Why am I already so expensive?? (its become a bit of a rant)

If you have a premium product but market to the mainstream, this will be your fate... weeding through all of the inquiries to get a few of your actual target market. Talk to your intstructors about defining your target market. What comes next is your marketing plan to reach that market.

For example, I never get those inquiries. But be aware that the higher income market is just a small number compared to the mainstream market. So don't get discouraged once you start marketing correctly and the amount of inquiries is smaller. You are shooting for quality inquiries with a higher closing (making the sale) ratio.

Do not worry about overcharging. There is a huge segment of the market that will only buy premium. I am one of those people and so are our professional and personal acquaintances. 25 years ago in an intro econ class, the book stated that if price was the most important aspect of a product, we would all be driving Yugos. Yep, most won't even know what that is.

Don't worry about the price. Since I have expanded my menu, I never get orders for the basics.

What do you want to offer? What do you love to bake? Now is there a market? If there is, why get in the rat race with the middle income bakers? Yes, the market is the largest, but in most areas, this segment is saturated.

Find that niche, something you love that will also set you apart from the crowd. It is actually very easy if you get that mindset and start planning. Even in tough economic times, it is not difficult.

Pm me for how to get that market.

Hi jennifercullen, I'm in the UK too and don't think you are over-charging. I've got a page on Facebook for my business and I've found it very useful and it has got me orders but I've also had a lot of inquiries from people who have either not replied or told me its too expensive and they don't want to pay that much. I'm only just starting out so don't charge as much as somebody more experienced would and I did a lot of research into prices and mine aren't bad at all for my area, around the same as other cake decorators who do similar things.

I think some people will pay for a cake whilst others just want to have a fantastic cake and pay the same that they would for picking one up off the shelf from Tescos. There are people out there who are willing to pay and understand the time and effort that goes into making a cake so don't be dis-heartened by those who don't. I've just had a look at your photos and your cakes look amazing (I love the batman one) so you need to be charging for your time and making some money out of it too. I think its also easier to charge more once you are a business too as people understand you have costs to pay for like insurance etc otherwise they just see it as your hobby you are making money from. Good luck with whatever you decide!

The trouble with this country is that premium is a very small market & depends on the area you're selling in & the product. If it's childrens cakes most people won't pay top price as Asda, Tesco etc sell so cheaply. Yes they taste like cardboard & are full of additives but but a child isn't going to complain about that, so the parents go for the cheapest option.

It also doesn't help the amount of baking shows that are on tv, making everyone think they can start a cake business with no experience or talent. I've had someone like this in my area. It doesn't help that she used to work with my mom (& was classed as a friend) & the people that are buying from her used to be buy from me, even though she is unlicensed & not of a professional standard. But they don't care, she's cheaper & that's all some people care about.

I don't think your cakes are that overpriced. You say you have been getting enough orders that you felt you could start a small business, so people must be happy with your cakes & the price you charge. If your'e worried about the competition in your area call & pretend to be a bride etc & make a general enquiry about their cakes. No one knows it's you & it will give you general idea about how your prices compare to theirs. How do you know that the people that have made the enquiries with you on facebook aren't the competition trying to find out your prices?

As for facebook, I used to "advertise" on there but took it down in the end beacuse I got so many dead end enquiries it just wasn't worth the hassle. Yes it's a wonderful promotional tool in one way but can be just as much as a pain in another way.

You will always get enquiries for prices & they never come back, don't take it to heart it's not worth the brain ache lol I used to stress about this but you'll learn that a lot of people are out there to squeeze you as much as they can, we all want a bargain especially in this economy, but don't give on it. If your product is good & you are charging your worth & you're getting plenty of business from your regular customers to keep you going, the new ones will come. All of my business is word of mouth & recomendations from previous customers & that is the best advertising you can get.

Where I live Puerto Rico is the same I don't have a lot of customers I'm just 1 year and months in the business but so far I satisfy the customers expectations of what they ask for and if a new customer finds it expensive I send them to costco or sams jijiji I don't think they will do custom cakes for the price they want (not yet jijii) little by little you what to have customer that respect your work and dedication. Exito!!

Glad I'm not the only one experiencing this! I get enquiries, which is great, but they regularly don't translate into orders. I've had enough customers (and repeat customers) to know my product is right, my prices are fair. The 'you're too expensive' non-clients all come from my non-targeted marketing - FB, twitter, farmers markets.

Some people don't want to pay much for 'flour and eggs' and that's fine with me - they can go to a supermarket, if that's their budget. (taken me a while to get to this point, but i now understand that not everyone thinks cake is the best thing since sliced bread!).

I work hard. I like my cakes to be a perfect as I can make them. i use top notch ingredients and am proud of my creations. I don't think it's unreasonable to want to pay myself more than minimum wage! It's hard if you look at this as rejection- I try to see it more as not being the right baker for them!

I'm focusing on the wedding market for now and higher end farmers markets that will appreciate the value of my premium ingredients etc. Have you looked at this as an option? Keep your head up and DONT lower your prices. You'll end up resenting your customers and lose passion for your art. Your work is beautiful and the right customers will come x

Good luck Jennifer. It is always the most rewarding to be able to do what you love and find a market vs. having the market force you into making something you don't prefer.

By the way, the Yugo was a company that came out in the 70's with a drastically cheap car that was far below the market preice of its nearest competitor. It had few creature comforts, it was ugly, and everyone made fun of them and those who bought them. It became a model used in economics books and marketing books in college to drive home the fact that price is usually never the number one factor in a sale. In fact, it is usually not even second. People prefer comfort, prestige from their peers, and looks far above price. It was never stated that the car didn't have value because the price did meet the perceived value. It was just that people did not want to drive such a basic, ugly, uncomfortable car. Not to mention all of the jokes the owners had to endure.

 I am also starting and I price my 9" round cake at 31.50.My customers think it is very expensive. Should I adjust my price when if I do, I am at loss with the labor alone? Any advice please?

How much do you spend on ingredients for that 9" cake, and how many hours does it take you to complete it (including prep, baking, decorating, and cleanup)? How much do you pay in overhead costs (license fees, insurance, etc.)?

I'm in the United States and after 16 years I've noticed that this time of year is traditionally "tire kicking" time.  In other words, there's a lot of inquiries and not a lot of orders.  Those come in February so hang in there.  Whatever you do, don't undersell yourself.  Let the other bakers take the low-ballers - and soon they too will go out of business.

When I started, there was this desperation to take any order because I wanted the work and to get my name out there. Well, I got a lot of work, made very little and burned myself out. I have since had fewer orders, numbers wise, but made substantially more money and enjoyed myself in the process.

That is $1 a serving! You need new customers if they consider that expensive. My minimum for a 9" is $88.