "self-esteem" problem comes in. Cake decorating takes time, patience, talent, and let's face it--money. OK--having that said, I myself am guilty of giving away lots of lots of my work. icon_redface.gif I make sure I get a picture so I can at least advertise with it. I can say from experience that if you start to add up ingredients, supplies, paste color, glitter, sprinkles, etc., the $$ really start to amaze you and after you take the leap and charge for your first couple of cakes, it gets easier to quote a price and accept the green. I am finally getting comfortable with putting a price tag on my work and being OK with it.

I also called around to some of the local bakeries in several of the towns surrounding me. I also went to the Walmart website and checked out their bakeries in my area as well as the website for a well known grocery store chain around here. There is a place to put in your zip code and they hook you up with local stores. I made sure I was comparable, but slightly cheaper since I am fairly new at the business end of things. I want to build up a reputation, but I don't want to be so cheap that it scares people into wondering if they will get what they pay for. Now I have a price list on the computer that I can print off. I have one that I can give the customers to review with pan sizes, number of servings and prices for each, including some fine print at the bottom stating that for customized cakes, flavors, fillings, etc there will be additional charges based on each individual request. Don't forget about mileage! With gas prices, you sure can't afford to deliver for free! I also have a sheet for myself with a cheat sheet on how many cake mixes/batches of frosting each size pan requires (use fractions so you get an accurate picture) along with an approx cost of my ingred for each batch of frosting or cake batter. (New column I will soon be adding is the approx time it will take me to do each. I figure that will help me put a value on my time--my final personal stumbling block.) Then I know if I can afford to give someone the "family and friends discount" or if they offer to pay cost, I know exactly what that cost is. That has helped me to not feel so guilty asking for compensation once I found out just how much it was costing me to give away all those cakes! For family, I charge cost and donate my time. I am fortunate to have a family that always tacks on a little "tip" to cover my time. My SIL especially loves to pull up a chair and watch me "work my magic" as she says.

Sorry this got so long, but I have been much more comfortable charging for my cakes since receiving encouragement from the many friends I have here on CC. I hope that someone reading this can also get the courage to charge and feel comfortable with it as well. We all know we deserve it, we just need to stop second guessing our worth. Just ask yourself if your customer could really do something that beautiful a delicious on their own? Absolutely not!!!! Because we are all awesome bakers who need to give ourselves a HUGE pat on the back! (Patting self now. icon_lol.gif )

Ishi Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Ishi Posted 27 Oct 2006 , 11:47pm
post #22 of 22

Well said elvisb! (Patting myself on the back, too!)

*alicia*

Quote by @%username% on %date%

%body%