I'm dealing with TWO customers right now who want bakery style cakes, a step up obviously from a regular bakery, for bakery style prices.
One guy reminded me the cake was for his church, and he had to pay for it out of his own pocket, and couldn't afford $5/serving.
What...like..."OHHHHHHH your CHURCH! My bad. Here let me give you the 50% off church budget. Oh and the extra 15% for paying out of your own pocket!"
RIGHT.
I try to be as nice as I can, you know, "I'm a custom cake artist who is doing this small scale and cannot afford to offer bakery prices, as they buy bulk (and often premade) cakes."
Geez.
I get this all the time! It really is getting old isn't it.. My price is my price no matter who you are. The ones with money, or at least they want to "appear" to have the money, are the worst!
I am sorry sir but if I treat my business like a charity I would all too quickly be out in the street. Is your church or any other person then going to pay all of my bills because you or they got a discounted cake?
I can see asking big corporations for small donations and small price breaks that they can write off and not even feel. A small business just can't and most don't even see that.
Just came to my mind even though I don't have a business. Indydebi you must be rubbing off. 
I have been on the asking side and it sucks. I was instructed not to take "No" for an answer by the committee wanting the freebie or donation. Some can be relentless and try to play up on sympathy. I see it as emotional blackmail period. Blahhh.
I can see asking big corporations for small donations and small price breaks that they can write off and not even feel. A small business just can't and most don't even see that.
As somebody who works for a bigger company and sees almost all the people asking for donations and all the money given itself, I can assure you that such people won't ask for small donation. They feel entitled to big bucks 
It is quite difficult to see the that the people who really need a donation won't never presume to expect it, some are even afraid or ashamed to ask, but for every such person you get ten or twenty who simply want money and don't see that they won't get it everywhere they ask. And they want you to sponsor their club meeting or winter ball or similar. Sorry, but a sick child where the donation goes directly to the hospital is in my eyes entitled more, and they need the same money (and they ask politely if you would consider to pay a part of the cost). Or how comes it needs a supervisor to send a message "up" that one of "his" guys did adopt a full orphan (not in family, the parents were his friends) and is asking not for money, but for overtime work because they need to rebuild their house to accommodate the child's wheelchair and don't have enough funds? The company ended rebuilding it at no cost (it is a construction company) but the new parents didn't expect it.
I don't know that he wanted a donation (ok maybe he did) but still...its just annoying when they write back "That's too much money"...I mean...like I'm going to recover from my guilt of trying to scalp them and give them a real price?
When I write someone for a quote and they send me something I can't afford, I go onto the next business...I don't write them back and ask if they can lower their price for me because I'm too poor. haha.
Kitagirl, do you walk in the supermarket and say "oh your rump roast is just too expensive for me, drop the price please, it's for a potluck for Church"??? No, you don't, you buy the stew meat instead and take the lumps. Your prices are your prices, refer the client to the grocery store so he can get a cake at their prices...and their quality. For your quality they have to pay your prices.
Good luck with this one, I know it's a hard thing to get use to!
Cat
Kitagirl, do you walk in the supermarket and say "oh your rump roast is just too expensive for me, drop the price please, it's for a potluck for Church"??? No, you don't, you buy the stew meat instead and take the lumps.
Good one! 
Or going into a steakhouse and getting the "Ground Steak" (aka hamburger) then complaining because "I can get it cheaper at McDonald's!" (duh!)
It just irritates me, the entitlement mentality our country has.... I could get on a huge soap box at this point but I don't think its allowed on this board. LOL.
I just know there's alot of things I wish I could afford right now but can't...and I sure don't call up those stores and complain about it.
So I had this repeat customer from last year come to me.. I have spent days working on the sketch and design with her via email. I told her one time how much it was going to be. So she writes again and acts dumb like I didn't give her the price. I told her and she said WOW.. I cannot afford that.. You have really gone up on your pricing since last year! #1 My skill level is a hell of a lot better then last year. #2 As you know Everything else has gone up such as flour,eggs etc. #3 Maybe you should go and buy 75 king size candy bars to serve at your party.. sure your budget will cover that! AND #4 you cannot buy a Mercedes on a Kia budget! =)
I just know there's alot of things I wish I could afford right now but can't...and I sure don't call up those stores and complain about it.
Same here, if there is something I can't afford I don't buy it and I don't complain to the store/company/person selling it.
I might complain to my hubby...lol but that's what he's there for!
I also live within my means, meaning if I can only afford to invite 20 kids for my sons b-day party then I only invite 20 kids, not 50 and then expect Chuck-E-Cheese to pay for the other 30 that I could'nt afford.
