Hello everyone I am in need of serious help. I was asked by a lady at the end of May to make a birthday cake for her daughter on July 12, 08. I've never made a cake for anyone except for my family, but I told the lady yes because I wanted to do it, and because I wanted to get over my fears. I contacted the lady that following day after meeting her and she just didn't seem interested at all about the cake. I was asking questions about her daughter, her llikes/dislikes, and she answered very shortly with answers about her husband. What colors he liked and what favor cake he liked and so on. I told her that closer to July that I would meet with her to taste samples and she said, "Well I don't like cake, but my husband does". After that I wasn't sure if she was really serious about the whole thing. I spoke to my husband and him, not wanting to get my feelings hurt knowing how happy I was about the opportunity just said, "Don't get your hopes up, but it sounds like she's not interested". Which is what I had got by the phone call. Time pasted and I seen her a couple of weeks ago and she said nothing about the cake at all. Which to me confirmed what I had been thinking. But at 7:45 this morning my hair dresser, which is where I met the lady, called me and told me that the lady had called her 5 times yesterday about the cake. WHAT! Now what do I do? She wants that cake this weekend and I've never made a cake for anyone else before. I was excited at first, but I haven't had time to practice that design or any other for that matter,being that she told me nothing during our first conversion. I don't just want to give her some rushed cake that hasn't been thought out. That's just not me. But at the same time I don't want to miss the opportunity. What do I do?

Okay, well, judging by the pic in your gallery, you do good work! Stop stressing about whether or not you'll do a good job. You don't need a practice run. I've never done a practice cake before a real order, and mine come out okay. What kind of a design does she want? Why did she contact the hairdresser and not you? I think if you want more orders you need to make this one. If word gets out you bailed on this cake nobody will want to order from you. (I understand why you want to cancel, but the only thing people will hear is that you cancelled on a cake 2 days before it was due)

Hey, I do cakes for any family or friends that request them, even if it means that I charge half of what it cost and sometimes nothing depending on my relationship to the person. I would definately do the cake first of all. You may not get this oppertunity again. Also, I would just call the customer and tell her straight up that if she expects you to do the cake that you need some input from her as to what she wants, but in a nice way. Alot of people simply don't care and they will just say oh white cake is fine, anything you do is fine. Try to get specifics. Suggest different flavors, fillings and types of icings that you have done before and know will turn out well. At the very least find out white or chocolate cake, buttercream or fondant, what is the occasion and how much does she want to spend. If this is the first cake you are actually getting paid for and don't know what to charge, I usually total up the cost of ingredients and then how long it took me to make the cake and then charge according to that. If you think she won't want to pay that, you may knock it down $5, it is only $5 and a chance to sell a cake alone is a good thing. Good luck with it : )