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I started it, let's talk about it... - Page 5

post #61 of 183
12/9/10 at 12:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Annabakescakes

Quote:
Quote:

if i totaled up all of the money i would have charged these people when i was doing free cakes for "family and friends" for two years, i would have made $10,000+. that's ten grand i'm taking away from other bakeries in the area.



In the fun spirit of great debateicon_wink.gif

If they hadn't gotten a free cake from you, would they have gotten one from somewhere where they would have had to pay? If so, then it is still "taking from other bakeries in the area"

But that is also like saying that I do my laundry at home, so I am taking money from the laundry mat. But I take my comforters to Coin Laundry, up the road, so I am taking money from Laundry Queen. Or the time DH dropped the kids off at my mom's with dirty clothes for the next day.(I was having a baby 3 weeks early) She washed them! I guess she took the money from the laundry mat, or from walmart, because she used her own detergent from Big Lots, and if I had used my own from walmart, then I would have to buy more.



icon_eek.gif I can't believe you stole from your water company!!

icon_lol.gif
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post #62 of 183
12/9/10 at 12:15pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kitagrl

Most successful cake artists, especially those who started maybe 20-25 years ago, started at home, unlicensed. Period. I did...people in this thread did....and I know for a fact many successful and well known cake artists did as well. I'm still not running a full time business here....2-3 cakes a week, max. My first responsibility is to my kids...and that's how it will stay. I was glad to finally be able to save up enough cake money to buy my license and insurance 3 years ago.

I think its a personal choice (yes, its law...yes...its a choice.). And I also do not feel threatened by the tons of unlicensed bakers we have in our area. I need to concentrate on making MY licensed business the BEST and highest quality it can be. That takes enough effort, and will keep my customers ordering...if I'm the best, I don't have to worry about people "stealing" my orders. They say if you are running a race, you should not look back to see where the competitors are...because it will slow you down. Just a thought.

The only thing that totally annoys me about this discussion is that we have newer cakers that get on...ask a question about a cake they did for their neighbor, and suddenly all the CC police come and say "Ummmm! You aren't allowed to do that!!! UMMMM!!!!" Its so wearing. Just answer the cake question...ya know? There are plenty of "licensed" threads on this board without turning 50% of the threads into that debate.



Thank you! Awesome! BTW, if you aren't the best in your area, then NEVER point me in the direction of your competitor's website. I almost *swooned* when I saw that puppy cake you did with the 3D puppy on top with the drawings on the sides of the tiers. It was so sweet, I would have cried if i saw it in person! I showed it to my DH and kids! My daughter is 6 and she was stroking the computer monitor where his little head was.

I would rather make 1 cake for $150, than 3 for $50 each.

The person who works for nothing will always have plenty to do!

My sarcasm is good-humored. People generally really like me, in person ;-) 

Licensed, inspected, insured, home-based commercial...

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I would rather make 1 cake for $150, than 3 for $50 each.

The person who works for nothing will always have plenty to do!

My sarcasm is good-humored. People generally really like me, in person ;-) 

Licensed, inspected, insured, home-based commercial...

Reply
post #63 of 183
12/9/10 at 12:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by aswartzw

Quote:
Originally Posted by Annabakescakes

Quote:
Quote:

if i totaled up all of the money i would have charged these people when i was doing free cakes for "family and friends" for two years, i would have made $10,000+. that's ten grand i'm taking away from other bakeries in the area.



In the fun spirit of great debateicon_wink.gif

If they hadn't gotten a free cake from you, would they have gotten one from somewhere where they would have had to pay? If so, then it is still "taking from other bakeries in the area"

But that is also like saying that I do my laundry at home, so I am taking money from the laundry mat. But I take my comforters to Coin Laundry, up the road, so I am taking money from Laundry Queen. Or the time DH dropped the kids off at my mom's with dirty clothes for the next day.(I was having a baby 3 weeks early) She washed them! I guess she took the money from the laundry mat, or from walmart, because she used her own detergent from Big Lots, and if I had used my own from walmart, then I would have to buy more.



icon_eek.gif I can't believe you stole from your water company!!

icon_lol.gif



LOL!!! (for real!!)

I would rather make 1 cake for $150, than 3 for $50 each.

The person who works for nothing will always have plenty to do!

My sarcasm is good-humored. People generally really like me, in person ;-) 

Licensed, inspected, insured, home-based commercial...

