I just wanted to say that your work is gorgeous. I'm in the middle of an order for 200 cookies in 12 different designs. I have decided that I will NEVER EVER EVER do this again. I should have been shot thinking that it wouldn't be so hard. Aside from the cost of ingredients, I would need to charge $10/cookie just to make it worth my time and sanity. I am amazed by your quality and professional presentation. I bow to your patience.

Okay, so I'm looking at your cookies and just really studying them, and they are perfect. I don't even celebrate halloween & I think those are really cute. Don't worry about your family, cause you know how family can be. I also think you should raise the prices.

When I started this I got some really good advice:

Don't ask people who don't run a business for advice on how to run your business.


They have NO idea. Even my mom thought I was charging too much until she saw all the work I did. Now, she is like "did you charge?" and fussed at me for doing my cousin's bday cake for free!


Anywhoo, I don't think you are charging enough. I think you should be up to $5 per cookie, still cheaper than cookies by design I believe and I bet yours are a lot tastier!

Those cookies are awesome, I hope to be that good someday.

Let the family stuff roll off your shoulders, easier said than done I know. I am finally at the point where folks and their opinions and issues don't bother me so much any more. It took a while to get here though.

Glad you do have some good support though, this road ain't easy!

I so agree with everyone here. I think your rule should be $5 per cookie, or $1 per inch for more intricate ones. $15 for packaging. Your family is trying to talk you down so they can get cheap holiday gifts for friends.

These are beautiful hostess gifts and centerpieces. Don't apologize for the price. It is right on. Also, since you are local to these people, they don't have to pay those exorbitant s/h prices, which can double the cost of an order.

Remember, this is a lot of work. You are better to get one job and make a fair price than to get a dozen orders and make no money. Because, even though we love to do this, there are days when I need the money!

Y'know what though?
This family feud really ain't about the price of a cookie kwim?

Those cookies are amazing!
Sound's like some in the family are jealous and just plain old rude and don't want to see anyone besides them selves succeed. It's crap! Don't listen to it and don't take it.
Those cookies take time and you need to make money on them for them to be worth your time. I was going to say they should be no less then $40.

Those are custom, hand decorated and baked with love! You are going to do great! They are so cute I can't imagine anyone not wanting them. It's a perfect gift for teachers and such. I wonder if you could make smaller ones like two cookies tied together with ribbon and tissue for $15. Offer a range in price to appeal to all budgets. You are going to a be baking and decorating fool..LOL And much to busy to pay any mind to the nonsense the family is blowing up over.

Cookies by Design offers a 3-cookie bouquet for $29.99. PLUS shipping and handling. Their individual cookies are over $7.00.
http://cookiesbydesign.com/category.aspx?categoryid=72

And they don't apologize for the prices.

not professional enough???? please. These ARE professional in my book. And since you and your husband agreed on a price, that will be the price to charge. Ignore the rest. By the way, your bouquets are gorgeous!!!

I'd charge at least $5 per cookie, not including any bouquet setup.

Here's your Christmas list for this year:

Aunt Busybody: One bag of flour and a bag of sugar (generic brand)
Uncle KnowNothing: A tube of Pillsbury slice-and-bake cookies, frozen.
Grandma: Huge cookie bouquet with lots of "I Love You" hearts.

JUST PUT COTTON IN YOUR EARS AND DO WHAT YOU THINK. THEY ARE REALLY NICE . ITS YOUR HARD WORK NOT SOMENE ELSE. HAVE YOU PRICE WHAT IS SELLING IN YOUR AREA?

Your cookies look awesom...don't let them get to you.

I want to go to Cookie College to become a Cookie Consultant!

Your cookies are great! Not professional??!! What in the world?! Your relatives are rude and ignorant. I agree with the rest on here-- you should charge more. You know what will happen if you don't-- you'll be in the middle of it wondering why in the heck you said you'd do them for so cheap! My husband looked over my shoulder and said about your prices, "That's not enough." and to tell your uncle-- ok, I won't say-- it wasn't very sweet!

A friend stopped by tonight and saw the pics of your cookies. She just paid $65 for some at the design shop and took to the office. They were not at all tastey, not nearly as nicely done, nor was she or anyone else able to finish one. She would have been happy to pay you for yours at the same price gladly. Something about the aunt and uncle that wasn't nice as well. Your grandma is a keeper to stand up for you.

Lol, well I have to agree with Kmemphis about the feud not being about the price of the darn cookies! But shoot, my family had been known to stop speaking over a fight about an episode of Survivor so I should have known better.

