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What to charge

post #1 of 14
5/14/12 at 8:04am
Thread Starter 
Hello - I am making a groom's cake and have no idea what to charge. It is a marble cake with the size being a bit larger than a 9 x 13 (cannot remember the pan size) sheet. I am going to make a Corvette logo out of fondant to put on top of it, with the cake being covered in buttercream. Here is the link to the logo so you can see the detail. Any ideas on what to charge? I live in the midwest and this is for the daughter of a gal I went to high school with. This is the part I hate, as I don't want to over-charge. Thanks!
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post #2 of 14
5/14/12 at 11:41am
You need to determine how much the ingredients will cost you, how long it will take you to make the cake so you can add "your wage per hour" x "no. of hours," some for overhead (electricity to run the oven, desposable piping bags, dishwashing liquid, etc.), and the amount you want as profit.

I hope I die before "your" is the official spelling of the contraction of "you are."

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I hope I die before "your" is the official spelling of the contraction of "you are."

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post #3 of 14
5/15/12 at 9:36am
Thread Starter 
It's so hard to come up with an hourly rate for myself, as I don't want to be greedy. :0)
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post #4 of 14
5/15/12 at 10:21am
How close is this friend and her daughter? You could pay yourself minimum wage and figure that the rest (for a "normal" wage) is your gift to the bride and groom.

Lots of people undercharge for their cakes. I recommend you read this:
https://www.cakeboss.com/PricingGuideline.aspx

I hope I die before "your" is the official spelling of the contraction of "you are."

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I hope I die before "your" is the official spelling of the contraction of "you are."

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post #5 of 14
5/15/12 at 10:36am
Thread Starter 
Oh this is a lady I went to high school with but haven't spent time with since. She has seen my cake photos via Facebook and asked if I would make the cake for her daughter's wedding. Thanks for your insight!
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post #6 of 14
5/15/12 at 12:01pm
If she is not a close friend (and her daughter isn't either), she is just a customer. You should not undercharge.

I hope I die before "your" is the official spelling of the contraction of "you are."

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I hope I die before "your" is the official spelling of the contraction of "you are."

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post #7 of 14
5/15/12 at 12:44pm
A 9" x 13" will give you 50 servings. An 11" x 15" will give you 74 servings. The easiest way to price a cake is by the number of servings. So, for example, if you bake a 9" x 13" and frost in bc, at say $3.00/serving that would be $150.00. Then add in ingredients/supplies/time for the fondant logo and you're looking at anywhere from $165 to $200.

IMO pricing is a personal thing as no two people will have the same costs/overhead/market, etc. If you're going to be in business, you need to get your pricing structure in order first so you won't be caught flat-footed. icon_rolleyes.gif
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post #8 of 14
5/15/12 at 12:58pm
I'm sorry. icon_redface.gif I didn't mean to sound so preachy. It just seems to me that even without a business plan, pricing would be one of the first issues addressed when you decide to go into business.
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post #9 of 14
5/15/12 at 2:48pm
I agree that pricing is hard. When I had my shop I had prices according to the size of the cake. Now it's much different and prices have increased sooooooo much it's hard for me to suggest.
I agree w/the 'per serving' priceing.
BTW: in giffords example those #s reflect a 4" tall cake. You need to know how many servings your customer needs. You can make a single layer for about 1/3rd less.
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post #10 of 14
5/15/12 at 3:31pm
Thread Starter 
It's a single layer and the person ordering it didn't care how many people it would serve because the wedding cake itself would be enough for everyone. They are just doing the groom's cake because the groom is in the military and hasn't really had a say in much of the wedding planning since he is gone a lot. I think this is their way of doing something special for him. I am going to order the Cake Boss software to assist in the pricing issue as soon as I get a laptop. We own Mac computers and although some have been able to make it work by running Windows, I don't want to mess with that (it's not adapted for Macs). Plan to get the PC laptop this weekend. Has anyone had experience with that software?
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post #11 of 14
5/16/12 at 6:55am
Thread Starter 
Here are more details - The cake is a 12 x 18 single layer sheet, covered in buttercream. There will be a Corvette emblem on top that is done via color flow (on top of a fondant piece). I am delivering it to a location 30 miles away. I was thinking of charging $75. I have about $40 in supplies and am adding $10 for delivery (total expenses $50). The rest is profit. Thoughts?
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post #12 of 14
5/16/12 at 6:59am
What are you going to include for your time?
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post #13 of 14
5/16/12 at 7:26am
Thread Starter 
Well with the expenses of $50 and charging $75 I was looking at the difference as my time. I guess I didn't look at my time as something separate from the profit. Sorry I am coming across as being green with this, but I am. I have made many, many cakes, but am just now starting to charge for them. Lots to learn. :0)
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post #14 of 14
5/16/12 at 7:29am
Yes, it is a learning process. You need to include your time as an expense - - you can do other things while the cake is baking, but not while decorating. Good luck and be sure and post pics. thumbs_up.gif
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