Reply

I would rather make 1 cake for $150, than 3 for $50 each.

The person who works for nothing will always have plenty to do!

My sarcasm is good-humored. People generally really like me, in person ;-) 

Licensed, inspected, insured, home-based commercial...

Reply
post #64 of 183
12/9/10 at 12:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Annabakescakes

Quote:
Quote:

if i totaled up all of the money i would have charged these people when i was doing free cakes for "family and friends" for two years, i would have made $10,000+. that's ten grand i'm taking away from other bakeries in the area.



In the fun spirit of great debateicon_wink.gif

If they hadn't gotten a free cake from you, would they have gotten one from somewhere where they would have had to pay? If so, then it is still "taking from other bakeries in the area"

But that is also like saying that I do my laundry at home, so I am taking money from the laundry mat. But I take my comforters to Coin Laundry, up the road, so I am taking money from Laundry Queen. Or the time DH dropped the kids off at my mom's with dirty clothes for the next day.(I was having a baby 3 weeks early) She washed them! I guess she took the money from the laundry mat, or from walmart, because she used her own detergent from Big Lots, and if I had used my own from walmart, then I would have to buy more.



you are funny, and i get what you're saying icon_biggrin.gif
my point was that IF i had charged for them, i would have been operating illegally, which is not fair to the legal ones out there. my point was that we should all compete against each other the right way. i gave them as gifts to those people...and they were grateful for them! and if i didn't make them the cake, they would have probably gone to walmart and gotten a sheet cake. or most likely (and knowing my family this is the truest of all), they would have gone and bought a mix and made it themselves, and wouldn't have even taken the time to flip it out of the pan before they iced it LOL and ya know what, we would have loved every bit still icon_smile.gif
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post #65 of 183
12/9/10 at 12:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Annabakescakes

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kitagrl

Most successful cake artists, especially those who started maybe 20-25 years ago, started at home, unlicensed. Period. I did...people in this thread did....and I know for a fact many successful and well known cake artists did as well. I'm still not running a full time business here....2-3 cakes a week, max. My first responsibility is to my kids...and that's how it will stay. I was glad to finally be able to save up enough cake money to buy my license and insurance 3 years ago.

I think its a personal choice (yes, its law...yes...its a choice.). And I also do not feel threatened by the tons of unlicensed bakers we have in our area. I need to concentrate on making MY licensed business the BEST and highest quality it can be. That takes enough effort, and will keep my customers ordering...if I'm the best, I don't have to worry about people "stealing" my orders. They say if you are running a race, you should not look back to see where the competitors are...because it will slow you down. Just a thought.

The only thing that totally annoys me about this discussion is that we have newer cakers that get on...ask a question about a cake they did for their neighbor, and suddenly all the CC police come and say "Ummmm! You aren't allowed to do that!!! UMMMM!!!!" Its so wearing. Just answer the cake question...ya know? There are plenty of "licensed" threads on this board without turning 50% of the threads into that debate.



Thank you! Awesome! BTW, if you aren't the best in your area, then NEVER point me in the direction of your competitor's website. I almost *swooned* when I saw that puppy cake you did with the 3D puppy on top with the drawings on the sides of the tiers. It was so sweet, I would have cried if i saw it in person! I showed it to my DH and kids! My daughter is 6 and she was stroking the computer monitor where his little head was.



Aww thanks!

Nope I'm not the best in my area! I've got a BIIIIIIIG area!!!! haha. But its okay...would like to keep my business simple for now!
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post #66 of 183
12/9/10 at 12:35pm
My my how nice it is for people to comfort each other for doing something illegal and say it's not nice to tell it like it is. icon_rolleyes.gif
¢¾Sarah
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¢¾Sarah
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post #67 of 183
12/9/10 at 12:52pm
If you are an illegal baker posting a question in the Cake Business forum about selling, pricing, etc., then you may get answers that you may not like to hear. Yes, it's illegal to sell baked goods from home except in a small handful of states. So when someone who has put a lot of time and money into becoming legal tells you that, it's not the "cake police", and that newbie should really see it as sound advice from someone with experience rather than a debate/argument.
When life gives you lemons, make lemon cake!
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When life gives you lemons, make lemon cake!
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post #68 of 183
12/9/10 at 1:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sadsmile

My my how nice it is for people to comfort each other for doing something illegal and say it's not nice to tell it like it is. icon_rolleyes.gif



I didn't say it was right, or the best choice, I just basically said its none of my business what everyone else does. I'm not the cake police.
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post #69 of 183
12/9/10 at 1:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kitagrl

Quote:
Originally Posted by sadsmile

My my how nice it is for people to comfort each other for doing something illegal and say it's not nice to tell it like it is. icon_rolleyes.gif



I didn't say it was right, or the best choice, I just basically said its none of my business what everyone else does. I'm not the cake police.



