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1/4 sheet cake Pricing question

post #1 of 8
10/8/12 at 6:32am
Thread Starter 
I recently made a 1/4 sheet cake, 2 full layers, not just split, for a customer. She wanted a Browning Buck star tipped and camouflage the whole cake with her sons name on the bottom. I charged $45 to do this. I even quoted the price before I made it. Now she is saying it was too high and wasn't big enough. My question is, should I have charged less because I star tipped it?

Teresa James

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Teresa James

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post #2 of 8
10/8/12 at 7:22am
How much was your cost for the cake, including ingredients, labor (number of hours spent on the order * your hourly wage), and allocated overhead (license fees, insurance, utilities, etc.)?
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post #3 of 8
10/8/12 at 7:35am
While no one can truely tell you if your price was too high or too low (okay, well maybe if it was way too low! ), what many people here give is great advice...

* Check with local bakeries in your area and see where they fall for two cake/one filling layer sheet cakes... Are you way higher or lower?

* Calculate your overhead (just like jason said)... Don't forget to pay yourself a decent wage... Are you charging enough to cover your costs?

* Determine what type of customer you wish to attract... Are you in their price range?

To me, just using a star tip does not change the price...

And remember... Your prices are Your prices... if the customer doesn't wish to pay that much, they can choose to go elsewhere... You don't want to run yourself ragged and into the hole just to please them...

** All suggestions are gleamed from various parties within cake central **

I do agree with SavannahQuinn... I think it was too little as well... It would have served approximately 55 people... at even $2 a serving that would have been $110...
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post #4 of 8
10/8/12 at 7:57am
I think you charged too littlle....
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post #5 of 8
10/8/12 at 8:09am
Quote:
Originally Posted by trjames68

I recently made a 1/4 sheet cake, 2 full layers, not just split, for a customer...... I charged $45 to do this. I even quoted the price before I made it. Now she is saying it was too high and wasn't big enough.



Huh? Looks like she didn't know how to cut it.

FYI A single layer decorated cake should have cost her $50. This amount of cake, $100 easy. Doing a buck with a star tip (is that what you meant?) doesn't drop the price--it's more work, it should be more $$$.

Consider this: make a picture of your quarter-sheet pan alongside some dishes to show customers how "big" the sheet base is. That's one reason why bakeries use dummy cakes--they show the size on the table instead of just numbers on a sheet of paper.
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post #6 of 8
10/8/12 at 12:31pm
It's been my experience that many people who purchase from home-based businesses (licensed or not) often expect rock-bottom prices. So it's possible that even $25 would have been too much. (It's just flour and sugar with an egg or two, right?)

I suggest you look at your customer base and think about marketing to folks who understand the quality of your wonderful cakes.
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website www.BakingFix.com
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post #7 of 8
10/30/12 at 6:39am
Thread Starter 

Thank you everyone! All your comments were helpful. I was definately cheaper then most in my area. I talked with a few and they all agreed that the lady was very unreasonable.

Teresa James

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Teresa James

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post #8 of 8
10/30/12 at 9:04am

I just did a 1/4 sheet, camo cake that was 2 layer, 1/2 vanilla and 1/2 chocolate so I baked two full cakes, used a full batch of my icing since I needed to be darn sure I had enough of each color, and I charged $45. I guarantee if I was also free handing a deer on top I would have charged more.
 

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