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Okay, give me your honest opinion on my pricing.... - Page 2

post #16 of 51
9/5/11 at 5:03pm
If she wants it all for $150 I would say she is welcome to go find someone else to provide what she wants. You are WAY too low for what she should be paying. Are you keeping the dummies or is she? I think I'd run from this little challenge.
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post #17 of 51
9/5/11 at 5:08pm
Your cookies alone are worth 1$ per inch. So assuming they are 3 inches, you already are at $90. Your pricing is very low, she would never find that anywhere else. But now you know about pricing and profit. I have made the same mistake myself, I consider it the cost of learning.
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post #18 of 51
9/5/11 at 5:22pm
Thread Starter 
Well, thank you all for the input!!! i am so irritated with the situation.

I figured i was undercharging. like i said..i mainly only do these cakes etc for friends and family so i never really make money.... This friend has a sister (the one we are discussing) that is running the show. Now, my friend (the mom to be) is having issues too. I just got done talking to her and now she wants to omit the cupcakes and make the cake real. WHAT!? that is a wedding size cake. I told her "NO" that i couldn't do that....nor WOULD i do that. it is ridiculous. let me remind you that this shower is for 30 PEOPLE. BUT...they want it grand so they are making me crazy. I have NEVER made a fake cake nor have i ever decorated one so large....I'm stressed enough about that let alone this picky woman and making her happy. I am inches from saying forget it.

What gets me about it is my friend has seen me go to lots of trouble for people and make no money...she's always the one who tells me to start charging what i should. well................

and forgive my ignorance but why the shock on the 14 inch tier...? cuz it's soo large!? i suggested a 12....i am lost on this one!!!
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post #19 of 51
9/5/11 at 5:28pm
18", 16", and 12" is just huge. Did you mean to say 14"? Just the same, when you hear those sizes you just think of MASSIVE!
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post #20 of 51
9/5/11 at 5:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by lolobell


and forgive my ignorance but why the shock on the 14 inch tier...? cuz it's soo large!? i suggested a 12....i am lost on this one!!!


I was wondering why would she want a large top tier unless she is using it as a cupcake stand or using it to display something, it seems that it would be squatty. Honestly if I wanted something grand I would go tall. But from what you say she is being cheap. Why would she think that it would be cheaper to get a 12, 14, and 16 in. cake than 30 cupcakes. It bothers me when people are hagglers, she is trying to get from you eat she couldn't get from a bakery, especially at that price.

Eta: for bad bad grammar! icon_lol.gificon_cry.gif
Failure is not an option!!
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Failure is not an option!!
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post #21 of 51
9/5/11 at 5:41pm
You really need to ask this person what her deal is with those sizes. Quite frankly, someone that insistent with going big, AND having those sizes concerns me. I hear "big and grand" all the time, but no one ever ever tells me the size of the tiers. That's just odd. And a 14" top tier would look darn stupid, sorry, no other way to say it. I can't stand using a 6" for a top tier, it's too big for my tastes, I prefer a 4 but can handle a 5. 14"....whyyyyyyy?
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post #22 of 51
9/5/11 at 6:11pm
I agree the tier sizes are just dumb. Grand is one thing...those tier sizes won't look grand, they'll look short and fat.

If she wants grand she'll need to be educated on what grand costs and looks like.

Grand to me is 5 or more tall tiers.
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post #23 of 51
9/5/11 at 6:14pm
Those sizes do sound massive, and you are going to hate covering that 18" cake in fondant. Not sure what your design is, but you could make a 12" 9" 6" cake sitting up on a pedistal and it would look grand. I would just do it in cake and forget the rest of stuff, for that price, and I know that would be not be enough. Maybe you need the big cake for your design, I feel she is asking alot from you.
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post #24 of 51
9/5/11 at 6:25pm
Thread Starter 
Oh, i'm so worried about how this dummy cake will look now!! It was HER REQUEST to have an 18..16 and 14. like i said...i've never done one before...i am beyond nervous!!!!

she wants it on a fondant covered board with ribbon accents too...(of course)

the design is 3 different blues, with silvers and white......fleur de lis, the babies name...oh and she wants lot of silver dragees for blink.

