A Thread For All Uk Bakers!!

Decorating By hailinguk Updated 25 Aug 2017 , 10:29am by Magic Mouthfuls

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nannycook Posted 20 Apr 2014 , 8:04pm
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AJean, I am nervous about this order as I dont know the bride, only met her mam once, again in my shop casually talking about cakes, then she FB me and asked me to make her wedding cake, I was stunned must admit, when she sent me a few pics of what she wanted I told her I wasn't happy to make it with all the shrubbery she wanted between the tiers, they weren't nice flowers etc but almost xmas tree like shrubs, I told her, maybe for hygiene reasons to for for fondant flowers , which is all fairness she did, now she's going for xmas roses, holly and ivy.

In fact she's asked to come over in next few weeks try some samples, scary stuff this Jean, hopefully I'm confident in what I know and it will be OK, hope so anyway

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maisie73 Posted 20 Apr 2014 , 8:35pm
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ALove the ruffles Jean, I dread to think what mine would look like if I attempted them!

I also enjoyed nanny's interview with Crazy-Gray! Move over Piers Morgan! You should interview us all once a week nanny, I love finding out more about everybody. :-)

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nannycook Posted 20 Apr 2014 , 8:39pm
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AOh Maisie you really are funny, I did sound abit like that tho didn't i? Sorry Gray no harm meant. I love finding out about my new friends, cos that is what you have all become!

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maisie73 Posted 20 Apr 2014 , 9:13pm
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AYeah but I love it nanny, I'm so nosey! Aww, that's lovely. :-) i feel like I've made new friends too, I'm so glad I joined CC. Off to bed now. G'nite everybody.

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nannycook Posted 20 Apr 2014 , 9:18pm
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AMe too,night everyone.

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petitecat Posted 21 Apr 2014 , 7:46am
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Quote:

Originally Posted by Crazy-Gray 

... Jean you have just absolutely hit the nail on the head... I now know the cause of all my woes: 'I' was piped the wrong way round;fat side out! (universe solved) icon_smile.gif

 

LOL I'm so slow I only just got this! I thought you were still talking about cakes :D

 

It is nice to find out more about the people on here- puts a face to the name so to speak!

 

Maisie how's your daughter?

 

Nannycook, clearly the lady has confidence in you, and so do all of us. You can do it! I am realistic about the cakes starting off slow, I'm just impatient!. But I'll be contacting a business advice organisation for some tips. I could do with the advice! 

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nannycook Posted 21 Apr 2014 , 8:05am
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AJean, good on you, I need advice on a few things, starting with, how much to charge for a cake, lol.

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Siany01 Posted 21 Apr 2014 , 8:10am
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AA tenners the going rate for a 4 tier cakes isn't it Nanny :D lol

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nannycook Posted 21 Apr 2014 , 8:14am
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AThat much? I knew it, over charging as norm!! Ha ha, your right Siany, I'm sure theres a few people that would pay that as they have no idea of costs etc.

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petitecat Posted 21 Apr 2014 , 8:19am
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Quote:

Originally Posted by nannycook 

Jean, good on you, I need advice on a few things, starting with, how much to charge for a cake, lol.

 

My problem is I need to start factoring in every minute that I'm working on a cake to get a good idea how long it takes me to do anything. I can't afford to buy the cake software that's out there, and even if I could buy them, I just know it's going to say 'you're not charging enough'. 

 

My main concern at the moment is how to attract my target crowd. And the advice I'm going to be seeking is along the lines of 'I have absolutely no cash for advertising, but how do I get people to take notice?' LOL

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petitecat Posted 21 Apr 2014 , 8:20am
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Quote:

Originally Posted by Siany01 

A tenners the going rate for a 4 tier cakes isn't it Nanny icon_biggrin.gif lol

 

Ah well, I'm on the right track then LOL

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nannycook Posted 21 Apr 2014 , 8:34am
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AYes Jean its expensive to advertise, or even buy a website, thats why I had some leaflets printed, a 1000 to be exact, they cost me £74 , one of my very good friends from school who I made a cake for via his mum is in the printing trade (he didn't know I made cakes at the time his mum did tho) he didn't like my current logo , had it from vistaprint, and said he would design a new one for me, so I did, he's been brilliant in all honesty, I now have a new logo for my FB page which looks a lot more professional.

