Btrupin... 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

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

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...

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.

Way to go Indy!!!!

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?

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.

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

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!!!!!!!!!!!

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.

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..

Over the years I found that I've also undercharged. What's helped me out is before I consult with a client, I give them a brief rundown on how I charge for work. So I'll say something like, "before we meet to discuss plans for your cake, please know I have a $100 cake minimum for all sculpted cakes, and the price generally goes up accordingly in regards to design, cost of materials, labor, how many people it will feed and delivery...if you would like to take some time to think it over I understand, or if you'd like to proceed and book a consultation I'd be glad to set a date and time" this works well in an email too. You could also use what ever other formula you use to price your work, I use the minimum price to set the stage for the rest of the conversation. I find it lets people off the hook easily so they don't feel stupid for not understanding that the work is expensive. I think that's where alot of the attitude comes from. And prefacing your sale like this gives your client a better idea of the cost of your work. This way I don't waste my time laboriously discussing a cake that someone won't buy because of sticker shock. They know I'm expensive right out of the gate. they take it or leave it. Also too, I charge separately for consultations, again, time is money. If they book with me i refund the money into the final cost. If they don't book with me, atleast I'll leave with a check for my time. These days I only take on the projects that will pay for my time, and/or clients that appreciate my work.

In all honesty, I think I'm partially to blame for my own issues. When I first started out, I would make a lot of practice cakes. I didn't want to throw them out, so I would bring them to work or give them away. I think people got used to the free stuff. I think that's where some of the sticker shock came in.

I'm in the same boat as everyone. I'm only a hobby baker who usually bakes for my family (usually free of charge) or pot lucks & my husband's job. I would also bake for my friends for a discounted price b/c I feel why should I pay for someone else cake?

With that said, I get the occasional, "You have beautiful cakes. Can you do a cake for___?" (fill in the blank). Of course I will. They get excited b/c they think that b/c I don't have my own business that I will be cheap. I am cheap. But they want a $300 (to some of you CCer's standards) for $30-40. A friend from high school sent me a few facebook & personal emails asking if I could do a particular cake. She told me all of the details (and it was A LOT). I quoted her for $150. I haven't heard anything since.

I undercharged myself. Especially for a 3-D open shoebox cake w/vertical butterflies on the side of it with a gumpaste strappy, gladiator shoe w/silver accents, 50 diamond/jewel shaped teacakes w/a pudding filling, two cake flavors etc. So, yes, I undercut myself. $150 was a steal. I think I'm going to request that I get 50% up front.

No one wants to pay for anything now-a-days!

I too am in the same boat with bringing in free samples at work. I like the idea of getting feedback to help improve my recipes, but most of the time, people do not even tell me if they liked it or not. In fact, this friday, we have someone leaving the office and someone else approached me and said "are WE doing a cake for so and so..." Now it's expected that I do the cake because after all I'm the one who brings in free samples. I told this person that I had no idea, but I should have told her to start a money collection to pay for it. I feel bad for the person leaving, but it's not my responsibility to make and pay for the cake!!! After all I'm just a admin assistant!!!!! I'm at the point now where I feel like I'm being taken advantage of....I told my hubby that I will not be brining in samples anymore.......

and you right Angelfire3---nobody wants to pay for anything!!!!!

When a guy at work turned 50, guess who was tasked to make his Over the Hill cake? It's in my photos and was bigger than the picture shows. I paid for it all myself. It cost me almost $150 to make it, and not single one of the 80 something people who ate, offered up a single cent. As a matter of fact, I was royally hurt when the honoree threw away the gumpaste version of himself in the car. I know he has no idea how long it took to make that, but seriously, at least wait till I'm out of the room before you toss it!

My hubby is funny though. When people at his office ask him when he's bringing in more goodies, he tells them, "when you pay for them."

I'd rather GIVE a cake from my heart and make it because I want to than to have to figure a price and then hear a whole lot of this and that. I paid $375.00 for a double heart cake here in California two years ago that did not look any better than mine. If people don't want to pay the cost at least for making a cake then let them go elsewhere. It will be their loss for all they will get is a commercial tasting cake with flowers that taste awful. I only make cakes for people I love and care for. But then I am not interested in making money. That is why I retired, so I can do what I want when I want! Making cakes is a lot of fun for me, however people should be willing to at least pay you what it cost to make it, which we all know is as a rule very expensive! I am lucky to have a hobby and a skill, some don't have either one! Ha Ha

I'm not trying to get rich either. I just don't think the economy is good enough. This is why I have a regular full time job. However, I couldn't defend the $1000 debt on my credit card to my husband. He and I were arguing over it, and he's right. It may be a hobby, but it's not a good one if it's eventually gonna put us in the poor house. This is why I agreed with him that people will at least pay for the supplies.

This has been a very interesting discussion. I have been creating cakes for 35 years now, and this year, I have decided to charge according to the requests of my customers. With the advent of Cake Boss and Charm City Cakes on TV, these programs have given the general public great ideas for purchasing cakes. As all of you know, the public does not have a clue as to the time and ingredients that goes into the over the top custom decorated cakes.
I have learned over the years that there is nothing worse than undercharging for a cake and then baking, designing, and decorating the cake knowing you did not charge enough.
I have a minimum size party cake of 35 servings. The base price is $3.00/serving or $105.00. (California) The price goes up from there depending upon the decoration. It just does not pay for me to do cakes for less than 35 servings. There is no money to be made there. I do not consider my customers my friends. I do not give discounts to anyone. However, that being said, I have on occasion given a cake as a gift. I learned very early on in this business that if you bake only for friends....you will never have customers.
I have often thought that we should all include the price of the cake whenever we post a photo of a cake we have decorated. It would also help to include the state that you are from as prices are different across the U.S. I will do this in the future.
Do all my customers accept my proposal on a cake they have requested....no. But, I have decided that that is OK. They are certainly free to go elsewhere and try and get it cheaper. I know the time and the amount of work I put into my creations. I am now happy with the prices I am asking for my cakes because I am worth it.

I never realized how many people have the same issues as I do with customers. People always bargain with me. When I was first starting out I figured it was better to charge less and get my name out there than to turn down work. But then people started talking about how much they paid and I couldn't raise my prices to what they should be. I can't afford to give away cakes.

In my state (AR) you can't bake and sell from your home unless you have a county certified kitchen-and it must be a separate building from your home. You can sell by "word of mouth only" no advertising of any kind.

I have made some practice cakes and given them away to elderly friends or as baby shower gifts to the mother. My son has a friend who is getting married and she asked how much I would charge for a wedding cake. He told her he didn't know but he has known of me giving some cakes away, but not ever giving away a wedding cake. Well, the girl called me and said "your son said you would make my wedding cake for free". I told her it wasn't free and we would have to discuss what she wanted.

I get messages from the "bride to be" changing her mind of what her wedding these will be. All her ideas are completely tacky and some aren't fit for a wedding. I told my son that no matter what she wants, if this cake is for free, she's getting a tasteful, not tacky wedding cake.

So in the state where I live, most don't even consider $20-$30 for any kind of cake. They think because you know how to make them, and you can't sell them from your home....then they must be free!!!!