Never again though, never again! Once I get rid of it I will not be a repeat customer, Ill pay the extra for a good quality vehicle, and save my piece of mind... 
I am the secretary for a local church in my area. (yes my schedule is insane but it pays the house bills an allows me to cake as much as I can fit in, the cake biz pays for itself and turns a small profit as does the dance studio).
At any rate, Our church never asks for handouts, we are having a big buffet reception for our Consecration Sunday this weekend (when everyone pledges their tithes and gifts for the coming new year) We are paying the caterer their full price of $12.50 per person for single entree item, 2 veggies, a roll, beverage, and dessert. Plus delivery and gratuity, the only "break" we are getting is that it is tax free because it is for a church, but that is State law.
If a vendor offers a discount or freebie - great, we give them a gift receipt for their tax purposes. This church is very financially stable (the most stable small church I have ever encountered) The givers give big and the finance committee is smart. I think because this church gives more to it's community and abroad, than it takes we are blessed many times with vendor donations and volunteers. Our new building expenses were way under budget due to the many volunteers and actual church members who own construction companies or are retired engineers and contractors, and because of this the extra money available is being put into my and the pastor's new offices (no more being in this tin can trailor freezing in the winter and being in a sauna during the summer 
)
In fact when they order cakes from me they insist on paying my full price! So I in turn donate 10% of all my sales from the church or its members back to the church.
I hate it when a church or other organization begs for things. I had a very well known national Title company want me to GIVE them a full catered Christmas party telling me that they would put my cards out. Just them asking pissed me off since they have plenty of money for those sorts of things. I was nice and told the branch manager that my business is very small and cannot take that large of a financial burden for their 150 employees & guests to have a party, and it has been my experience that in situations like this that they do not generate any future business for me. She said she understood. They ended up doing a pot luck with all the employees bringing a dish (we are a very small community, I run into her all the time), but what I did get is her ordering party platters for her personal Christmas party. She always would eat at our restaurant (back when my mom & I had it) and loved our food and my cakes/desserts.
I personally have a community rebate program for all non-profit orgs and churches. If you sign up with me and one of your members presents your card or mentions they are a member, that org gets 10% donated back to their organization each quarter for the accumulative orders from their members.
[i] Indydebi you must be rubbing off.
Well, when they sent me to this planet, they told me to use my powers for "good"!
Dang, I got no instructions at all.
[i] Indydebi you must be rubbing off.
Well, when they sent me to this planet, they told me to use my powers for "good"!
Dang, I got no instructions at all.
Oh, you must have been in the coach section of the Mother Ship! 
I'm starting to get that alot too.
The other day a woman called me for cupcakes and when I quoted her, she told me she was taking it to the hospital of bla bla for the bla bla section. Which ok I have a heart, but again, what ya want me to say?? Why should I go without because YOU want to take cupcakes to the bla bla section and not want to pay for them?
Over here there are 2 options really
1- The expensive huge fancy shmancy chocolate and cake places, with big french names and will charge you around $20 for a small chocolate favor or $2000 for a cake.
2- The lowly cake places that sell mostly BREAD and have some cakes in the fridge, what yall refer to as walmart cakes. But theyre nothing special, all sheet cakes, and taste like cardboard and sugar.
3- The home bakers, women with talent who can do what the big french places can do.
For some reason, everyone assumes that the home bakers are going to be, and SHOULD be, the cheapest option!
They even say (the ones of us who charge what we SHOULD) that we are huge rips offs, that we arent even a "name brand bakery", and that they understand why those big french sounding places are priced that way cos they have to pay so much rent and we just do it from our kitchens!!!
Yeah I pay rent you ingrate! my apartment! And I pay electric and have groceries and 7 kids to bathe clothe and feed! I dont have a kitchenfull of assistants like the 2 places I mentioned above do nor do I buy wholesale!
Whats sad is a lot of them do go for the cheapie walmart bakery like sheet cakes rather than just pay some extra and get something that tastes good(people who CAN afford to pay the extra I mean), your guests will actually eat (when I go to peoples houses, all anyone does is push the cake around on the plate cos it tastes awwffullll)
I really think it is so sad when I hear them saying things like "What a rip off, she wants to charge us $xxx for flour and sugar? so she mixes them and puts them in the oven and slabs cream on! Lets just go to cheapie walmart bakery this american's just trying to rip us off".....If only they knew. Maybe Ill upload a video of myself making some cake balls, or a cupcake bouquet from START TO FINISH so they can watch the whole process!! and NOT mute out the sound of fighting kids in the background so they can get the stress factor too!
Hang in there hun, dont cave...you know youll just hate yourself later when youre up at 3 am and not getting what its worth!
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