Ok I have a cookie bouquet order and I am not sure what to charge, The lady is going to buy all the stuff...I am doing it for a bridal shower, she ask me what I was going to charge her and I told her $10.00 an hour and she said NO I only want to pay you $1.oo-$2.00 a cookie..I was like no cause there is a lot of work that goes into it, she said I am buying everything your only decorating them..I said no it's a process and she kept bring up the fact she was buying everything..so I finally said " you wouldn't go into a bakery and tell them what your telling me , I said you would either take their price or leave. She said ya I can see your point..but I only want to pay you what i said earlier.. ok this lady I am talking is my sister and she thinks also that were family so I should do what she say's...but I am telling you she wouldn't give me a break...I know her. So should I go lower in my price or should I stand firm or should I just tell her I am not going to do it??? I am wanting to get my name out there so I don't know what to do? Family or not I think my time is worth something...I just don't know what that price is...any help I will totally be greatful for...Thank you.. Oh and the size cookies she wants are about 5 inchs.

I'd tell her $5 each (most charge $1/inch) and that you are buying the supplies.

My concern for price per hour is there is no way she knows how many hours it is going to take. Would you estimate how many hours or just tell her how long it took when she picked them up or you delievered them? I would suggest per cookie or per bouquet. I sold a couple ofvalentines bouquest of cookies at works for 15.00 each. Personaly she already sounds like someone I'd rather not do it for. Good luck

"Bite me, Sis! Go make the same deal with someone else. Oh wait! THEY would tell you to drop dead, too!"

I'm in the middle of sleep deprivation right now and can't really type all of the words I'd like to tell someone like this ..... but if she wants to blow off your time, then you can blow off her "order".

I need a new car. I think I'll go to GM and tell them that I'll provide all the parts and they can put it together for twenty bucks. I mean gosh ... *I* provided all the metal!!

Yeah ..... THAT'LL work!

Either buy all the ingredients yourself and charge her per $3-4 cookie (depending on the size, general rule of thumb is $1 per inch) or tell her to go somewhere else.

She cannot go into a store and dictate those kinds of terms for an order. She shouldn't be able to do it for you. I don't care if she's your sister, your mother or some stranger down the block.

Ditto to all the above...Heck..Cookies by design charges anyway up to $100.00 for their bouquets...Why would you do it for nearly nothing...supplies or no supplies...

"Say NO to the Dough"...better yet..tell her to do them herself!!

cakegirl - have you made a bouquet before? Thats alot of work!!!!

indydebi - I agree with you

Indydebi, lol you always make me smile. I had just come off of a week with 3 late nights, and I see from my previous posting I wasn't typing or spelling well either. Sorry CC members, I think most of us have been there.

Ok I am totally lol you are to funny indydebi and I totally agree, $10.00 an hr. my be a little steep so I am going to charge her about $3.00 a cookie or wait better yet $4.00....And yes I have done a few cookie bouquet's and yes they are alot of work. My sister has always had the attitude that she is supposed to get what ever she wants....well not this time. I really love all you ladies...you women are the best and I really apperciate your input I will let you all know how it turns out. Thanks again have a great day!!!

So have you talked to her yet?

Everytime i see a post like that, i am hoping indebi answers because she is just so funny, yet so to the point! Great advice from all of you.
A mechanic friend of mine had a customer come with a part and asked him to install it into his car. My friend told the guy, would you walk into a pizza shop with your own dough and ask them to make it for you?.....guy said no....my friend said then i will buy the part your car needs and will install that one.

Wow. I know how you feel girl. I used to be a hairstylist b4 I started cake/cookie decorating and family is the worst. While in school the instructors would tell us, right now you're excited to whip out those shears to do a haircut but eventually you'll get over it. They were right! I have abrother that never wants to pay over $20 for ANYTHING I do. I say, sis needs to do them herself. She may get an appreciation for what you do. Good Luck!

being your sister, I would tell her I'll take $2.00/cookie IF you supply EVERYTHING and IF you help me do all the cookies!!! Make her shop for the ingredients, bake, prepare the dough, clean up the mess, make the icings, watch all the TIME it takes YOU to decorate them, then make her prepare the containers watch how long it takes you to get all the cookies "perfectly arranged" and then see if she doesn't think they're worth more the next time!!!

