Wedding planner wants 15% of my sales

Actually, a lot of wedding vendors like to operate this way where when they pass on business to you they take a small cut of your profit you received from that client. It usually just stops there. For instance, I refer someone to you for cake, they hire you, you give me 10%, done. You have to view it like it's money spent on advertising. Some people are ok with paying commissions like that, and others, like myself, are not. I'd rather find my own clients and keep all the money. Some people also work on a flat fee. Before having my second child I was a wedding photographer and wedding planners approached me about this. Again, there were never any stipulations like the ones you were given. The planner is clearly trying to keep you from recieving more customers from word of mouth (from the client she sent you). You would essentially be paying the planner to be one of her preferred bakers. They know that most brides who use a planner are going to go to them first and more than likely recieve referrals on where to go for their other vendors. Being on that list is a good thing for the amount of business you recieve, but there are plenty of planners who will put you on their list for free if they feel you have something great to offer. You'd be on a visible list to the brides and they would know your name. Just setup an appt with a few planners in your area, bring photos of your past cakes, bring some cake, and have a chat about you. You'd be surprised how easy it is to become a referred baker without paying a dime. If you like the planner then it becomes a 'you scratch my back i'll scratch yours' kind of thing. No money involved. I would personally pass on this arrangement, it's too sticky and not worth it personally.

Oh hell no. H-E-L-L-N-O. Oh, and hell no.

The way I read it you'll end up with brides that you don't really want to bake for. Nope, I'll choose the the people I work with, thank you very much.

Exactly.

You want to be referred because you're good, not because they're getting a commission to say you're good.

Sounds like a shake down. I would tell her thanks but no thanks, you don't need her to bring clients to you in this manner and that you hope that if a bride does choose you to make her cake and her as the planner that you can remain civil about the situation. Tell her in order to give her 15% you would have to raise your prices by that much. Plus it sounds like she wants you to charge less than you do. She probably charges her clients extra for arranging a cake maker so she is a greedy double dipper, and she'll probably keep the difference if you lower your price anyway.

^^^ Yeh, what she said.

Hell no indeed!

She needs to share whatever she's smoking.

ROFL... tell her she is dreaming.

She also sent me a long contract stipulating some really strange things like I must never advertise who I am or my business to her clients. She will handle all wedding cake affairs on my behalf and communicate my info to her brides

And how will you ever know what she is charging the bride for your cake.
You might tell her that the cake is worth $500.00
She then tells the bride it is worth $600.00
Then she charges 15% on top of your $500.00

So she makes $75.00 + $100.00 = $175.00 just for referring you.

I never work through a wedding planner - for the simple facts - which are.

I sit and discuss the design of the cake with the bride
I sit and talk flavours and fillings.
AND i am the one who makes the samples for the bride to taste.
Not the wedding planner.
I match cooours - and at the end of the day - no one tells me how to conduct my business.


And as for her saying *You are not allowed to advertise or discuss who you are *WITH HER CLIENTS* ......pffffttttttt who the hell does she think she is.

Run away from her Pearl - and run away fast.
She will chew you up and spit you out - and if ever there is a problem with one of your cakes - she will push the bride in your direction and blame you all the way to the high court.

I bet her motto is - all care and no responsability.
RUN AWAY.....she is what we call here in Australia a leech.... sucking others dry so as to make HER living.



Bluehue

Yeah, what Blue said. And if the bride doesn't know the planner is already getting 15% from you, and the planners way of charging the bride is a % of her overall wedding spend, say 10%, she would also get an additional $60 from the bride if she says it costs $600. Planner gets a total of $75+$100+$60 = $235 for doing next to nothing, and you are getting $425 for lots of work and a fabulous cake.

Run away. As fast as you can.

I would email her:
Dear (Crazy) Wedding Planner,
After careful consideration I don't feel a partnership with you is in the best interests of my business. Thank you for thinking of me. I wish you luck in the future.
Sincerely,
(Luck as hell not to be working with you) cake decorator

Don't call her because that's just a invitation to get into an arguement with her and since she's clearly already off her rocker that's just asking for trouble.

If only Pearl could just send this as her answer to the planner.