Okay - After, due to this fabulous economy, not being able to find another Accounting job..I decided to give the baking thing a go. I've done it for years and actually wake up thinking of ideas for sweets....NOT Accounting stuff. So, I'm thinking this is my thing.

My Aunt frequents a convenient store in her small town. She decides she will take my red hat ladies valentines day party favors in and try to make a sale for me. I made her a bunch for a lunch she was having. BOOM! I have a recurring order with this store now. Not for favors, but for simple sugar cookies, decorated and most often with some kind of colored sugar accent.

As I'm delivering my weekly order to this store, another lady I worked with on a past Christmas event (I provided a tiered cake - she provided the lighting and all decoration other than centerpieces) asks me to bring a similar order to her flower shop. BOOM! I have another recurring order.

Now - - I will say, first off, that I am underpriced. I am selling simply decorated sugar cookies, heat sealed bag and labeled. I sell for $1, they supposedly resell for $1.50. Our local grocery store, yuk, sells for $1.40, no bag. I figured I'm new & trying to spread the word again. So, I'll suck up the low price for a bit...just until things get rolling.

Now, the flower shop lady wants favors to show her brides. Since I used to work for the people who the Christmas event was for, I happen to know that the flower shop lady stole centerpieces & even when called out, refused to return the items. I have this feeling that, she and the original convenient store lady may have the impression that I'm "not with it". Meaning, I'm somebody's neice who has no clue about pricing. I do appear young but I have worked in the area of profitability and have been exposed to some serious corporate stress. So - I get the dog eat dog mentality.

So - - - my samples are done. They would easily take $5 online. I've used message tags, scrapbook papers, colored sugars, fondant flowers, the works. But since my simple sugar cookies are underpriced, I'm afraid she is going to expect my favors to be as well. ON TOP OF THAT, I don't want her to tack on a mark up for her brides. Meaning, I don't want this to be a re-sale situation. I would gladly pay a commission on a fairly priced product. But, I'm afraid, I may have represented myself in a "weak" sort of way & am nervous about how to correct my path. I'm thinking contract for sure. But, I'm new at this & have no idea where to start with a contract....

HELP!

The only way to do it is to do it. Tell her that complicated favors are not simple sugar cookies and that they start at $5 each. SHe doesn't like it... oh well... move on to the next.

theres a lot more fish in the sea....don't get too focused on 1 customer.

Name your price and stick with it. Then offer her a flat "finder's fee" for every bride who buys from you that she sends your way. Don't let her be the middle man between the brides and you. She'll take it or leave it.