I block out the weeks of Christmas and Thanksgiving, definitely. Then I randomly choose a couple of weeks during the summer. The kids' birthdays are good times to take off, too.
I am no where near as talented as you - but I take time off - the whole month of August is one, and then around Christmas too. That is one thing I love about my business, I take off when I want to. I hope you get it figured out so you feel better about the whole situation - your cakes are always gorgeous, not many people have the talent you have! (and sending you a hug too!)
Depending on how much you "need" to take orders, you may want to schedule a weekend every month or two where you don't take any orders (or only an easy one). I have a 9 mo and a 3.5 yr old at home with me and often feel like quitting, but then I realize that I have control of my business and can take as many or as few cakes as I want.
Do you find that turning away cakes too often makes people frustrated with you and reduces your reputation?
I've actually turned down quite a few cakes but most of them have just been little party cakes anyway, or a last minute (2 weeks in advance, two tiered) wedding cake, or something like that.
I think my son gave me a good idea about that. He was a fine dining chef. I have gone for a couple different chef tastings and I'd say --"Ooooh I wanted more! (of a certain item) And he'd say, "That's the objective, Mom, keep them always wanting more."
So there's a good thought about it.
I think it's healthy business-wise for your clients to be disappointed when they cannot get your cake for ther celebration. Healthy.
I really can't say for sure, but I clearly state everywhere that I require a minimum amount of lead time, that I usually book up xx weeks in advance, that I am a one woman show, etc. The customer doesn't know if you have none or 100 orders that week. I do try to fit in existing customers if I can (and sometimes I can't).
I am not as talented as you are, but I turn down quite a few cakes as well. Some folks get upset, but it's not my fault you are a week out from an event you have been planning for a year and are "just getting around" to ordering a 3-tier cake.
On the personal side of things, I have daily discussions with myself about whether I should continue. I always feel stressed about getting the week's cakes done for the week and other things, like laundry and vacuuming get pushed aside. To add to that, I have my self-doubt issues as well. At the same time, I typically get more things done the busier I am, and I can't imagine not having some sort of a job. To sum it up, I personally feel like I will never be "satisfied"... I either keep doing cakes and feel overwhelmed/frustrated/tired, or stop doing cakes and feel like a need to do something besides take care of the kids and clean house.
I really can't say for sure, but I clearly state everywhere that I require a minimum amount of lead time, that I usually book up xx weeks in advance, that I am a one woman show, etc. The customer doesn't know if you have none or 100 orders that week. I do try to fit in existing customers if I can (and sometimes I can't).
I am not as talented as you are, but I turn down quite a few cakes as well. Some folks get upset, but it's not my fault you are a week out from an event you have been planning for a year and are "just getting around" to ordering a 3-tier cake.
On the personal side of things, I have daily discussions with myself about whether I should continue. I always feel stressed about getting the week's cakes done for the week and other things, like laundry and vacuuming get pushed aside. To add to that, I have my self-doubt issues as well. At the same time, I typically get more things done the busier I am, and I can't imagine not having some sort of a job. To sum it up, I personally feel like I will never be "satisfied"... I either keep doing cakes and feel overwhelmed/frustrated/tired, or stop doing cakes and feel like a need to do something besides take care of the kids and clean house.
That's true too....I know if I didn't do ANY cakes I'd miss the fulfillment of doing something artistic, and making money at it in the process....
I've actually turned down quite a few cakes but most of them have just been little party cakes anyway, or a last minute (2 weeks in advance, two tiered) wedding cake, or something like that.
A minimum purchase requirement should discourage people from calling about those little party cakes. Do you have a minimum purchase requirement?
What does your contract say about deadline for design changes and payment on larger cakes? If you have a two-week deadline, and allowing people to place large orders on the last day of that deadline, then you have to inventory your ingredients and supplies all over again, then shop for what you don't have. Increase your deadline if you have to, and do not allow bookings past the new date.
Theresa 
I think doing cakes is some kind of disease, a type of mutant growth that eats brains. I'm currently in remission but....but....wait...do you hear that munching sound...in the background.... ...wha-at?
I think doing cakes is some kind of disease, a type of mutant growth that eats brains. I'm currently in remission but....but....wait...do you hear that munching sound...in the background.... ...wha-at?
You've got doing cakes confused with surfing on CC all day.LOL!
Theresa
I've actually turned down quite a few cakes but most of them have just been little party cakes anyway, or a last minute (2 weeks in advance, two tiered) wedding cake, or something like that.
A minimum purchase requirement should discourage people from calling about those little party cakes. Do you have a minimum purchase requirement?
