What is your typical day and week like? What hours do you work? Thanks!

Katie

I kept track of this last year, and I work anywhere between 35-60 hours a week when you include everything (shopping, bookkeeping, baking, decorating, etc.) I probably do something cake-related every day, but I TRY to take one day where I don't do anything It usually doesn't work that way, though! Monday I try to do my house stuff, not cakes, but I usually end up finishing up paperwork from the weekend. Tuesday I do cake shopping, Wednesday I prep ingredients and make anything that needs to be done ahead of time, Thursday I bake, Friday I decorate and Saturday I deliver wedding cakes and do tasting appointments. Sunday is paperwork day (I hate paperwork.) In between that basic structure I make gumpaste that can be done ahead of time, answer emails, etc. I have kids, so I work from 7:30 to 2 or so if I can get it all in while they're in school, but I usually have to spread it out because of other things that come up. When you work out of your home you have to be able to set times when you're "at the office" and not plan on anything else for those days. I don't schedule ANYTHING on Thursday or Friday anymore (no school-related anything, no house repairs, etc.), since those are the days when I'm in the kitchen, and if something interrupts me it breaks the flow!

I'm still building up my business so I make 2-4 cakes a month, sometimes more. I shop on Wed., bake on Thursday, decorate Friday, deliver on Saturday. Sundays and Mondays are open for cake tastings that I schedule once a month.

I keep my calendar clear on those days and schedule doctors, hair, appointments early in the week.

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Diane...why so sad?

you can't bake out of your home in california. i was in italy and i did tons of cakes every week...i miss it!

Thank you for all of the information everybody. I do have one more question that I should have included in the original post:

About how many servings per week do you average, and is it mostly wedding events or other events (birthday's, retirement, etc.)?

Katie

Mine has mostly been celebration cakes. I'd like to do more wedding cakes but I'm not licensed yet so I can't advertise to brides.

I try to only do wedding cakes, but I also do some 3-D groom's cakes and an occasional birthday cake. It's pretty much 95% wedding cakes, though.

Hi i have a question. I would like to start selling my cakes to my friends.They all love my cakes and ask me how much would i charge. I dont know how much to charge for charector cakes ar how many will they feed? My sister tells me 25.00 seems about right but im not sure.I dont want to over price and im not a pro. but would to be someday. help!!

You should do a search for character cakes and copyright issues on these boards, as well as getting licensed to sell cakes. You really need to be licensed and legal to sell food, even though many people do it illegally. If you get caught they health department can slam you with some hefty fines. There are a couple of threads going on on the business board as well as this one about copyrights and licenses.