Maybe cake police would be nice to have! But not to see if someone is legal or not, but when somebody makes a really hideous cake!

I would rather make 1 cake for $150, than 3 for $50 each.

The person who works for nothing will always have plenty to do!

My sarcasm is good-humored. People generally really like me, in person ;-) 

Licensed, inspected, insured, home-based commercial...

Reply

I would rather make 1 cake for $150, than 3 for $50 each.

The person who works for nothing will always have plenty to do!

My sarcasm is good-humored. People generally really like me, in person ;-) 

Licensed, inspected, insured, home-based commercial...

Reply
post #70 of 183
12/9/10 at 2:40pm
My statement wasn't directed at anyone particular but rather the acceptance of doing it illegally. The blind eye and the we know it's not right but nobody is going to say anything... Society has that attitude about a lot of things and people suffer for it.
The "Lots of people did it or started out that way.", doesn't make it OK.

Lots of people doing it doesn't make it any less wrong or any more right. It is what it is. Though people who are selling illegally don't like to hear it or have someone tell them it is wrong, nothing can make it right but going about it through the proper legal channels businesses must go through. It's just an old annoying topic. Right is right and wrong is wrong.



Send those cake police my way- they won't find anything! icon_wink.gif
¢¾Sarah
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¢¾Sarah
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post #71 of 183
12/9/10 at 2:51pm
@Kitagrl:

Awesome post! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! Now I'll admit, I was one of those people that didn't know about that law and probably wouldn't have found out had it not been for this site. However, you are absolutely right.. its one thing to be informative and another to be a police throwing your badge in peoples face. Especially, since this should be a place for support. We all have to start someplace. It's not always what you say but how you say it.
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post #72 of 183
12/9/10 at 3:05pm
I am going to say something that will probably be unpopular, but this is the only industry I can think of that tolerates unlicensed vendors. Is it because we are mostly women... or more likely, bakers who go into business don't necessarily have to have tough business instinct to get started. Think of other similar industries, massage therapists, contractors(I am one), personal trainers, hairdressers, cosmetologists, just to name a few. If someone was taking money without a license in any of these occupations, they would get turned in by their peers. And why do we need a license? PUBLIC SAFETY!!! You can disagree with the law, just like disagreeing with taxes, but the outcome is the same, it's the law. And although we can debate it, the law does not change.

Do something that does not require a license to fund your savings for a cake business. I am sorry for those of you who lack funding, but we all make choices in our life that put us where we are now. If you want a cake business, save and sacrifice like the rest of us.
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post #73 of 183
12/9/10 at 3:06pm
This "debate" is ridiculous, because whenever people post about this they're just looking for the answer thay want to hear. If it's illegal in your area it's illegal, so that's it. Not everyone who starts a business sells illegally first, I didn't and I know that there are other people on here who didn't.

Personally, I want to set the right excample for my kids. Do things the right way, and if you don't like the way the laws are set up, work to get those laws changed. If I told my kids "well, everyone else does it" then I'm setting myself up for some nasty "do as I do and not as I say" scenarios when they're older.

I realize that people who are going to sell illegally are going to do it and rationalize it to themselves, but that doesn't mean that it's okay, so don't kid yourself. Also don't expect to come on a business forum and have people tell you to have fun selling your illegal cakes.
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http://www.acaketorememberva.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/acaketoremember
http://www.youtube.com/karabuntin
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post #74 of 183
12/9/10 at 3:42pm
I started legal in an approved facility.

Later on when I learned that I could not have a legal place on my property in any way--I got a full time job in front of a computer. Hey it handily paid the bills and I can still do cakes.
When I'm not fully pissed off about the inconsistent unfairness of it.

edited to say--this all way before cake message boards
 
 

 

 

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post #75 of 183
12/9/10 at 4:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by scp1127

I am going to say something that will probably be unpopular, but this is the only industry I can think of that tolerates unlicensed vendors.



I can think of a few others -

catering
hair styling
home health care

Theresa icon_smile.gif
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