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How much do people think a cake costs to make??? - Page 5

post #61 of 191
2/8/11 at 9:09am
Btrupin... thumbs_up.gif totally agree...


It's like this lame brain email I got yesterday and posted here about...


She at the end tells me she wants a 2D shaped cake and 10 cupcakes for $50.00 icon_confused.gif

Ahhh...Yeah NO!!!...For one ..since when do the customers dictate to me what they'll pay for a cake..If you don't want to pay or can't afford my cakes then politely decine..Don't send me an email saying "Yeah I want to order a cake for 30-40 people but I don't like your prices and only want to pay $50.00

"Will that work for you" she writes at the end..Ahhh ..Will shoving my foot up your A$$ work for yah icon_twisted.gificon_twisted.gif

That one ticked me off all day....Hubby laughed...he's not surprised at idiotic attitudes.

The point is this...There are always gonna be people who can't afford or can't justify paying any amount for a custom cake as Indydebi states..But you don't need to be rude in saying so...Say Thankyou and be on your way...
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post #62 of 191
2/8/11 at 9:20am
KiddieKakes - you got it!!

I think it's the rudeness or the customer being disrespectful or insulting about our time/talent's worth that sends me over the edge.

I totally get that people can't afford things and I have my limits to what I will pay for different things but that's a personal choice that you need to make on your own. I get the sticker shock thing but please take your negative reaction to it somewhere else besides in my face b/c I don't need to see or hear your displeasure in what I charge. icon_wink.gif
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post #63 of 191
2/8/11 at 9:28am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Niki11784

Does anyone give a breakdown of the pricing to their customers so they can understand where we are coming from?

Double Hockey Stick No!!!!!!!! icon_eek.gif

Does Olive Garden give me a breakdown with my bill?
Does General Motors share with me their actual cost to make a car?
Does my attorney give me a list of his overhead costs?

No freakin' way! And primarily because the COST OF INGREDIENTS IS NOT THE BIG EXPENSE!!!

Do you think Picasso gives a discount on his paintings if you buy the paint? no, because you are paying for his talent, not his supplies.

Dont' even get started on that bad habit. If you want people to know what your "costs" are, give them a list and let THEM spend half a day running all over the place buying EXA TLY what you need .... and then remind them "Plus you'll have to pay me the $20/hour to turn all of that stuff into yoru awesome looking cake!" icon_twisted.gif
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post #64 of 191
2/8/11 at 9:36am
Way to go Indy!!!! thumbs_up.gifthumbs_up.gifthumbs_up.gif
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post #65 of 191
2/8/11 at 9:41am
Indydebi, ouch but true. I hear what you are saying. Maybe people think they are doing the seller a favor by ordering from them, thats where the attitude comes from?
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post #66 of 191
2/8/11 at 9:42am
my photographer instructor back in community college used to tell us that his clients aren't just paying the big $$$ for his time and his equipment ... they're also paying for his past education! these are skills that we spent a lot of money learning and building on. we're not bagging groceries or flippin burgers, people! cake artists are ARTISTS.
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post #67 of 191
2/8/11 at 9:55am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Niki11784

Indydebi, ouch but true. I hear what you are saying. Maybe people think they are doing the seller a favor by ordering from them, thats where the attitude comes from?



Oh I get this feeling from customers A LOT!!!!

It's take it or leave it for me the more this happens, the easier it is to say goodbye to that potential customer...when someone walks away after being this way towards me I look forward to spending that time with my family and I let out a sigh of relief for not having to have a negative attitude while making a cake for someone who reluctantly finally gave in to except my price and pay for it...Like I was twisting their arm or something!
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post #68 of 191
2/8/11 at 10:14am
Quote:
Originally Posted by metria

my photographer instructor back in community college used to tell us that his clients aren't just paying the big $$$ for his time and his equipment ... they're also paying for his past education! these are skills that we spent a lot of money learning and building on. we're not bagging groceries or flippin burgers, people! cake artists are ARTISTS.



One of my favorite stories that I post frequently that demonstrates this very philosophy:

Quote:
Quote:

A woman walking along the street and sees Picasso sitting at a cafe. She gets very excited and asks him to draw her something. He scribbles something on a napkin, hands it to her and says, "that will be $5000." She is aghast and says, "But that only took you 5 minutes!" He looks at her and says, "No, madam. It took me a lifetime."
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post #69 of 191
2/8/11 at 10:18am
Quote:
Originally Posted by metria

my photographer instructor back in community college used to tell us that his clients aren't just paying the big $$$ for his time and his equipment ... they're also paying for his past education! these are skills that we spent a lot of money learning and building on. we're not bagging groceries or flippin burgers, people! cake artists are ARTISTS.



