I don't know if this is something that I've made up in my head or if it exists. But I have a couple of "friends" on my Facebook that also decorate cakes. One is a hobbyist and does a great job, and another does it has a side business but is way busier than me.
I've started a legal home-based business, I'm licensed, insured, tax paying citizen but I'm building a clientele in a new city. Anyway, this other decorator isn't any of the above and is ALWAYS bragging about how busy she is. I know she is really cheap and couldn't figure out how she even turns a profit until she recently admitted she doesn't make anything from scratch. So basically the cost of my extracts that go in my cakes are what she pays for cake mix I guess.
I really want to not let it bother me that she is always talking about how busy she is, but when I do make a cake I turn a hefty profit. Also, I don't see anyone asking her to make their wedding cake which I have an order for a $1200 cake this month but I don't like talking about that stuff to her cause it seems rude to brag. Which mine are better LOL. I'm really trying to build my skills and start doing more weddings. I want to set myself apart from the other home-based decorators.
I guess this is more of a vent. I'm curious if y'all have dealt with similar stuff. Thanks for listening 
I wouldn't worry about your "rival". She is not taking your clientelle and you are not vying for hers. It sounds like she is more inline with what the grocery store or Walmart charge, while you are focusing on a higher end customer.
And who knows...her bragging about business, might be just a way to make people think she is in demand; she may not be that busy at all.
Keep doing what you do, emphasize that your cakes are from scratch and that you are licensed, inspected,etc. It might get some questioning your rival about her ingredients/ legality, etc.
Don't doubt your self!
She will work a loooot and will make many cakes to receive $1200. I think you don't have to worry about her at all. Continue with what you do.
Last week I received a phone call from a 'decorator rival' (I think 
) pretending to be a client. He was very rude.
It's a very competitive field, cutthroat seems like. And it really is difficult not to be aggravated by comments from competitors or friends/family that decorate. I know several home based bakers that are as busy or busier than me. The reason is they are a lot cheaper than me. So while they are busy with $40 birthday cakes, I'm knocking out wedding cakes for a grand or two every weekend. One of the benefits of having a legal business, being able to advertise or provide to venues that require licensed cake people.
So you just keep doing your thing and don't let them or what they say get to you.
I'm licensed, insured, tax paying citizen but I'm building a clientele in a new city. Anyway, this other decorator isn't any of the above and is ALWAYS bragging about how busy she is.
How do you know she is unlicensed, uninsured, and doesn't pay her taxes?
There's nothing inherently wrong with using a straight box mix, some people actually prefer the taste to scratch, especially if they grew up with box mix cakes. There's also nothing wrong with focusing on smaller cakes, if priced correctly they can be just as profitable as wedding cakes (although she's probably underpricing).
I agree that you don't really have to worry about this other business as your competition, since you have different target markets. And as for bragging, your pictures will speak for themselves.
ehh sounds like a bit a jealousy
your in different areas youll be fine. Support each other. thats what friends do
ITA with Jason and Brevity, not seeing where her talking about being busy is "bragging." I sell AVON. A friend of mine on FB is a fellow AVON rep. She was my AVON rep until I started selling. She lives in a different county not too far from me but her clients aren't mine. I wouldn't drive that far to deliver to them. She is a lot better than me and has a MUCH bigger clientele then I do. She often posts about her delivery days and how busy she is or the different online AVON events/parties she has going on but Ive never considered it bragging. I get a lot of orders from my FB friends and I make posts about current sales and whatnots going on and always put my e-store address up, just the same as she does.
We email one another privately about different ways to gain new customers. Shes been extremely helpful to me. When I first started out I was lost and she helped me figure it all out. She never held it against me that I used to be a customer of hers and now Im selling. Weve never looked at each other as enemies or rivals.
Often when I post an update about an upcoming sales event shell comment about it and encourage people to shop my store. I do the same for her. Instead of looking at her as a rival maybe look at her as a helpful resource.
And if you really do believe that her posting is bragging and shes trying to bring you down then maybe she isnt the type of person you want to be friends with. Real friends are supposed to build you up and help you out.
@ Jason, I know she doesn't do anything legally because that's something her and I have talked about. During which she mentioned the box mix thing. I don't care about that so much.
She does ask my advice on certain decorating elements and I offer my help completely. I guess I'm just jealous and don't know how to deal with it. But I don't want to undersell myself either by lowering my prices.
She's probably not bragging and that's just her personality where as I'm more of a whiner in private LOL. Just curious if other folks feel or experience the same thing. But from what I gather I just sound like a big jerk for even bringing it up 
Oh, you're not a jerk. I live in a - not small town, but not major - so when there are certain functions that I know another shop scores, I definitely feel the jealousy creeping. I just remind myself that everyone has a birthday, meaning there are so many opportunities for business. For everyone!
Really Home2decorate....What does this have to do with cake decorating..Go lurk somewhere else and sell your crap!!
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%