OK, so I have an order for a cake to feed 40 people. I am going to do a "12 round 4" high white cake with BC and fondant poodle outfit layed over it for a 50th Birthday party and there will be a fondant fountain drink and a record and maybe a hula hoop too...so why oh why do I feel so bad charging $100 for this cake????? I was just charging $2.50 a slice and I have been hesitating to let my customer know the price....I feel guilty charging $100...it is scratch cake...it is really worth it and maybe even worth more....please why do we feel guilty charging even when it is probably worth more, she can't go very many places to get this kind of cake right??? And of course I am always the first one to pipe in saying "Our work is art" not "JUST CAKE"

Christian, my friend, I do not know why you feel bad. I think to relieve your guilt laden soul you should do the cake, give them the $100, mow their lawn, babysit the kids and walk their dogs for good measure be sure to pick up all the little dog 'bits'.

Feeling any better yet???

Okay, first, you should ALWAYS let your customer know the price of the cake BEFORE you start ANY work on it!!! This is the reason why you'll see posts on how "i didn't get paid" or "I got shortchanged", etc.... Plus, do you ever buy soemthing without knowing the price? I know I don't.

Secondly, don't feel bad about charging that much. For all the details you described, it sounds very much worth it.

Thirdly, you have no idea what she is thinking. I had my first "your cake are worth your price" customer, but totally blew off her complaints because I know they are. Remember, as "Top Chef" would say - stand behind your dish!!

OK...you guys have already gotten me to relieve my mind....(a little) Don't you worry...I will let her pay me for her cake....

I gave her the price per slice prior to the order being placed...she just emailed me today to verify the price and pick up time for this weekend, that's all...you know I guess what ends up happening is that sometimes we just like our customers, you know what I mean...they are nice people. Then of course you don't want to charge them because they are nice...buy heck nobody ever given me anything because I was nice...heck not even when I had to not be so nice...other than gifts the only thing I have ever been given was the Mickey Ears Year of a Millon Dreams hat that they gave me because I was in the right place at the right time at Disney this year....I know you all know what I mean though...sometimes we just like our customers to much maybe....

Charge what you feel you're worth and make no apologies!

If you don't value your own work, why will anyone else?