AHHHHHHHH!!!!! i want out!!! haha!!!!
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post #25 of 51
9/5/11 at 6:33pm
Tell her to decorate the heck out of the room and cake table and you'll make her a 10",8",6" beautiful cake on a nice tall stand, that feeds 30 ppl, for free as your shower gift! Maybe someone can make her a, 18"16",14" DIAPER cake with lots of bells and whistles, lol!
Best of luck with this project! Try not to go crazy over it though and do what's best for you! You must post a pic! icon_biggrin.gif
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post #26 of 51
9/5/11 at 6:33pm
If you don't take control of this situation right now you will regret it.

Nobody can make you do something you're not comfortable doing...just say no. It's that easy.

The size cake she wants will serve well over 250 people...does she know that?
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post #27 of 51
9/5/11 at 6:37pm
All of that on the cake, plus the cookies and cupcakes, and she thinks she can get all that for $150??? No way. I'd tell her to go find someone else to do it. Covering those huge dummies is already going to take a ton of fondant, plus buying the dummies, putting all the silver dragees on by by hand, etc.....nope, nope, nope, sooooo not worth your time for that small amount of money. I'd tell her you will do cookies OR cupcakes OR a smaller tiered cake, like a 4in, 6in, 8in which would be more than enough to feed 30 people. I mean, what the heck would they even do with the ridiculous amount of cake they would get from a 14in, 16in, 18in?? Sounds like they are just being absolutely ridiculous. Trying to make everything "grand" at a baby shower so you can try to pretend you have tons of money when you really can't afford it just makes you look foolish.
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post #28 of 51
9/5/11 at 6:40pm
One way to deal with this is to show her what the cake pans look like stacked on each other. If you don't have pans that size, you could suggest she goes to Michael's or a local kitchen store to see what those sizes actually look like stacked. I show all of my brides the cake pans and stack them upside down to show them approximately what the cake would look like. It's amazing how if you don't work in cake, the sizes really mean nothing. Sounds like these people just have a bigger is better attitude.

I'd go about it sounding confident....something like "I've been considering your request in terms of how the finished product will look - If the look you want is "grand and elegant", my suggestion for a cake that looks the most proportionate, gives the effect you are looking for and is in your price range, will be a 12", 9", 6", which would look very elegant standing on a cake pedestal as the centerpiece for your occasion - this option with the 30 cupcakes, and 30 individually bagged and tied cookies will break down in pricing to $____.__. Once you've made your final decision according to this new information, I'll send you the contract and will require the signed contract and 50% non-refundable deposit immediately. The remainder will be due 2 weeks before the event date. Looking forward to hearing how you'd like to proceed. Thank you so much!"
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post #29 of 51
9/5/11 at 6:46pm
I'd also recommend working backwards from her budget at this point as well. You can say - if your budget is $150, these are the products I can offer you.....(then YOU decide what you're willing to do for that - break down what you charge for cupcakes/cookies and see how many she can get - don't forget a delivery fee if you plan to charge one). Then get back to her with your proposal and if you're really just hoping to get out of it ...add a line saying something to the effect of "I understand if you were hoping to get more for your money, but I am not in the position to offer products at less than wholesale. Please feel free to find another baker if what I'm offering is not what you're looking for"
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post #30 of 51
9/5/11 at 7:02pm
Thread Starter 
great, great advice from some experienced people. First, let me say, "Thank you" for taking the time to talk me through this.

I've been trying to post pictures for the past hour of the sketch i did so you all can see it...is anyone else having trouble posting this evening?

Secondly, I am going to sit tonight and construct an email to her using all of the advice given to me here...My main concern is getting the dummies in time if she decides to make it smaller...i still haven't received the sizes that she requested and it's been almost 2 weeks...I used the recommended site of Dallas Foam that I saw on CC...So, i'm not sure i could find smaller ones in time...but, maybe i can talk her into a real cake.....

what a mess. my friend is now not talking to me anymore today.....after i told her i would never consider making a real cake that size...so dumb....we are talking 30 people...NOT 300.
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