Anyone who bakes at home finding their competition is rising?
Seems like all the cake tv shows and stuff is really making cake a big business...not complaining at all, but wow I just can't believe all the cake people around here nowadays...from home bakers to medium bakeries to large fancy cake places. WOW!
Personally, this is what I've noticed, people watch cake shows, people say "I want to do that!", people take a Wilton course at Michael's and say "I'm an expert decorator, I'm going in business"! In my humble opinion, I don't get it. I have seen some people take the classes & do great work, but they are the exception, not the rule. I remember when I was lookig for someone to do my wedding cake, (cause as busy as I was I certainly wasn't going to make my own cake), I called someone (Mother/daughter team) and I asked what type of buttercream they use, they said, "The delicious Wilton's buttercream" and "We just finished the course". Uh, PUKE! I consider shortening based frostings, exactly that frosting, and that buttercream is made out of actual butter. I asked if they did any type of SMBC, they didn't know what I was talking about. And I guess thats my pet peeve, learn your craft. I don't think taking the Wilton courses warrents you an expert and automatically going into business. Thats just my opinion. This is a constant learning profession, get a little know all. In the 19 years I've been at this, I've seen a lot of great things and a lot of changes and have learned a lot. I just wish for a little effort into learning yout craft. Anf for those who may wonder, I'm self taught.
I always have to chuckle when someone says they finished the classes and were asked to TEACH the next one! If I take a class, I want the teacher who has been a decorator, has faced the challenges of things going wrong....knowing how to fix things....all the things that come with EXPERIENCE! Taking a class is not experience!
I've actually seen several home bakers with some pretty nice work...one I know of with outstanding work who is moving (has moved?) and trained someone to take it over for her.
I don't know what their pricing is but I'm trying to put my pricing up relatively close (but not quite, as I don't know exact numbers) with the high end bakeries...but still I"m a legal home baker. So I suppose alot of the home bakers could undercut me.
No big deal...just seems like there are more and more cake people popping up everywhere.
Now THAT I did not know! I would be really upset if I paid for a class that was not taught by an experienced individual, but by someone who just completed the class the week before the one I'm taking.
what labella said. 
Yes, you may see a lot of start ups, but you want to watch and see how many actually last.
I've seen a thread or two on here where the poster pretty much said "I've taken one wilton class and am ready to open a full service bakery ... how do I do that?" I applaud their enthusiasm, but I'm thinking, "you do that by spending a few years honing your craft and developing your skill before you sink $50,000-$100,000 into a business venture."
I figure that the more start ups with folks like labella described, then the more customers I'll end up with over the long term. 
what labella said.
Yes, you may see a lot of start ups, but you want to watch and see how many actually last.
I've seen a thread or two on here where the poster pretty much said "I've taken one wilton class and am ready to open a full service bakery ... how do I do that?" I applaud their enthusiasm, but I'm thinking, "you do that by spending a few years honing your craft and developing your skill before you sink $50,000-$100,000 into a business venture."
I figure that the more start ups with folks like labella described, then the more customers I'll end up with over the long term.
Its really easy and cheap to become a legal home baker here....so lots of startups...I'm one! haha. But I've been doing it for awhile, building very VERY slowly. And I'm trying to compete with the bakeries (quality wise).
I'm a home baker and I know of another who is like THE cake person (she did my wedding cake). So fresh and so reasonably priced (at leat I think so). She is booked for the entire year of 2009. There is someone around here (very professional place, and pricey) that decorates his butt off, absolutely beautiful, been doing it for decades, cakes taste so bad, I wouldn't feed them to a dog. But people pay him BIG money, cause he has the "REPUTATION". Got another high end baker, (french guy who says he's french who could do it better then him), cakes & baked goods are PUKE! I swear they taste like a regular grocery store, people pay him BIG money, he has the "REPUTATION". New cupcake shop in town, pretty pricey, avge. $4.00 a cupcake, I WISH I COULD LIVE THERE! So fresh and so real tasting. What I do know people will pay for what they want regardless of cost. Be it quality or the name of someone. I wouldn't worry about being undercut, cause your still gonna get the customers that want YOU, what ever the reasdon may be.
I know about that reputation thing! There are a TON of caterers here who include cakes with their packages and I'm always like "Awww I coulda done that cake!" esp when I am doing a groom's cake for someone, and they get their cake from their caterer. That, or there's a few big names in Philly that people automatically want to get their cake from, if budget is no issue.
ANd by the way Kitagrl, you can charge WHATEVER you want for your cakes (yes, highend prices included). Your work is AWESOME! How many of these "start-ups" are at your level of skill?
ANd by the way Kitagrl, you can charge WHATEVER you want for your cakes (yes, highend prices included). Your work is AWESOME! How many of these "start-ups" are at your level of skill?
exactly what I was thinking! After the dust settles and the auctioneers are gone, kita will still be up to her elbows in sugar and frosting!