Set her straight before the wedding or you'll be doing cookies and cake for $2/serv!!!

No I haven't talked to her yet, tryed but no return call, Well the thing with my sister is, she is a hair stylist and one time she charged me $75.00 for a perm and went to walmart and bought it....And kept the rest so she didn't give me a break...now did she ...ok I know i shouldn't be doing tit for tat but.....it's always been like this.....and my mom is going to be buying all the supplies for the wedding cake and I am going to help my mom because she really wants to have a go at cake decorating...so my sister will get that one free. I am sorry If i sound bitter...I love my sister but I want it all too be done fair. Also I was thinking that if I wasn't confident in what I do then I would never charge her very much...but I know I do a great job when it comes to this kind of stuff, I always have great reviews. So I will let you know how it goes after I talk to her...Thanks again Ladies and have a great day!!

[quote="cakegirl31"]No I haven't talked to her yet, tryed but no return call, Well the thing with my sister is, she is a hair stylist and one time she charged me $75.00 for a perm and went to walmart and bought it....And kept the rest so she didn't give me a break...

Oh My Stars! Maybe it shouldn't be funny but this gave me the best laugh yet! No she did not go to WALMART! Apparently she thought HER time and skill were valuable. Yet yours, not so much. Wow. Thanks for sharing that. Seriously. LOL Now, I will have a great day because you helped it start with humor!







A Man's Gift Makes Room For Him And Brings Him Before Great Men...

What if you tell her you'll charge less if she gives you back the extra $70 you paid for the perm? I mean, she wouldn't have given you a perm for less than 10 bucks right?? That's all they cost!! Have her agree to give you another perm for $2 if you buy the perm kit LOL

...took the words right out of my mouth Tina! Totally agree there.
Sad, it sounds like my something my sister would do as well.

You guys are crackin' me up She charged you 75 bucks for a perm, and now she wants the family discount? Oh no. I agree with everyone else. You're time is worth something, and if she doesn't think so I'd tell her to go elsewhere. My guess is she knows your work is good and that she wouldn't get it from anyone else at that price.

OR, you could do them for free and tell her it's her wedding gift

That's exactly what i would do and have done in the past. Whenever i know i'm not going to get the money i deserve for my cookies, i offer to do them as a gift. This is only for close family and friends, whom i'd normally go out and buy a gift for whatever occasion it is. The best thing is that since they're not paying for the cookies, i get to do them on my terms, however and how many i choose to do.

I find myself looking forward to responses from indydebi to matters like this. SShe is just too funny and ALWAYS on the mark! Just do as she says.

Your very welcome

Just wondering how things turned out?

just wanted to update the wedding was moved to next May 2011, so as far as the cookies go...ummmmm she has said nothing to me about them, so I have not brung it up, I don't know if I will do the them anyway. So I will let you know if I do them.....Thanks Cakegirl31.....

Ok I told my sister I would do them for a $1.00 a piece, now she is really being demanding" I want I want I want" Is all I hear from her. Ummm Your paying me a dollar.....thats a pretty good deal. I told her all packaging materials would be extra and she was like no that should be included with the cookies. I said nope its not and if you look around everyone else charges for that to. Finally with a sarcastic attitude she said" fine I'll buy all th packaging" so theres the update.

cakegirl, dont forget to tell her that she also has to help package them. That takes me as long as decorating the flaming things sometimes.

goodluck, keep us informed.... I love this forum thanks gals

You need to direct her sorry a$$ to the nearest Cookies by Design (I did a search ... there are five within a drive that is less than 2 hours from you)

This crummy little 7 cookie bouquet is $54.99 ...... $7.85 PER COOKIE!!!!!!!!!!!! http://www.cookiesbydesign.com/gift-baskets/just-because-gifts/smiling-face-daisies

THEN let her decide if YOUR price is too high!