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nannycook Posted 21 Apr 2014 , 8:39am
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AI did bake fora local cafe last yr which I did find gave me good contacts, specially as it was 2 shops away from where I work, but I found I was making cakes every night , working fulltime, and my normal celebration cakes, was on my knees, miserable, and worse he was mean and wouldn't pay what they were worth, which was much more than he was paying.

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nannycook Posted 21 Apr 2014 , 8:40am
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AGod I need to get out more, have become such a chatter box!!!

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bashini Posted 21 Apr 2014 , 9:04am
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AGood Morning all!!! :) Hope you all had a great day yesterday.:-D

Original message sent by petitecat

My problem is I need to start factoring in every minute that I'm working on a cake to get a good idea how long it takes me to do anything. I can't afford to buy the cake software that's out there, and even if I could buy them, I just know it's going to say 'you're not charging enough'. 

My main concern at the moment is how to attract my target crowd. And the advice I'm going to be seeking is along the lines of 'I have absolutely no cash for advertising, but how do I get people to take notice?' LOL

I did actually bought the Cake Boss software :oops: a:-)nd it is really good. The only thing is that you have to feed all the recipes for cakes, buttercream and ganache and it does calculate the price for you.

Siany, you do not have to have a website. You can do a blog which is free. I got one from google. It's very easy to maintain once you get the hang of it. :)

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nannycook Posted 21 Apr 2014 , 9:09am
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AOooo, how do you get a blog Bashini?

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petitecat Posted 21 Apr 2014 , 9:14am
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ABashini, is cake boss helpful for all the other stuff like working out prices for decor? I've worked out how much my cakes cost in ingredients, but need to work out decoration, elec&gas, basically everything else!

I've got a blog for a website. It's ok but obv its free so there's no glamour! Beggars can't be choosers though!

Barbara, that guy sounds like a nightmare! Glad you are rid ofhim!

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sugarluva Posted 21 Apr 2014 , 9:15am
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AMorning everyone, hope no one is in a chocolate coma this morning... Unlike me...

I love finding out more about everyone on this site I'm so nosey. A weekly interview from nanny sounds like a great idea haha.

I also love hearing about everyone looking into/already having set up their own cake business. I think k knowing what to price is definitely the hardest thing I wouldn't have a clue. And it's very easy not to realise how long you spend on a cake. Like spending an evening in front of the TV making little models would probably something I would forget to include.

I think an online presence with any business is one of the most important things you can do these days. Whether it's a website or a blog it has to be something that speaks to your target market so if you want to attract higher end customers who are willing to pay more for a cake your website has to be high end, written correctly and easy to navigate. If I'm looking for a servixe/product I will instantly close down any website I don't like, it's just the way it is these days. Websites are expensive but I have found that they pay for themselves so quickly if they're made professionally. I have ran two different things business both with websites designed by my partner and we have always been complimented on the website. My partner also set my dad up in his new business last year and all of his customers have come from the website. They are worth the investment even if you have to pay a company to do them and don't know someone.

Sorry about that went a bit into a waffle there. I just think with today's generation of people and today's society a website is invaluable and the easiest way to start up any business.

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petitecat Posted 21 Apr 2014 , 9:46am
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ASugarluva that's actually my concern- that I'm putting people off with my blog. Would you recommend those companies that offer a professional template- like A1 websites I've seen advertised on TV?

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petitecat Posted 21 Apr 2014 , 9:48am
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AAnd what sort of outlay am I looking at to start a website then what kind of monthly outgoing - just trying to get a feel for what fees and prices are realistic!