What does your contract say about deadline for design changes and payment on larger cakes? If you have a two-week deadline, and allowing people to place large orders on the last day of that deadline, then you have to inventory your ingredients and supplies all over again, then shop for what you don't have. Increase your deadline if you have to, and do not allow bookings past the new date.
Theresa
I do have a $200 minimum....but that's what I mean by a little party cake haha like the little two tiered ones or a 3D one, as opposed to a large party (like bar mitzvah) or wedding, etc.
I think doing cakes is some kind of disease, a type of mutant growth that eats brains. I'm currently in remission but....but....wait...do you hear that munching sound...in the background.... ...wha-at?
You've got doing cakes confused with surfing on CC all day.LOL!
Theresa
I wish it was that easy.
OK, 2 more cents I want to throw in. First, I donate GC for charity events only. I require 30 day advance order. If your GC had an expiration date of 12/31, then definitely change that. I would've told the guy that I would extend his GC to XX/XX/2011 date to accomodate. Second, I suggest limiting your novelty cakes to 2 a month and not in the same week or day. Send a letter to your current best customers explaining this due to time constraints. Third, I agree with others here that you are just burned out and with the holidays coming you need down time especially with your toddler. Don't don't take anymore cake orders for January. During that time, analyze the whole situation so you can be better prepared to make a decision that's right for you and your family. Toddlers grow up too fast to miss that as I'm sure you know and that is what may be bumming you out. Sorry for being so long...I'm just rying to help. Lastly, for 1st anniversary cakes, I tell the bride to contact me 1 month in advance and I will give them a 5 inch, 2 layer round. Nothing fancy.
I think if you have to turn down orders because your calendar is full, people will walk away telling their friends, "Oh my gosh you better book with her fast! She is SO good that she's booked solid all the time!!!"
As Martha would say, "It's a GOOD thing!" 
I think if you have to turn down orders because your calendar is full, people will walk away telling their friends, "Oh my gosh you better book with her fast! She is SO good that she's booked solid all the time!!!"
As Martha would say, "It's a GOOD thing!"
Haha I guess! I was thinking they'd say "Oh don't bother calling HER...she's always booked up anyway. Let's just call the local bakery."
LOL
(YES I'm a glass half-empty sort!)
Do you find that turning away cakes too often makes people frustrated with you and reduces your reputation?.
We turn down at least 5-6 orders every week, lately we have been booking 3-4 weeks in advance -- and we do mostly relatively simple party cakes.
Our situation is slightly different since we are often the only bakery within 100 miles that can accommodate our customers, and I'm sure people do get frustrated, but as long as you explain that you are a small business and you limit the number of orders to ensure quality remains high, they won't hold it against you.
I always keep the web site updated with our booked dates so people know before they contact us, but we still get people who either don't read the web site or ask for an order anyway.
Do you find that turning away cakes too often makes people frustrated with you and reduces your reputation?.
We turn down at least 5-6 orders every week, lately we have been booking 3-4 weeks in advance -- and we do mostly relatively simple party cakes.
Our situation is slightly different since we are often the only bakery within 100 miles that can accommodate our customers, and I'm sure people do get frustrated, but as long as you explain that you are a small business and you limit the number of orders to ensure quality remains high, they won't hold it against you.
I always keep the web site updated with our booked dates so people know before they contact us, but we still get people who either don't read the web site or ask for an order anyway.
I am seriously thinking about putting a calendar on my site....my webbie hasn't had a chance to get to it yet...
PHEWWWWW!!!! I'm DONE for the weekend!!!
I had an excessive amount of gumpaste to do this week (if you look in my photos you'll see the newest two photos are almost nothing but gumpaste, especially the topper) and I don't have as much patience for just straight gumpaste work. When I do gumpaste, I want things PERFECT and then I don't have time to make it perfect, so I don't make it perfect, and then I get irritated with myself. haha.
Thank you all for your kind words and helpful thoughts and encouragement and I definitely plan on thinking a lot about all this and implementing some of the wonderful ideas in this thread.
PHEWWWWW!!!! I'm DONE for the weekend!!!
I had an excessive amount of gumpaste to do this week (if you look in my photos you'll see the newest two photos are almost nothing but gumpaste, especially the topper) and I don't have as much patience for just straight gumpaste work. When I do gumpaste, I want things PERFECT and then I don't have time to make it perfect, so I don't make it perfect, and then I get irritated with myself. haha.
Thank you all for your kind words and helpful thoughts and encouragement and I definitely plan on thinking a lot about all this and implementing some of the wonderful ideas in this thread.
Good luck figuring out what to do.