I can't tell you much I appreciate all the nice things you have said. At first, I was okay with them and of course my kids made a fuss (but c'mon!! you can't trust kids and sugar! ) and then I started listening to family and well, you all saw where that got me.

So I am going to stick to my guns and charge what I said. OH! Forgot about the stick attaching thing: that was something I saw here (again, cannot remember the member who posted it) but they don't bake with the sticks in.

She said she used hot glue on the back of the bag and then put a large piece of clear packing tape to cover, then put cookie in and tied bag to stick, giving the visual of a cookie on a stick.

For me, the only problem I had was the hot glue melting thru both layers of the bag, creating a ruined mess so I skipped the hot glue and just taped. That was fine for my displays but for the actual bouquets, I think I will use some type of craft glue and let them dry overnight, then cover with tape. thanks again....



lol, go granny, go granny, go, go, go granny!

I'm glad you're sticking to your guns Diva, your bouquets are beautiful and very well done!

The alternate cookie on a stick genius is Shiney and I love her method. I never ever do the hot glue just strong clear tape over the stick on the back and it works perfectly, on bigger cookies I just reinforce a bit more.

Best of luck I hope you sell out and I like the idea of giving everyone cookies and your aunt and uncle the flour and sugar

There is a low temp glue gun that uses a glue that isn't as hot as the hot glue. That might be a better choce than sticky craft glue.

yes the low temp glue gun and low temp sticks! And you can put a dab of glue on the popsicle stick and the wood will absorb some of the heat and then stick it to the bag and maybe it won't burn through the plastic.

CakeDiva73, I'm glad that you are sticking to your guns, but (depending on your area) I definitely think you should raise your prices. Sometimes packaging costs more than the actual product. Consider all of your costs. If your uncle thinks that your cookies don't look professional, he obviously has vision problems. Your cookies look better those most that I've seen for sale in the cookie shops. Good luck.

I'm still reading all the posts, but if it's bothering you that much don't put prices for these items in your brochure.

I have a similar problem with my family. They tell me I should charge more, but also say they wouldn't pay that much for a cookie. Sigh.

Families can be crazy and full of drama!

Your cookies are beautiful and you should price them at the price the market in your area will support. I know that price can be difficult to figure out sometimes, but don't sell yourself short.

My husband is an executive with a company in the diesel engine industry. I certainly don't tell him how much he should price his fuel filters because I don't know anything about the costs or market of the product. Your family may know what they will pay for "just sugar and flour", but they have no clue what other people are willing to pay.

BTW: one way to get some help on developing pricing and a business plan is to contact a local college or university that offers MBA and other business degrees. Students are often looking to help develop business plans and pricing strategies for small businesses as part of their coursework. It gives the students some experience and you some free advice. My husband and a couple of other students in his Executive MBA program did this for a small bakery that was just starting out. I don't know how much they helped but 13 years later the bakery has continued to grow and thrive.

Your cookies are SUPER! I think you are offering a good deal for such a flawless item. Tell your family to stay out of it.

Love your bouquets!

Sounds a little like my family. My sis made a comment the other day when we were talking about cupcake bouquets. There was some on here posted not long ago. The designer added silk flowers to the cupcake bouquet to add interest. In one of the posting they stated they charge around 45-75dollars for them. I showed my sister and here response, "i can't believe anyone would buy them for that price. i mean you can go to the grocery store and buy a cake mix for a dollar". She has made that comment in the past about decorated cakes as well. Drives me nutty when she uses the "$1.00 cake mix" arguement. Yup, like that's what a cake is made of..ONE cake mix..duh! I've itemized one of my cakes for her once to show her where all the cost comes in and she clearly wasn't listening to any of it. VERY insulting and frustrating to keep the peace at these times.

indydebi, I have so got to meet you. You are now on my bucket list. I think we need to have you made into:

1. a talking doll

2. answering machine tapes
Press 1 for cheap cake remarks
Press 2 for cheap venue remarks
Press 3 etc

3. spokesmodel for all small bakery/catering events to educate the cake muggles. You can be hired and become more popular than the swedish bikini team!

I agree with everything I have read above, with one exception. Prices will vary according to location. What you pay for something in NYC isn't going to be the same as what you would pay in a little hick town in the middle of nowhere. You have great quality work there, DO NOT UNDERSALE yourself at the same time don't completely take yourself out of the running by overpricing either. If you goal is to make extra money, you may do yourself more harm by overpricing.f You must also take into consideration the state of the economy, if a person needs to adjust their spending luxury items are always the hardest hit. Keep them affordable enough that they would make a great gift exchange gift, and be sure to ask your local businesses to post a flyer.