Most of my customers are family, friends or friends of friends. Almost all are continuously repeat customers who have seen my prices raise as my skills and the complexity of the cakes they are asking for get higher. But, I get so sad, like tears in my eyes, when my customers complain about the price of their cake...or, they tell me what kind of cake they want and I show them some examples and then they tell me they only want to spend a small amount of money. Yeah, I know, I should ask for a price point ahead of time.
I'm not an expert and my cakes are FAR from perfect. I make cakes out of my home so there are minimal overhead costs. I never charge a delivery fee and I try to cut people some slack but after paying for ingredients and materials, I go back and figure how much time I spent on making the cake and sometimes I don't even get paid $2.00 per hour.
I work hard on these cakes. I try to make every cake as real and as close to the real thing as possible. I spend time researching every detail, figuring out sizes with a ruler, making templates, etc. I spend time away from my family to make them and then the anxiety and stress involved.
I'm just frustrated and no one else understands how I feel because they don't do this. I am alone...no one else in my area sculpts cakes or makes cakes like I do, just me. I turn away customers that want sheet cakes because that's not what I do.
How do you guys deal with people complaining about prices? I know I'm not overcharging but I live in a small area and I don't think people are used to spending $80. and up for a cake. I understand but damn, some of these people expect an edible masterpiece to only feed 10-20 people and don't want to spend more that $40.00
It makes me so sad and so bummed, I just want to quit this business but every time someone comes to me with a new cake idea, I'm back at it. HELP!!!
I'm not an expert and my cakes are FAR from perfect. I make cakes out of my home so there are minimal overhead costs. I never charge a delivery fee and I try to cut people some slack but after paying for ingredients and materials, I go back and figure how much time I spent on making the cake and sometimes I don't even get paid $2.00 per hour.
I work hard on these cakes. I try to make every cake as real and as close to the real thing as possible. I spend time researching every detail, figuring out sizes with a ruler, making templates, etc. I spend time away from my family to make them and then the anxiety and stress involved.
I'm just frustrated and no one else understands how I feel because they don't do this. I am alone...no one else in my area sculpts cakes or makes cakes like I do, just me. I turn away customers that want sheet cakes because that's not what I do.
How do you guys deal with people complaining about prices? I know I'm not overcharging but I live in a small area and I don't think people are used to spending $80. and up for a cake. I understand but damn, some of these people expect an edible masterpiece to only feed 10-20 people and don't want to spend more that $40.00
It makes me so sad and so bummed, I just want to quit this business but every time someone comes to me with a new cake idea, I'm back at it. HELP!!!
I honestly feel sometimes that I would pay customers to receive a cake! nuts I know and obviously I wouldn't but it's just their giddiness is often worth more to me than their money! ....im sure running a business will soon cure such delusions 
...hope you're not reading this dear....
