charging to much..?!
I am just starting to charge for cakes but when I broke down my cost t figure out what to charge I charged $20 for an 8" round cake! I felf so bad since I am so new and my work isn't great! I have looked on here before for some ideas of pricing and if I took my cost and X3 it would have been a $45 cake! I need some tips of how to lower my cost or a good price range for someone that is my level.
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Aimee Youngblood on
-
Have you checked with local bakeries for what they're charging per cake? What kind of recipes are you using? maybe research new recipes that are a little less costly or have fewer ingredients??? Maybe buying in bulk will save some "price per cake" costs. I charge $30 for a 9"
-
Permalink Reply by Eileen S on
-
It depends on your area as well. I noticed you're in Syracuse, so people are going to be used to paying real $$ for good stuff. I'm in a rural area and charge about what both Aimee and Deah charge - $30 for a basic 8" or 9" buttercream round (they both use the same amount of batter), $35 if it has some kind of fondant details, $40 if it is covered in fondant. Shaped cakes are harder because they require more carving, etc. so they cost more.
-
Permalink Reply by Tara's Cakes on
-
Well now I think I'M charging too much, oh well.
I charge $40-45 for a 9" BC with fondant accents according to what work is needed. That has me at AROUND $2.00 a serving. Heck Publix charges around $20.00 & that's "Decadent Desserts" cake & serves 8-10.....AND IF I'M CORRECT, those are frozen cakes! OK my point is, I think I'm in line with the high-end grocery store north of me, lol.
Oh & I'm in between to VERY small towns. 2,500 ppl total.
-
-
We don't even have a publix in my town. walmart, kroger, ingles and the good 'ol Piggly Wiggly. lol.... I don't really go by the "standard serving guide" so i'm pretty much at $2.00 per serving. Eileen, that's pretty much what I charge too for the fondant work. I just changed my minimum for carved cakes to $75 for 25 servings. got tired of spending so much time on them not to make any money on them once you factored in my "time"
-
-
I've actually decided that guitar cakes now start at $300. That way nobody will order them. LOL They're a pain in the neck. :)
Aimee Youngblood said:We don't even have a publix in my town. walmart, kroger, ingles and the good 'ol Piggly Wiggly. lol.... I don't really go by the "standard serving guide" so i'm pretty much at $2.00 per serving. Eileen, that's pretty much what I charge too for the fondant work. I just changed my minimum for carved cakes to $75 for 25 servings. got tired of spending so much time on them not to make any money on them once you factored in my "time"
-
Permalink Reply by Deah on
-
Tara's Cakes said:Well now I think I'M charging too much, oh well
Tara - you charge what the market will bear. If you have plenty of business at your current prices don't second guess them. I really don't think $5 will make a difference in your orders.
-
Permalink Reply by Sugar & Slice on
-
I just feel bad charging $35-40 when I am just starting out and am not that good yet lol. I guess I am just going to have to suck it up and charge more becasue I am going to kill myself making only $5 for hours of work! If I don't get jobs i don't get jobs....
-
Permalink Reply by Kathy Kmonk on
-
I used to work in a cookie store. We chared $6.50 per cookie, they were quite large and hand decorated, some people on the other end of the phone line would audibly gasp when they heard the prices. I can't tell you how many times I got " ARE YOU SERIOUS?!! I DON'T WANT TO PAY THAT MUCH FOR COOKIES! and so on an so forth...When they did that I just asked them if the wanted to continue to place the order. I wasn't there to defend prices, I was there to sell and decorate cookies. Those were the prices take 'em or leave 'em. Your prices are your prices, don't feel like you have to defend them. You know what is going into that cake, if people want it they will order if not, let them go to WalMart... There are people out there looking for cheap cakes and then there are people out there looking for quality cakes. You want the folks who want quality cakes.
Trisha Virgadamo said:I just feel bad charging $35-40 when I am just starting out and am not that good yet lol. I guess I am just going to have to suck it up and charge more becasue I am going to kill myself making only $5 for hours of work! If I don't get jobs i don't get jobs....
-
Permalink Reply by Sherry Qualls on
-
Pricing in a nutshell
Cost of your ingredients
what your market bears (what other bakers in your area are charging)
How much do you want to make
I think your talent is fine... I love the butterfly cake. Cost of ingredients x3 is an outdated pricing structure..you will better price your cakes using the above and never ever let anyone cost compare you to Walmart...you make custom cakes....Walmart can't even come close to that. Did I read your post right and you feel bad for charging $20.00 for one of your cakes? Phooey on that Trisha...bet your cost of ingredients alone comes close to $20.00..you have to believe that your time and talent is worth charging for..and throw the "feeling bad" out the back door...if you want to make cakes a money making venture...treat it like business!! If people don't want to pay your prices...they are not your customers!!!!
-
Permalink Reply by jeri c on
-
Like most have siad... it all depends on where you live and what the market will allow you to sell for... I personally don't even do the small cakes. I work full time and my time is worth more to me in the evenings so I don't usually even take an order less than $200... but remember, that would be for a small 3 tier cake. I pretty much stick to wedding cakes only... dont do many occasion cakes unless it is for a family member or a very close friend.
-
Permalink Reply by Michelle Galloway on
-
Your probably better than u think!!!! Most people cant even spread a can of duncan hines and look good.lol. I have found that ppl are almost always amazed if you can do more than plunk plastic toys and candy doo dads on a cake. I base my prices on a local bakery that is very popular and does work I can equate too. I dont even price to Publix level, cause I do more work than they do. Everything is fresh and made by hand. If they want frozen grocery store cakes w/ some airbrushing and plastic toys....then head to the grocery store bakery,be my guest! LOL
Trisha Virgadamo said:I just feel bad charging $35-40 when I am just starting out and am not that good yet lol. I guess I am just going to have to suck it up and charge more becasue I am going to kill myself making only $5 for hours of work! If I don't get jobs i don't get jobs....
Popular Cake Searches
© 2024 Created by Theresa Happe.
Powered by