Personally, this is what I've noticed, people watch cake shows, people say "I want to do that!", people take a Wilton course at Michael's and say "I'm an expert decorator, I'm going in business"! In my humble opinion, I don't get it. I have seen some people take the classes & do great work, but they are the exception, not the rule. I remember when I was lookig for someone to do my wedding cake, (cause as busy as I was I certainly wasn't going to make my own cake), I called someone (Mother/daughter team) and I asked what type of buttercream they use, they said, "The delicious Wilton's buttercream" and "We just finished the course". Uh, PUKE! I consider shortening based frostings, exactly that frosting, and that buttercream is made out of actual butter. I asked if they did any type of SMBC, they didn't know what I was talking about. And I guess thats my pet peeve, learn your craft. I don't think taking the Wilton courses warrents you an expert and automatically going into business. Thats just my opinion. This is a constant learning profession, get a little know all. In the 19 years I've been at this, I've seen a lot of great things and a lot of changes and have learned a lot. I just wish for a little effort into learning yout craft. Anf for those who may wonder, I'm self taught.
Oh I could hug you!
ANd by the way Kitagrl, you can charge WHATEVER you want for your cakes (yes, highend prices included). Your work is AWESOME! How many of these "start-ups" are at your level of skill?
exactly what I was thinking! After the dust settles and the auctioneers are gone, kita will still be up to her elbows in sugar and frosting!
Exactly! Awesome work. And that's not the result of one or two classes! 
Jaime I could hug you too! Why? cause I absolutely LOOOOOOOOOOVE your work. I swear I have half your photos in my favorites! Your interpretations of ideas are just CRAZY! And I'm so glad other people get what I mean. I thought maybe I was being a bit snobby, but then I was like no, I wouldn't take a Mercedes in too someone who just learned how to fix riding lawn mowers. Now I know I'm not the only one! 
yes, I agree, it does take time to learn it all. And we really never stop learning do we? I think sometimes, you can be almost forced into starting a legitimate business. I was doing cakes from my home for about 6 years, and started getting wedding cake orders, and bigger quantity of orders a month, and so when we bought our house last fall, we decided we could finally get liscensed. ( you have to own your home, not rent it, to be able to have a legal kitchen in Illinois) I don't claim to be a cake decorating expert, I just know what I can and can't do. I am also self taught, I have tons and tons of cake decorating books that I have pretty much learned from, and believe it or not, my carpentry background has played a major role in my carved cakes. ( I have worked the last 12 years in construction, building log homes with my dad.) Most of the competition around me is grocery stores. My health inspector informed me that they all get their cakes in frozen, so I always try to improve on my cake tastes. And always try to do things that they don't do. There is only one cake shop about 25 minutes from me, and I know they do some good work too. I agree that the cake shows on t.v. is really helping us out. People want extreme cakes now, and that is just a great thing, and if you can pull it off, then that's just great! I don't worry too much about competiton. I just keep doing what I'm doing and focus on my business, not the other businesses. I tackled a giant Chevy truck cake last weekend and I was really proud of myself. I had a 4 tier cake and a double decker sheet cake. All of those went to the same venue, and it was even raining. lol Like I said, you never stop learning. Always a tip from someone, somewhere, that will help you the next time, and perfect that next cake even more.
I think all of us benefit from the cake shows now. One thing I always tell my customers (that are looking for a decorator) It is VERY important to see the work of the person you are wanting to get your cake from. Take a good look at their work - what you see is what you get.
I have had several students who (In THEIR minds) are exceptional decorators - and they are not. You can try to help them see how to improve, but in their minds.......it is already perfection.
Do your homework, go to tastings, and make sure you see the quality of work that person does. Then we'll talk!
I agree with Mindy - I am constantly learning as I go......
I think all of us benefit from the cake shows now. One thing I always tell my customers (that are looking for a decorator) It is VERY important to see the work of the person you are wanting to get your cake from. Take a good look at their work - what you see is what you get.
I have had several students who (In THEIR minds) are exceptional decorators - and they are not. You can try to help them see how to improve, but in their minds.......it is already perfection.
Do your homework, go to tastings, and make sure you see the quality of work that person does. Then we'll talk!
I agree with Mindy - I am constantly learning as I go......
"In their minds", LMAO! Yeah, that makes sense. I always tell people its hard to get perfect, but the overall is what gives the effect. I have seen somecakes on here that are absolutely perfect (which I hope to achieve one day, cause even after all this time, I STILL need practice), and I've seen some cakes on here that don't even have the overall going for them...and they sell cakes.
Hey, Mindy1975
were are you in Illinois?
I'm around Chicago. I sure couldn't compete with all the bakeries here 
did you have to build a separate kitchen or could you use you own.
I'm in a condo so I don't think I can sell from home but I'm just curious.
Thanks
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