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DaysCakes Posted 21 Apr 2014 , 10:08am
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Morning all!  We are awash with cake here......had all the family round yesterday and the whole day was manic - watching videos of the kids when they were tiny and embarrassing them with their other halves!  My 23 stone gammon cooked nicely and I could now enter the cooked meats market there is so much left!  My kitchen is still a bombsite - who knew I had 60+ drinking glasses!!  The dishwasher's been panting a lot - poor old thing - as it's been on non-stop! 

 

Jean - I already have a website but it was a freebie one (Moonfruit) - I have a Facebook page which has only just been published among our family as we haven't got anything fantastic to put on there yet.  However, I am looking at the new .london domain.  That will cost me £43 for year.  My niece's other half said he knows website developers who "would do me a good price" (I worry now because I don't want to spend a lot) and he mentioned something called "godaddy" software.......not sure if that is free or not - but I only found this out late last night.  I was thinking of starting it as a blog style site with an enquiry link - but it's all down to my daughter at the moment as she is super keen.

 

Re the giant cupcake:  The cake was lovely - would feed an army - but was very dense.  I don't know how yet but moisture needs to be added somehow (syrup injection possibly???) because it ends up a bit like a madeira cake.  DD said it took around 2 hours in a slow oven - so something needs to change somewhere.  Does anybody have any suggestions? 

 

Nanny - you have a budding career as a journalist!!!  :-D

 

Glad you all had a nice Easter and happy day off everyone!

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sugarluva Posted 21 Apr 2014 , 10:16am
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I've not heard of A1 websites before but just had a quick google and they sound like the kind of company you might need (though I actually don't think there own website is very good!) My boyfriend knows more about this kind of thing as he manages our website so I can ask him for you when I get home this afternoon if you like? I think we pay something like £150 per year for the hosting of the website and then the domain name is around £8 for 2 years so it isn't a lot. I'm just not sure of the intial set up costs because my boyfriend did all of ours. 

 

The only thing I would recommend would be making sure you find a company who will design a website from scratch for you, not just a template that they change the details on if that makes sense? Also, check the costs of their maintenance fees if they have any because the last thing you want is to be locked in with someone who is going to charge you a fortune every time you want to edit something on a page or add a new cake or something. Another thing to consider is if you can find a company that also designs leaflets and business cards because I think things look a lot more professional if every design matches (I'm not a fan of vistaprint again because they use the same templates for everyone).

 

And finally, make sure when your website is designed it is suitable for mobile phones and tablets etc. So many people don't even use a PC these days they do everything on their phones so having a website that is mobile compatible is important. Our website is currently being changed over so it looks better on a phone and its a pain in the bum so best to get it done that way from the outset. 

 

I will have a word with my boyfriend when I get home about specific companies and costs for you. I keep saying he should get into this himself because he's so good at it and he really enjoys it (not that he's busy maintaining our own website or anything haha). I need to give him a kick up the bum I think...

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sugarluva Posted 21 Apr 2014 , 10:18am
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Oh thinking about it that £150 per year does host a couple of websites on the same hosting so one website would be much cheaper than that I would think.

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maisie73 Posted 21 Apr 2014 , 10:23am
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AMorning all. :-) My little girl is over the worst now, mainly because she's given it to me! I woke up this morning feeling terrible, I say woke up but technically you have to sleep to wake up don't you! Anyway, interesting conversation this morning, I so agree with (hang on, scroll up to check!) Sugarluva, everyone who provides a sevice needs to be online these days. And I will just close a page if it looks at all complicated or difficult to navigate. Bad English puts me off too! I don't know why, maybe I think if they can't be bothered to make sure that's right, what else are they not bothered about? And I know I use slang and abbreviations here (and miss typo's ALL the time!) but that's different isn't it.

When I made my Aunties cake the other day, I wrote down every time I started and stopped so I could work out how long it took. I did it a few times and then just forgot! And I checked my electric meter when I put the oven on and again when I turned it off to see how much electric I used. I wanted to see, just for myself what a cake really costs to make.