This is what I am struggling with--most people just want to pay for the supplies and figure "she would love to take her free time and make this wonderful cake for me". I too work a full time job and do this on the side. So while talking to my friend the other day about a cake for a friend of hers, I told her, if she wants her cake for that price, then while I'm making her cake for a for pennies, have her come over and do the laundry, vaccum the house, getting supper ready for the hubby. I asked my friend if she would make a wedding cake that would take approx 24 hours from start to finish, for $2 an hour? Her answer "heck no"....well then neither will I. Even if I did this full time, why would I allow someone to basically tell me that their money wasn't worth my time and tallent? I think its great that we are all educating others out there that cakes are not cheap!!! I like the idea of putting the price, size and maybe state that the cake we created is located on CC--that would help consumers to see how much they really do cost. thank you all for your help!!!
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post #70 of 191
2/8/11 at 10:39am
I had a lady email me wanting a carved jersey cake to feed 50 ppl all fondant with lettering and numbers. She wanted mocha cake, rasberry filling, and white chocolate buttercream icing. She also wanted a football cake to go next to it with grass around the football. I sent her a qhote and she said "oh wow, thats more than I expected I was thinking more along the lines of $70, thats all I can afford." I told her the time/cost/and talent it takes to make the cake she is requesting would not be cost effiective for me, have a nice day icon_smile.gif

This lady is crazy I am not taking time away from my kids, my fiance, my home and weekend to be a cake slave for the cost of ingredients!! She has a filet mignon taste on a hot dog budget!!!!!!!!!!!
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post #71 of 191
2/8/11 at 10:40am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ali3971

I have decided to include what I charged for my cake whenever I upload the pic to CC I hoep I have some followers out there??

It would be so helpful to everyone I think!



I agree! I will start doing this as well, people just don't get all the work that goes into cakes, not to mention the clean up after UGH! My kitchen is always a disaster when I'm done with a cake thats the worst part! I am opening a store front very soon and am very tempted to itemize everything on my website that goes into the making of a cake from the fresh ingredients, figures, boxes, boards, clean-up, time for baking, researching, decorating, back aches, etc. Maybe then they will realize I am getting a "custom cake" and $40 isn't enough icon_evil.gif
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post #72 of 191
2/8/11 at 11:09am
This is why I also keep my "day job". I make cakes only when I feel like and for family and close friends. I don't make much of a profit (if any), but I really enjoy decorating. People are just still totally clueless about how much goes into making a cake, even if they're educated on the subject. They still just see an ingredient list. Not only do you need to factor in the labor and utilities, you should consider the time it takes to create a design. Even if you "copy" someone else's cake, it took time to research and send pics to the customer. It takes time to make a sketch, coordinate colors, research a new technique.
It truly burns me up to see a dessert menu @ a restaurant!! We never order one b/c it never lives up to my standards. Yet so many don't think twice about ordering a dried out $5, undecorated piece of cake.
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post #73 of 191
2/8/11 at 11:29am
Don't you get tired of having to justify your price? It is so rude of people to condemn a person for the price they are quoting. I have to admit at one time in my life I thought the same. I went to a local t-shirt shop for some custom work for our dance studio. A client at our studio found out we needed stuff done and she did it from her home. The local t-shirt shop charged $4 more per item and charged $10 more on the set-up charge. I snipped at the woman that her price was insane. She said to me that she charges what she has to in order to stay in business, and that not everyone's overhead is the same. I didn't quite get it then (I was pretty young and green about business back then), but boy do I totally understand now!

I didn't realize it then but she taught me a very valuable lesson. But, now I have to seem to qualify constantly why I charge what I charge. I get so tired of that!...LOL! But, they have to be educated somehow, but many, especially those who have never owned or ran a business, will never get it. ..sigh..
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post #74 of 191
2/8/11 at 11:30am
Quote:
Originally Posted by sweetts99

I'm sorry I do not remember who stated it first but, has anyone been on the Ace of Cakes website! $1000.00 minimum! I am all the time having this agrument with my DH! He thinks I overcharge. So I pulled up the website and showed him. He says OH but he has a degree and a shop and ect.... really?! Ok so I do this from home, and alot of the cakes in my gallery are ones I have done for my kids, or family, but don't even those of us who do that deserve to be paid accordingly? I, unlike alot of you do not have a "customer base" I have a few friends and my church that I do things for but I have found that my "friends" are the ones that don't want to pay for my work. Also does anyone elses DH want you to make things just to take into work, for free!?



SWEETTS99, how I can so relate to this .. BIG TIME!! I get it at work .. when you going to bring something mm-good in for us to sample, SAMPLE? .. I tell them if they want this, they can pay .50 a cupcake .. YEAH RIGHT! not .. they are not going to do this and I do not take anything in either .. I have everything on my website of what I sell, the costs .. I even made pies for a place {cafe} in my hometown and she did not want to pay 12.00 for a cherry pie she could get it from Chicago for $8.00 .. She loves my pies but not for what I sell them for .... So she can get her pies from a factory an pay low and get pooh .. This CC Forum is great to read .. It's just not only I that has this problem with people wanting baked goods for nothing ..
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post #75 of 191
2/8/11 at 11:35am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Geneseo

I get it at work .. when you going to bring something mm-good in for us to sample, SAMPLE? ..

I had the same thing at a job I had. I'd tell them "when I get your check that reserves yoru oven time."
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