I am right there with you Kitagrl. Your work is amazing and I know you are bummed and burning out. I have 2 sons and a husband I barely get to see and my shop is in my front yard. My house is never clean and it doesn't seem to be much money in the bank after I buy supplies to keep doing craploads novelty cakes. I had rather do 5 wedding cakes (bride and groom) on any and every Saturday than do 1 birthday cake. My thing is people here only want to pay $25 for cakes with all the stuff on them. Long gone are my days of cakes as a hobby or fun or art, I got bills to pay and mouths to feed. I hope you get it all sorted out soon and when you do let me know what plan you come up with.
I am right there with you Kitagrl. Your work is amazing and I know you are bummed and burning out. I have 2 sons and a husband I barely get to see and my shop is in my front yard. My house is never clean and it doesn't seem to be much money in the bank after I buy supplies to keep doing craploads novelty cakes. I had rather do 5 wedding cakes (bride and groom) on any and every Saturday than do 1 birthday cake. My thing is people here only want to pay $25 for cakes with all the stuff on them. Long gone are my days of cakes as a hobby or fun or art, I got bills to pay and mouths to feed. I hope you get it all sorted out soon and when you do let me know what plan you come up with.
Awww wow you do alot of cakes!!!! There really is something different about doing cakes for a hobby and doing it as a job. Actually the most rewarding time when I was doing cakes was back when I was just doing it for extra fun money...but as we had more kids, we began to need the extra income (mostly for extras...my husband's check pays the regular bills but my money pays for birthdays, Christmas, clothes, shoes, and sometimes dr copays.). I am very thankful that I can do it from home though, especially in this scary economy, so no complaints! I was just feeling bummed. haha. I'll get over it!!!!
I do think I need to contact some caterers...really for me, all I need is one or two good caterers who will send me brides and that will be plenty.
Well jeez, girl no WONDER you're burnt out. While amazing, those cakes would burn ANYONE out! Yeah Duff can do them no problem, but all he does is say- "hey Geoff, hey anna, can you guys make me some mermaids??"
You have to say,"sweetie, I KNOW you want to play trucks, but mommy is busy making everything for this cake."
Just think, if you raised prices you could at least be saying to yourself "Yeah, but its $1000 dollars..."
And I DO think your work is worth that much- if you doubled your prices you'd probably be in the right range.
Yeah, you're regulars would hit the road, but in the end, most of our regulars aren't really "friends" and we're not really emotionally connected to them, we just think we are... must be a girl thing, to worry about making our customers "mad."
All that said, maybe hooking up with some venues may be the way to go for you, it would be for me!
I've been thinking about it a lot and I do think this coming year I'm going to work on hooking up with caterers to do wedding cakes. I'm just going to have to do that.
Basically with my portfolio so full of these novelty cakes, that's what I"m gonna keep getting...and the brides are going to say "Well her wedding cakes are pretty but they don't seem to be her specialty so maybe I'll go elsewhere"...
I don't know what I'll do with my regular customers but for new novelty cakes I'm just going to have to start charging much bigger bucks....
And yes that was the recent cake. $300 for 20 servings (although I think it ended up being more 25 b/c I cut off less than I thought I would.) And part of the problem is that most of the design was up to me, she requested mermaids and the king and the temple but the rest was up to me but obviously its a very busy theme so....
Thanks for all your advice and help!!! You've helped me sort of focus my vision and figure out what I need to do...I just need to price myself out of novelty and push myself into more weddings, and do more networking.
You can still raffle off cakes, but when you make them is up to you and your schedule. If you were fully booked on the 23rd, you wouldn't have been able to accept any normal cakes, so why the raffled off one?
And tell the truth, all raffled cakes should be subject to availability, same as any others, and not so close to holidays, unless they pay an additional fee. For me the 23rd is impossible to do, because we celebrate christmas eve, which means I'm cooking, wrapping presents and preparing my house.
You can still raffle off cakes, but when you make them is up to you and your schedule. If you were fully booked on the 23rd, you wouldn't have been able to accept any normal cakes, so why the raffled off one?
And tell the truth, all raffled cakes should be subject to availability, same as any others, and not so close to holidays, unless they pay an additional fee. For me the 23rd is impossible to do, because we celebrate christmas eve, which means I'm cooking, wrapping presents and preparing my house.
Yeah...I'm just a pushover....I've tried and tried to get better about that and I'm improving but the idea of just letting his coupon expire was like...man...can't do that.....
What about getting some dummy wedding cakes done (you know, in all that spare time that you have 
)
Then you could have more wedding cakes to show and start shifting the focus on to those.
Kitagirl, you received a lot of good advice and there's nothing I can add to your question. I just wanted to leave a comment and say WOW! Those cakes are amazing. You do wonderful work!
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%