And, I don't know how helpful it would be to anyone but I bought an app for £2.99 the other week to price cakes, it has a "pantry" with ingredients, your recipes, quotes etc. it's good enough if you're making cakes from home I would think. There's a little free version of it but it's not much good, the £3 one is much better. I'll have a look, see what it's called in a minute.)

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maisie73 Posted 21 Apr 2014 , 10:24am
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AIt's called Cost A Cake Pro.

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sugarluva Posted 21 Apr 2014 , 10:30am
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I've used cost a cake before and I do like it, I think it's a good app. 

 

And you are so right about bad english! Like you said it's fine on something like a forum but when people don't write things properly on their website, when they don't spell check and when they right things how they would say them it drives me insane!

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DaysCakes Posted 21 Apr 2014 , 10:31am
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Hi Maisie - glad your DD is over it and sorry for you feeling poorly.  I have the free app for cake costing and wasn't sure if the Pro version was going to be any good.  I guess you recommend it then?

 

Listen to us getting all "techie" lol!  But  you are so right about ease of navigation and pure and simple grammar.  I am somebody who really hates it if the apostrophe is in the wrong place!!

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natt12321 Posted 21 Apr 2014 , 10:39am
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AA website us totally worth it, they are expensive but being on Google with proper SEO means a lot to people who are seriously looking for something, I was using a free site from Six, but I've moved on to a proper one designed by a company called spotlight productions (spotlightprod.co.uk) all the edits and the domain are included in the hosting fees, but they change depending on what it is you need! All theirs sites are built to work well on all devices, phones, tablets and PCs.

The site they did for me www.rainbow-bakehouse.co.uk its due some editing still, but its almost there.

In regards to other advertising, I get small leaflets (A5) for £20 for 1000 from instant print (including postage) they cost a but more if you want them to be double sided, but not a lot more, you can get 500 business cards from vistaprint for about £10 if you grab the right offer, and one of the other ways to continuously advertise is to get your car branded, which I'm looking to have done soon so can't comment on its effectiveness.

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maisie73 Posted 21 Apr 2014 , 10:44am
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AMorning Kathy, sounds like you had fun yesterday (missed your post somehow!)

Re: Giant cupcake. I hate madeira cake (btw, i's and e's are my downfall! Always have to check them- if it matters). Mine never raste like madiera, they're not quite as moist as a normal sponge if I'm honest but would never describe them as dry or dense. 2 hours does sound like a long time to me, mine never take that long. What temp was your oven?

Yes, I do recommend Cost a cake pro, I don't sell my cakes though, I just wanted to know how much exactly my cakes cost to make.

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sugarluva Posted 21 Apr 2014 , 11:03am
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OK so word from the boyfriend. He hasn't had much experience with companies who design websites for you because he's always done them himself but he says that the problems with them can just be when it comes to updating the site - though I'm sure people could recommend a company that do this well. You can get websites designed for you from as cheap as £50 but these companies aren't going to provide a maintenance service. Some companies can either maintain and update the website for you or can build in a program where you update it yourself. If they build in a program there is obviously a bigger initial fee but that might be beneficial if you're wanting to update it often, like adding a new cake everytime you make one. 

 

He recommends moonfruit for designing your own and says it is very simple to get the hang of. He also says that although you can use templates, the templates are so changeable that by the time you have finished it will look completely different and unique to you. He suggested maybe starting off with a free moonfruit website that you can get to grips with and then if you're happy with that you can upgrade to a paid version (around £40 per year for one website). Also, buy your own domain name so that your website isnt something like cakes.moonfruit.co.uk. It's much better if it's just cakes.co.uk He says weebly are spposed to be good as well if you want to check them out. 

 

He says one of the biggest things is just to make yourself look professional and check all of your working, spelling and grammer as we have already said. Also, don't make out like you're new, also make yourself sound bigger and better than you are haha. 

 

Is that any help? I know it sounds scary designing your own but he assures me it's not that hard that even I could do it (which says something!) It is also really easy to maintain then and you can carry your own design onto leaflets and business cards etc. 

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