have a bit of a dilema of sorts. as I'm starting to get more orders, I've come across more & more people who just want a sheet cake. When I tell them the price...they are not happy!! I'm sure just about everyone has come across this!!!

While I hate turning down an order....I also DON"T want to do sheet cakes!!! I've done a few and just didn't enjoy it. And I have purposely priced my sheet cakes 'higher than normal' so noone will order them!!! For the most part, I've been able to talk my customers into another type of cake, by explaining.....they can go to any supermarket or bakery in town and get a sheet cake and since I charge by the slice, plus decorations......a 1/4 sheet cake is going to cost the same as a round cake to serve the same amount of people.

But ther are those few who will just NOT pay that for a cake! While that doesn't bother me.....someone made the comment that 'normal' people are not going to be able to afford my cakes!!! I'm not sure who exactly 'normal' is reffering to, but basically I told them my cakes are a NOVELTY and I understand they are not going to be for every person and for every occasion. I explained I'm trying to offer my customers something they can't go to walmart and get!!

I tried to just blow off this comment but it got me thinking.........if I'm going to be opening my own business....and putting ALOT of money into this.....is not offering a cheap sheet cake (well cheap comapred to my normal prices but still more than walmart) a smart buisness decision??!!

I just have this horrible feeling that once I offer a cheap sheet people are only going to order that b/c it's cheap!!!! I don't want to get stuck in the sheet/character cake rut!! I know there are going to be times when I'm going to have to do a sheet cake. I would rather have that be the exception than the norm.

Not really sure what my question was really...was thinking 'out loud' so to speak. Guess just wondering what ya'll think/feel about sheet cakes.

Christine

Sheet cakes are more difficult for me. I would rather NOT do them either. In fact, I do not think that I have any in my portfolio at all!!! LOL!!!

yeah, I've taken all the sheet cakes out of my portfolio and I'm not going to post them on my website either.

I have the same attitude you do, actually I have a bad attitude towards sheet cakes. My view is any store can make a sheet cake, so why even try to "compete" price wise? People want cheap not quality.

I wouldn't look at your cakes as "novelty" unless they really are. I prefer to call them, "quality" cakes. I'm not Walmart, or even the local grocery store chain, I don't HAVE to do a single kind of cake. I do the kind I like. ANd yeah, it makes some people mad and maybe they bad mouth me about not doing simple cheap cakes. But if they don't want to pay me for my quality and my time, then oh well.

It's YOUR business, if you don't want sheet cakes, you don't have to. You aren't trying to please "normal" people with your cakes, you're trying to please your customers that want something more special than a sheet cake. I believe what you believe, that if you start offering them, then you will end up in a rut, and be no better off than the stores selling sheet cakes. Your individuality will have been taken away, then your pride, and then what?

I say specialize in what you love and forget about those people you can't please because they are too cheap! From my experience in retail, those cheap complaining customers aren't worth it anyway.

There are sooo many places to get a sheetcake and if you don't enjoy doing them I'd probably do exactly what you are doing. Hike the price up and try and talk people into getting something more interesting and fun. The problem with sheetcakes is no one is going to look at it and say WOW! Where'd you get that cake? Sheetcakes are generally dull and boring. I know there are a lot of cool ones too, but the cakes that always get me attention are those that are obviously not from a grocery store down the street.
Do you have a website to refer people to so they can see what you enjoy doing? Maybe if they could look and see some other types of cakes it wouldn't be so hard to talk them out of a sheetcake. : ) Unless that is they're ordering sheetcakes in hopes that they are cheaper???

Specialize in what you love, but figure out whether you can sell enough of it to pay rent. Know your market.

The bottom line is, You aren't going to be able to please everyone, so you might as well do what you ENJOY doing. I don't like making sheet cakes either, but I do for a select group of friends, as favors. They pay my prices without complaint, but I admit I go a little lower for them, because they are friends. I just don't feel like you can be as creative with sheet cakes, so I feel like they are boring. I guess I will have to put my foot down eventually, because the "select group of friends" have really been ordering more and more cakes, and I'm doing alot more than I care to.

The local "upscale" shop here doesn't do sheet cakes. DH asked me if I was going to do them. Initially, I said sure that I didn't see a problem. After reading your post I may rethink this. I think you raised some very good points. As for your business, do what feels right to you. That's the beauty of having your own biz!













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Concerning the comment about "Normal" people not being able to afford your cakes. SO WHAT!!!!! Let them shop elsewhere. Normal....is overrated. Normal people can buy their stuff at the bakery down the street. Do what you do well, and don't let them shame you into a price that is not reflective of your product.

I think you have a right to do what you want, and you have a right to charge what you would like to charge. I have heard of people charging more for basketweave or string work because they didn't like doing it, and if someone wanted it they wanted to make it worth their while.

I think there is a difference in a sheet cake and what you buy in the grocery stores. Grocery store cakes are cheaper for many reasons. They have the option of buying their supplies in bulk and are paying alot less for them than we do, there for they don't have to charge as much to make a profit. If you are going to try to compete price wise with anyone in your area it should not be with the grocery store.

If someone does not like your prices, they have the option to go to a different place. I wouldn't lower them to please people. If you charge to little for your time and talent you are going to find yourself burnt out. You are going to hate going in there and baking that cake and all the time you spend working on it.

Do you have people that are happy to pay your prices to get a custom cake that is made for just them? If so, then I wouldn't worry about those that don't pay it. You can not, and never will be able to place everyone.

I do think that people think they can talk cake decorators down from their prices, especially if you are a home baker. Have you ever walked on to the beauty shop and said no I don't want to pay $40 for a hair cut, how about you do it for $20? Do you think they can walk into the grocery store and complain about the prices of the meat and have the store mark it down for cheaper?

