charging friends
I am frustrated!
I started my "Hobby" by sharing my cakes with my friends, usually charging just a fraction more than what it cost me.
Now I am so busy working full time as a dental assistant and 2-3 cakes a week. more if I would take them.
I REALLY need to up my prices but I don't know how to do that when they all expect they are going to get a great deal!
I did recently quote a friend a price for a wedding cake,& 2 1/2sheet cakes, & a 2 tier baseball cake for the family dinner the night before the wedding. Due to my price she only wants me to do the baseball cake! She is going with a friend that gave her a better price!
So, there you go!! Have at it!
Help me figure out how to be more sure and stronger to get what they are worth! any thoughts on this are very appreciated!
Rochelle
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Deah on
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Amen Sherry! I think we do ourselves a disservice by discounting our early work and setting up our friends for a custom cake at a Wal-mart price. If, when your customers see your cakes, they ooh and ahh over them and then rave about the taste of the cake you have done a fine job! Wal-mart can't acheive that. Stick to your guns!
You know it's funny how people are sometimes. I have friends and family that insist I charge them the same as I would a stranger (friends are friends but business is business) and others who I cut a break at my discretion.
Rochelle, the situation you described sounds like normal everyday business. We shop around all the time for the best "deal". Sounds like your friend is looking for the cheapest price or maybe she wants to spread her business around to other friends so no one is left out. Don't take it personally, I'm sure it wasn't meant to be personal.
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Permalink Reply by Diana Viera on
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I agree with Sherry and Deah. I too have started pricing my items recently and realized that I am not charging enough for my work as I should. But then again, I'm new at this "charging" thing so I didn't know. You'll win some and you'll lose some but in the end, you don't want to end up paying out of pocket when they should cover everything, including your time and effort. Now with that said, it's time I take my own advice!
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Permalink Reply by rochelle walters on
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WEll thank you ladies! All great words of wisdom! I guess I have to sit down and figure out what the heck I am worth!!
Haha.... i am just afraid that they won't ask me. I know I need to get over that, so thank you for your advice.
Rochelle
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Permalink Reply by jeri c on
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Rochelle
You do amazing work. Don't undercut yourself... your time is important! Be sure that you charge a fair market price and don't worry about the ones who go elsewhere because of the price... they either can not afford it, or do not respect you enough to pay you what they would have to from somewhere else. When I first started I thought I had to charge next to nothing then as I gained confidence I decided that I had to raise my prices... I did lose a few customers but I let it roll off my back and did not worry. I have bartered services if someone really wants a cake and just can not afford it... have traded photography for our daughter's wedding for a cake for the photographer's son's wedding, and last summer a gal who is a nail tech really wanted a cake from me for her wedding so she traded part $$$ and the rest in pedicures & manicures... worked for me! Just be sure you don't find yourself hating making cakes because you are not being compensated for your work!
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So how did you all decide your prices? do you go by the going rate in your area? Or do you go by something else?
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Permalink Reply by Brandii Magliulo on
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Don't forget to account for the time you spend not only baking and decorating but also clean up! I don't know about you but I create quite a sink full of dishs.
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THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE PLACE TO COME! Yes I am screaming when I say this!! Thank you all for such great advice!
My problem has always been thaqt I change the price every time, with every cake!
I will look at all of this today and put a good price list together! I have been asked to do 5 cakes between now and April 10th. I have to let each one know what it is going to cost them! this part is so overwhelming to me!
I love what I do I just have a dumb feeling that I should charge what I NEED to charge!
Thanks again!
I do love this site!
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Wow Sherry! I love it! I am so excited to get over this and get back to enjoying my "hobby" :)
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I have a 5 tier cake covered in buttercream with flowers cascading down the front. There are about 25 flowers on it. I usually would charge $550 for this size of cake covered in fondant with piping etc... but it is just a rough buttercreamed cake covered with the flowers. I really felt like that was an unfair price for a cake just rough buttercreamed so I told her $450 but if she wants the handmade gumpaste flowers the one (she wants has anemones on it) I told her they were $10 each flower. Those buggers take some time to put together. She decided to get real flowers and I told her to be sure they are not anemones because they are toxic. I have emailed her florist to be sure that the flowers she has ordered are not toxic and are safe to use. Just be sure that you remember... it is not only the time you put into the cake itself but also the consultation, planning, ordering supplies etc. It all adds up.
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Permalink Reply by Erin Klingberg on
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Hello, I am new to all this cake stuff and I'm not yet at a point where im a great decorator (yet!) but it's normal that friends and family will want your skills for free or cheap, no matter what those skills are. I am a graphic designer ( recently graduated ) and was/am constantly asked for free business cards and other designs which most thought they could pay for with a can of beer. In the beginning they thought because i was a 'student' my skills didnt warrant a decent price. After lots of work done for nothing i decided to stop doing work for friends unless they agreed to pay for my time as any other person would. Some didnt want to pay and that was fine with me. Others were more than happy to pay or exchange something for it of equal value. Its hard to charge people, we all doubt ourselves and our skills. Think of this, would you go to work everyday for free?? I wouldn't, therefore charge people for the work you do. If people think making a cake is a quick job, they are delusional! if they want something quick and cheap, tell them to go and buy a packet mix from the supermarket! :) Goodluck and dont cheat yourself out of something you deserve!
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you are so right. I think this is what makes it hard for me. don't know how to figure out what those things are worth to the buyer.
jeri c said:I have a 5 tier cake covered in buttercream with flowers cascading down the front. There are about 25 flowers on it. I usually would charge $550 for this size of cake covered in fondant with piping etc... but it is just a rough buttercreamed cake covered with the flowers. I really felt like that was an unfair price for a cake just rough buttercreamed so I told her $450 but if she wants the handmade gumpaste flowers the one (she wants has anemones on it) I told her they were $10 each flower. Those buggers take some time to put together. She decided to get real flowers and I told her to be sure they are not anemones because they are toxic. I have emailed her florist to be sure that the flowers she has ordered are not toxic and are safe to use. Just be sure that you remember... it is not only the time you put into the cake itself but also the consultation, planning, ordering supplies etc. It all adds up.
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It's less about what it's worth to the buyer and more what your time is and talent is worth to you! You don't get a lexus for the price of a saturn!
rochelle walters said:you are so right. I think this is what makes it hard for me. don't know how to figure out what those things are worth to the buyer.
jeri c said:I have a 5 tier cake covered in buttercream with flowers cascading down the front. There are about 25 flowers on it. I usually would charge $550 for this size of cake covered in fondant with piping etc... but it is just a rough buttercreamed cake covered with the flowers. I really felt like that was an unfair price for a cake just rough buttercreamed so I told her $450 but if she wants the handmade gumpaste flowers the one (she wants has anemones on it) I told her they were $10 each flower. Those buggers take some time to put together. She decided to get real flowers and I told her to be sure they are not anemones because they are toxic. I have emailed her florist to be sure that the flowers she has ordered are not toxic and are safe to use. Just be sure that you remember... it is not only the time you put into the cake itself but also the consultation, planning, ordering supplies etc. It all adds up.
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