Can I tell you how crazy that this is already a post? I myself am in the process of trying to become a "full service" event planner offering planning as well as cakes, catering...yadda yadda - and I was kind of taking time out to evaluate and I was thinking, why not contact indydebi on CC about some tips for startup and whatnot? That's crazy! I am so glad that we have this forum....
Dear IndyDeb:
I just dropped my completly frosted 26" quadraangle shaped cake decorated like the Taj Mahal and the Dumbo ride at Disneyland on the kitchen floor at 4:00 AM!! What should I do? Grab a fork? Please help me!
And ice cream....don't forget the ice cream.
Just adding my two cents worth,....
WHAT A BRILLIANT IDEA!!!
Some nights, when I browse the posts, I find myself hunting for Debi's contribution (yeah, I know, I have non life )
Thank you, Debi, for the laughs, the advice, the laughs, the support, the laughs, the wisdom, the laughs ... God bless you, woman - you're what CC is all about!
Put me down for one of those mugs.
In the short amount of time I have been here, I have come to see how anticipated and respected indydebi's advice are. Even I look forward to reading what she has to say.
Linda
Ok I have an real question .I have to make cake for 100 people. I was wondering if I should make more ,what if the person cutting , cuts bigger pieces.I use indydebi serving chart.so what do you think ?
Ok I have an real question .I have to make cake for 100 people. I was wondering if I should make more ,what if the person cutting , cuts bigger pieces.I use indydebi serving chart.so what do you think ?
Customer wants to feed chicken to 10 people. At KFC .... you pay for 3 chicken strips..... you get 3 chicken strips. It's a pre-determined size/number of servings determined by KFC, not by the customer. So customer orders 10 3-strip meals. They give each of the 10 people 5 pieces. They run out of chicken. Not KFC's problem. A "serving" is 3 pieces .... customer gave everyone 5 pieces. If customer wanted to give bigger servings, then customer should have ordered more chicken.
Your customer pays for 100....you provide 100. The size/number of servings is predetermined by you, the baker, not by the customer. Customer cuts pieces so big that they only get 70 pieces from the cake. Not your problem. If they wanted bigger servings, they should have ordered more cake.
They don't get to tell you how big the serving is and still pay the same price.
See my FAQ page on my website.....I've added a comment about "....if your relatives eat like Jethro Bodine....."
Rock star! Super star! That's our Debi! I mean it! Like so many others here, I too look forward to reading "Debi-isms"! Such awesome advice that makes such great sense. I can't tell you how many quotes I've saved from Debi that I plan to drill into my own brain.
THANK YOU DEBI! You are very loved at Cake Central!
KimAZ
Hi debi,Zubia again ,Iam getting business can you tell .Now I want your 2 cents on how to charge for 3D cakes.Some take lots of time and others are no big deal.So should I still charge per serving ??
Thanks
( I guess I have taken Dear debi bit seriously)
( I guess I have taken Dear debi bit seriously)
We ALL take DearDebi Seriously!!
...mmm waiting too
Am still looking for that dang telephoto lense, where the heck did I put the thing!
Ok, I'm pleading ignorant on this one. I would say I am less than a novice when it comes to 3D cakes, so I will leave your pricing question to the other CC experts in this field. I will only suggest that you factor in ALL the cake you use .... even the part you carve away .... and not base your pricing just on the parts that are left that you actually give to the customer. Scrap Factor Costs.
P.S. My (former Marine) son and his girlfriend were over and I had my computer open to this site .... and this thread. They started reading and were cracking up at you guys! (But thanks for making them think I'm great! )
zubia - we could start a whole new thread about pricing 3D cakes. Not that I am perfect... well except in my son's eyes.... but here's how I do it if this helps.
# of people to serve cake to (times) $2.00
# of hours I think it will take me to get the carving/finishing done * $25.00
Example, a basic car cake comes out to $100 to $200 for a small party.
