I just had a girl contact me about 3 (all 3d) cakes, I gave her my price per serving and my serving minimum and she then asks me if I give discounts if she gets more than one cake at a time. Uh, no!. Thats means I have to do 3 times the work for less money. What makes it bad is that she sells shoes and the shoes she sells are the same shoes I can find in the stores (in fact I know she uploaded shoe pics from a popular shoe website to put onto hers) but only her prices are like $15.00 more than the stores, but you won't see me trying to get a discount. Somebody needs to school these people real fast about what it takes to make these cakes.

I goal is to work smarter not harder, and definitely not for less LOL

Here's the book ...I love the subtitle! The Power of No: How to Keep Blowhards and Bozos at Bay
by Beth Wareham

This thread is very timely for me also! I just had a co-worker at my 'real' job ask me for sheet cake(s) to feed 150-200 for February and a sheet cake to feed 20 in two weeks. I told her I'd get back to her today with pricing and flavor options, decorating options, etc. I've been fretting over it ALL day because I keep wanting to start with "I can't compete with Costco or Winco, so if you're looking for....etc., etc., "
So, here I start out with defending myself before I even give her the prices!! That's crazy!
I think I'll send her my suggestions on how much cake she needs for that many people and my pricing. If she has a heart attack, I'll be strong and THEN explain that I can't compete with Costo or Winco, and tell her my feelings won't be hurt if that's where she needs to go.

I am learning how to apply the same principles to my part-time cake business as we do in our law practice. It took me some time to stop choking inside when I told someone my hourly rate for legal services and it has taken me some time to stop choking inside when telling someone my charge for a cake. We (my husband and myself) have found in our law practice that telling someone up front the hourly fee or fixed fee and requesting a retainer fee ("down payment") up front weeds out clients who are likely not to pay in the long run. The same goes for the cake business. We need paying clients not headaches. Also, having a contract and following its terms will help when problems or disputes arise, but you must follow the terms for it have any value.

We have trainers where I work. I got torn apart for using 'hoping' 'wishing' 'wondering' terms, I didn't even realize I was saying things soo pathetically! Tape yourself mocking a meeting with a client....and see what sounds 'whimpy' and come up with a word track to use instead!

It is nice to know that I am not alone with my impairment to ask for what I am entitled to. I realize that I usually say my price in more of a question like way and not just stating it as a fact. Almost like I am asking them if they would mind paying me that much money. Geeeez I need that spine to grow a little faster.

It's wonderful hearing that I'm not the only one who struggles with this. I'm pleased to report that I may have desplayed the beginnings of a spine today!!

There is a baby shower being hosted at work. The organizer said "Hey! Maybe you could do a cake!" I managed to stutter out "Uh.. sure. So-an-so ordered a cake for another coworker's baby shower and .. well... they are paying me to do it... so... "

( I know. Could I have been any less assertive?? But at least I didn't offer to do it for free, and I brought it up right away!)

The response was a semi-snarky "Well, I can pay you." This shower is also going to be a pot luck lunch. Someone else later suggested maybe I could bring the cake as my pot luck dish. I did much better there. Flat out said "No. I'm bringing something else. If they want a cake from me, it'll be paid for."
I'll still undercharge, I'm sure, but .. yanno .. baby steps.