Do people really think we are going to give them a free cake.

I feel your pain...

This week I was asked to

1.Donate 200 cupcakes to a charity event .

2.Donate a wedding cake gift certificate for a silent auction at another charity event.

2 orders ~ $0

I love to donate but lately I am being asked for for pretty pricey stuff.

I have backed my business down to friends and family until my son starts school and having no regrets yet.

My favorite is when they tell you their budget, you come up with a price in that budget, and then they tell you it's too expensive. Whaaaa??? 

This lady called me last week and said she wanted to come in to our shop this week with some pictures of what she wanted for her son's birthday cake. She told me her budget was about $50. I stopped her right there and told her that our most basic custom cake for 20 servings starts at $50 and goes up from there depending on design. So she then tells me, ok well I can go as high as $100, but definitely no more than $150. Ok, we should be able to work with that. So she brings in what she wants, a sheet cake with a character on top. I quoted her $90 for a 9X13 (double layer, we don't do single layer sheets) iced in bc with a buttercream transfer of the character (very detailed image, not a simple BCT). She responds that it's too much and that I had told her a shaped cake would be $60 (Whaaa??? Where did she get that from??? I NEVER said that. Our shaped cakes start at $250) so why would a sheet cake be $90. 

Why do people equate "sheet cake" with "cheap"??? It's the same amount of cake whether it's in a square, round, or rectangle. Sheesh. 

So that's how my morning started. Yay. Thanks for letting me vent! 

I can relate. They don't take into account the amount of work, details and time it takes to create a cake to feed a certain amount of people. Most of us are under charging because we don't add how much our time is worth. I had a client this week ask for a crib cake to feed about 75-100 people. Based on my servings fomula ($4.00 a serving) 75 people is about $300.00 which doesn't include the detail and work involved.

I was asked if I would do a 3 tier fondant wedding cake with gumpaste tigerlilys and calla lilys for a young couple from their church probono.  What?????? This from someone who is just an acquaintance and I do not attend her church and I do not know the couple!!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roseyrod 

I was asked if I would do a 3 tier fondant wedding cake with gumpaste tigerlilys and calla lilys for a young couple from their church probono.  What?????? This from someone who is just an acquaintance and I do not attend her church and I do not know the couple!!!!

They were asking you to do it for free??? wow.

I am so soft hearted, but when I did cakes for huge discounts, or free in the past, when I got to the venue, I could see that the cake was the only thing they were scrimping on.... You look at the linens, and chair coverings and the wedding dress, and the stretched limo, and see why there was no budget for cake! A-holes....

Yesterday I was asked to duplicate my avatar pic for $30.  I must tell you that I deserve an award for the best acting. " Gasp, cough - I'm sorry I have something caught in my throat - cough, cough."  When I gave her the price she told me with attitude that she could get it cheaper at the grocery store.  With a very polite smile I borrowed a line from another thread on CC - "you can get a cake at the grocery store but you Can't get That cake"  Thank you to whoever said it first!!!!!!!!

How about a very detailed 3 tier Mickey Mouse cake with each tier a different flavor, and 48 cupcakes with 3 additional flavors. Budget $175.00

I am an aspiring baker.   I have been doing cakes for nothing for a while...building my skills, getting my name out there among my peers.  Due to personal economic challenges I cannot give my cakes away anymore.    So yesterday I made a batch of cupcakes for a friend who was "paying"   Since I am new to all of this I wasn't sure what to charge so I told her that I would charge for materials and anything extra would be a "tip"  (mistake....yes I know!)

so my materials cost 29 dollars for these 40 gourmet cupcakes (2 types, white chocolate raspberry with white chocolate mousse frosting and fresh raspberry compote filling with SMB inside...the other was cookies and cream)   These were from scratch.   They took me all afternoon to make.   I get to the party, everyone raves over them and wants my number....yay!    The friend who commissioned them paid me 40 dollars total.    

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.   I still don't.  (I am leaning toward crying).  So my 5 hours of hard work equated to 2 bucks and hour.    Seriously?!!!    Yes.   My fault.   I should have set a price (lesson learned there!)  

the kicker?    It was a Tupperware party where I ended up buying 80 bucks worth of stuff. (The paying friend is the Tupperware consultant so essentially what she paid for the cupcakes literally just got paid back to her from me via commission)   Can I get the chump of the day award?! 

I feel defeated by this.  I am bitter (mostly at myself). It makes me feel worthless and kind of taken advantage of.   (But I allowed it)  

I am not looking for sympathy or tough love on this, I just needed to rant to a community that understands.....most of my people look at me like I am nuts because they think 40 bucks for 40 cupcakes is high anyway.     

Needless to say, I cannot keep stabbing myself in the foot taking on projects that devalue me.  And for goodness sake I cannot buy Tupperware anymore!   

And I wonder how many of them go out to cafes for coffee and cake and pay quite happily?

Quote:

Originally Posted by IAmPamCakes 

I had that problem with my boyfriend's friend who got married. Months before the wedding, we hung out and had a tasting. They pretty much knew what flavor they wanted, so it was no big deal. Then I told them that a wedding cake would START at $3/serving. We designed a cake, I gave sheet cake options, and told them the potential cost. Ok. Days later, te groom calls me to say they can't afford $600 for a cake so were going to Costco for sheet cakes, and could I make a smallcake for the wedding party that could be photographed. I made a 2 tier (1 dummy tier) cake for them. On delivery (my BF was in the wedding, so I was also a guest) they were having their wedding in one of the most expensive venues, expensive orchids, nice linens, and expensive catering service.
I was going to charge them only ingredient cost for the cake. After all was said & done, I just gifted the cake to them so I wouldn't be bitter about not getting paid anything.

Sure.  Couples get really carried away by all the frills that add up...and the poor cake comes last and there are only pennies per person to spend.  You have to be really hardnosed to sit there and say to vendors, "good food comes ahead of fancy frills".

The only exception is when we cake makers make our own wedding ckaes.  Then, people show up expecting to have at least 3 slices if you say there are three flavours. And you know, there always seems to be enough cake at those parties...