I had a request for a baby shower cake that I am delivering this morning at 10:30. I asked what her budget was and she said "I don't care...as long as it is not $100". I emailed her some ideas and they liked one here on cc and said they wanted it "just like it". So after, after asking permission of the owner of the original idea, I started to recreate the cake. It is a cake that looks like a pregnant woman's belly with a fondant dress and fondant daisies, etc. The cake is an 11x15. As I was in the middle of the cake last evening, I talked with her about whether she wanted all the fondant around the sides of the cake...when we talked about price I told her $75-$80, she said "ouch!". So we came to the determination that instead of all the fondant stripes around the side, I would just do a simple buttercream border instead. So, I am really unsure of what to charge her now...I don't want to not charge enough for the cake, but this is also the first cake she has ordered from me and was a referral from a couple other friends in our local MOPS group...and they talk about everything...I don't want word to spread that I am the cake lady to avoid because of too high prices, but on the other hand don't want to become the cake lady to come to b/c she is so cheap!
Sorry for such a long post! Any advice would be appreciated!

Charge what you would charge any other client. Just because she is in your MOPS group, she shouldn't get any special treatment. If she tells others you charge too much, she is not much of a friend. I looked at your photos. Your work commands good prices. She told you what her budget was so she shouldn't have said, 'Ouch." JMO Good luck with your decision.

Diane

Sorry. Just reread your post and realized this is not a friend of yours but a referral. That is immaterial though. Charge her what you would anyone else.

Diane

I am in louisville ky and here an 11x15 cake done like you said is not unreasonable at 80.00 at all!
Especially with what you are doing to it.

So MOPS mom or not, 80.00 it should be. Girl don't give away your work, I know how tempting that is...I fight it everyday just to be able to make cakes.....you deserve better!

Personally, I would be charging $100 minimum for a cake that size with fondant details! So at $80 she has a bargain. Don't let her beat you down on the price, or it will give every other customer permission to do so too! Stick to your guns.

$80 dollars sounds completely reasonable. That's what I would charge. If she finds that too much and won't order from you again then so be it. Hope she can find another custom cake at the grocery store. Don't worry what she'll say--too bad--people want everything for practically nothing. She could have ordered at 10" round w/ basic decorations--but she didn't.

I wouldn't go any lower than $65. Maybe you could charge her a little lower and tell her that she gets a first-time order discount to try out your cakes. ??? I have done this and the customers came back begging for more.

I think you are running into the same situation that many of us are in....so many people think they can get a cake to their specifications and made to order for a grocery store price.

We are artists!! (I a little less talented than others on our site) but non the less we are artists and not everyone can do what we do or they would....so please remember that when you have her hand you no less than $80...you are worth it, I know our internal dialoge tells us otherwise at times...but heck, I have kicked myself enough times after a delivery too.
Just remember what you are giving her is NOT what she would get elsewhere.

I don't start baking until the price and design are set and a deposit has been received to book the date. I'd say take this as a lesson learnt next time price the design before you send it to the client. And when the client says not $100 be sure to ask exactly how much they do want to spend.

Sometimes people use the phrase "as long as it's not $100" rhetorically. To some, "not $100" means "I don't want to spend a lot of money". They might as well say "as long as it's not $1000" because to them, it means the same thing.

If I had someone say "as long as it's not $100", I probably would ask them, "So $95 is ok then?"

In my experience, if they tell you "under $100" what they really mean is "I want to only spend $50".

I would also never make a cake with a final price up in the air. THis needs to be resolved and agreed before you ever turn on the mixer.

I've noticed that if you start haggling on a price and start removing details, that the customer expects a large reduction in price but you haven't got a very large reduction in decorating time or expense! For instance removing fondant stripes...she will expect probably $20 less in price but you still have to do most of the work, and fondant stripes are easy.

Usually to reduce a price you should have to remove ALOT of detail or shrink the cake size....

Don't reduce your pice !!!! She didn't want a 100.00 cake and you gave her a 80.00 cake... Get your money and if she likes your cakes she will be back regardless of price... I know a lady that goes to a bakery a hour away from us. She ALWAYS complains about what she pays...but she ALWAYS goes back...I think she just likes to complain ...go figure!

I think $80 is a great price to pay for a cake that size and with all the details. She's already getting a great price so stick to your guns and don't let her push you into changing it.