P.S. My (former Marine) son and his girlfriend were over and I had my computer open to this site .... and this thread. They started reading and were cracking up at you guys! (But thanks for making them think I'm great! )
Woman... you ARE great!
I propose we put her up for saint hood to Pope Benedict. It should be an easy process since she performs miracles all the time on this website!
OR....we could perhaps get her named Queen of United States and kick the bush out to the curb....
Really you guys....she is a hoot in person too....We are actually related in a round about way. She is MY sister in laws...sister in law. Deb is married to my sister in laws brother...and my sister in law is (obviously) married to my brother.....so I am not sure what we are to each other except I know we are friends!!! yeah to that!
I am thinking I originally told her about cake central ( yeah thats the ticket) ....so hold the applause...lol
Teri
I was wondering if she could send me a Christmas gift LOL
Gotta luv ya Deb!!!!!!!!
(pm me with addy LOL )
We are actually related in a round about way. She is MY sister in laws...sister in law. Deb is married to my sister in laws brother...and my sister in law is (obviously) married to my brother.....so I am not sure what we are to each other except I know we are friends!!! yeah to that!
COOL!!! Y'all get together at family events 'n eat AWESOME CAKE!
Cakeness runs in your family if even by the "in" laws
GI.....I wish we did get together at holidays but actually I just met Deb last year when she was at "our" nephews wedding. She catered it as their wedding gift and I was looking at the cake asking questions....and so we began talking and I told her about cake central. I was going to be doing my sons wedding cake and found cc through the wilton forum.
My daughter used Deb for her wedding back in June.( daughter had to pay for her own wedding...mom paid for all her college..fair trade )...just trying to keep it in the family....
Hi Debi,I have an other one .Need your advise. I am a home baker . One of the ethinic store owner in our area called me yesterday .They want me to make cakes for them .They have a lisenced kitchen. They want me to make 4 or 5 cakes a week for them .How do I charge them .I usually charge $2 for butter cream and $3 for fondant. I'll be using buying my own stuff.
Thank you
Zubia; what a wonderful connection for you.
My suggestion is to sit down and figure out *exactly* what it will cost you for each and every item you make for them. Be sure to include boards, doilie, boxes (if you provide them) etc; etc Yes, it takes a lot of figuring to know how much 1/2 cup of crisco or flour taken from a 5# container is but it is the best way to get your costs. Now double that figure. I know most times people say to triple the figure but......you will be using their facilities so you don't have to factor in gas and electric.
The only other way to do it is to decide on how much you want to make per hour and clock each item to see how long it takes you. HTH
what kakeladi said.
wasn't ignoring you .... i just got back from Vegas .... no email for 4 days! aaauuuggghhhH!
Ya know - for all the help Indydebi has been, and how reliably she responds to our cries for help, with competent and caring responses.....why hasn't she been SPOTLIGHTED yet?? Every one of us who posted in this forum needs to press that little "NOMINATE ME" button under her name...FAST!!!
Thank you ,kakeladi .I guess I'll have to ask Dh for help,no good at calculating prices.
debi you have a life .I thought you were always going to be on line from the moment we started Dear Debi.
Hope you had a nice trip.
I've already clicked her Nominate Button, can you do it more than once, or is that cheating
My daughter used Deb for her wedding back in June.( daughter had to pay for her own wedding...mom paid for all her college..fair trade )...just trying to keep it in the family....
I'll remember that some day, great rule...my son is a Senior at his college. Too young to be married (he just turned 20 a few weeks ago), but perhaps by then I'll be alot better at making pretty cakes -- instead of just functional ones!!
OK, I just MUST ask....
Debi, HOW DO YOU DO IT? Really, are you some kind of super woman, super Mom, super caterer, super baker, super caker, super CC'er, really, how do you find the time? Do you ever sleep?
I guess I just must joing the club, you are truly amazing, you find time for everything and everybody, ha? Please do share your secret... must know if I want to ever succeed in this business...
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