A

Oh man...I guess I need to reevaluate my serving size chart. -_- Any suggestions? First wedding cake= huge lesson learned. Thank you all for the advices. I really appreciate it!

AUse the serving chart from Wilton for wedding servings. its the industry standard.

A

I didn't even look at your calculations on servings.

You mentioned you aren't even making much of a profit, I assume that's with your base price. I would step back and reevaluate your pricing, (don't compare prices with Walmart when looking in your area, look at custom cake shops & of course that's only one aspect) it will be much harder to raise your prices in the future! I realize you want the word of mouth as well as the experience-many people in these forums have trouble with pricing, especially in the beginning, many don't even realize they are doing it but it will make you hate what you are doing & eventually burnout! Say you build a customer base then decide to raise your prices, your regulars aren't going to like that & nobody wants to be known as the 'cheap cake lady'. I would rather practice making cakes for my family then work my butt off for nothing, you can also try designs on cake dummies to build your portfolio. It takes a while to build a successful business and find regular customers.

You need to consider your ingredients, electricity, insurance, supplies, etc. it should all be worked into your cost, not to mention your time: baking, decorating, shopping, cleaning... I live in a tiny, rural area and my base prices are about $4/5.

As for renting items I will let someone rent a stand but I recommend having them designate a family member/friend to return the item. I'll have them write a check and if it's not returned by x I cash the check but as the others stated, the monogram, ribbon, or broaches wouldn't be something I'd include-up to you. Also, you mentioned the other customer, I make sure to let them know they aren't booked without a deposit (this is one of the parts in my contract that I discuss with them) and if it's a rush order I require the total upfront as well as an additional charge for the rush (not that December is really a rush order but this helps with my scheduling & people tend to order in advance over time).

You don't ever have to justify your prices but consider this; if a customer was taking their party to a restaraunt they would spend $4/5 (on the low end) for a plated dessert. Custom cakes aren't typically just a dessert they are also a showpiece for their event. Most of this will come with experience & confidence, you must value your time/work if you want your customers to.

ASorry that was a ridiculously long post! I just wanted to say that your avatar pic looks very nice & clean! There's no reason you should be undercharging. Feel free to pm if you need any help.

I just looked at your pics of your work and you should definitely be charging more!

AThank you! I haven't heard back from that lady for a while. Guess she expected me to lower my price or she probably found someone cheaper. I just started my little business and dealing with this situation is definitely a lesson to learn. Im sticking to my prices. In fact I've since then raised my price. :)

Good for you!

I personally feel your time alone is worth more than minimum wage. Don't short yourself.