Just remember to stick with the prices you are comfortable with. It is your time, your supplies, and your skill you are using to do them a favor. You are selling them a product, and if they want it they should pay what you ask for it! You have every right to tell someone no, and that you are not the baker for them.

I think I am in the minority here! I think as decorators we should offer any and all we can to increase our sales.I offer sheet cakes, but they are not the puny sheets that you get at the supermarkets bakeries. Plus, their cakes come into the store frozen & stay frozen til they decorate them. Yuck.
I think when you feel comfortable with your product, you will feel confident charging the right amount. I just upped my prices in Jan. & have had the phone ringing off the hook. Good luck with you decision! Helen

I absolutely love your cakes. You have very beautiful creations and the customers you have will come back for that. I say do what works for you and your business. Like it was said before, you will not please everyone, so just go one with your business without doing sheet cakes or charging your prices. If that ends up hurting your business later or you end up losing valued customers because of it, then re-evalute your sheet cakes value and go from there.

My two cents worth and keep the wonderful cake creations coming, pinkbunny.

I agree w/ cakelady helen.

any cake no matter the shape can be boring or beautiful, can be mundane or creative.

It's not the cake, it's the decorator that brings the life.

Doug has a point, but how much inspiration will you bring to a shape that you find un-inspiring?

If you are not interested in doing sheet cakes, then don't! Think of it like any other niche... if you had tried gumpaste flowers (for example) and didn't enjoy it, you wouldn't be beating yourself up over deciding not to offer them! You would simply state that it's "not what I do" and get on with the cakes you are interested in!

Suggestion... offer your OWN version of a "basic" cake... pick a simple design (in whatever shape) that you like and call it your basic cake. Offer it a little cheaper than other (equivalent) designs... if someone asks for sheet cakes, you can say... I don't offer those... but this is my basic cake.

Limit the options available on it, make it a design that you can pre-make some of the flowers or accents when you have a slow time then you can fill that down time, and have a stash of pieces ready for short notice orders!

Well, I must say I am with Candylady Helen and Doug....Good thing you are not over here in Italy were there is no Walmart or grocery chain. I have to do alot of sheet cakes. All of the sheet cakes I create are for large groups. Also, I do this because it has helped to get my name out into the public. I have not posted all of the sheet cakes however, I enjoy making them because you really have to be creative in order to get the wow effect. My sheet cakes are somewhat expensive because I try to the best of my ability to create a great cake. Yes, when I feel the urge to create something different I can normally talk customers into a different shape and size. I guess the reason why I am for the sheet cake I like the combination of the two the money and the fun of decorating.

But it stills boils down to you doing something you enjoy. I would rather have 10 sheet cakes at $45.00 a pop than to have 1 or 2 round cakes for $50.00-$75.00. It is all in what you want....

Kim

I like MelC's idea of offering a basic cake.

If I were in business I would not make sheet cakes. Just a personal preference.

I think that lady's idea of "normal" is my idea of cheap. If they think they can get just a good of a cake at Cosco, then you do not want them as a client anyway.

I based my response in part on all those anything-but-boring sheet cakes in the galleries here on CC.

many are downright astounding....even going so far as "gee... you can do 'that' with a sheet cake!?!?!?"

The nice thing about sheet cakes is it feeds a lot of people with a minimal of fuss. A full sheet feeds 80 people, it is one layer, and can be decorated very nicely. I just did my first one, you can check out the photos. If you needed to feed that many people with a round cake, you'd be getting into a tiered cake which unfortunately alot people associate those with fancy affairs. I think you charge what you want, you decorate it the way you want, and if they don't want to pay your price, tell them sorry, there's a Wal-mart down the street!

Sorry to go against the grain, but I happen to like sheet cakes. I've never done them, or rather not many but prior to learning cake decorating, that's all I bought for parties and celebrations. They were easy to cut and I don't really see the difference with sheet vs. anything else. A cake is a cake to me. You can do the same artwork on a sheetcake that you can do on rounds and others. Maybe I'm missing something but I'm not sure where the opinions that sheet cakes are bottom of the barrel come from.

Well, I'm not a professional decorator - hobby only - and to me, this is the crux of it. If it's a service, then "give the people what they want", so to speak - if it's for your personal satisfaction - do what makes you happy. I decorate mainly for my kids - and they prefer the taste of a "grocery store" sheet cake - not a dense specialty bakery cake - so I have been known to order a plain white cake from the grocery and then decorate myself - we're both happy, lol!

Ultimately it is up to you, but if sheet cakes are what people want, then that's what they'll buy. I agree with the other poster who suggested that you come up with a "standard" (don't think they used that term) cake of your own.

Good luck deciding!

Tracey

I think if you don't want to do sheetcakes, simply say, Oh I'm sorry I don't do those but I could do such and such for you.

I wouldn't overprice them as to me, if someone prices a sheet cake and its too expensive they won't even ask about the more novel type cakes and you'll get a reputation as being really expensive.

I think your much better off not pricing for them at all and just simply stating that you don't do them.

Well, like Doug said, it's what you do with the sheet cake that makes it special (okay, not an exact quote!!).

I've enjoyed the sheet cakes I've done. I do a lot of retirement cakes for the Air base here. They don't mind paying my prices. They come to me because they get what they want on the cake. For instance, I'm finishing up a cake for them tonight that has a maintenance unit badge on it. Of course when I first saw the picture of the badge I almost fell out of my chair - but I said, "I can do that!" I am up for a challenge! I told them what I would do it for and he said to me, "I've seen your work and trust in your ability. Do what you can with it. I don't mind paying that price." That was a huge compliment!

Before I started decorating cakes, I only knew about homemade or grocery store cakes - not specialty bakeries. We got the home-baked cakes all the time so it was extra special to have a cake that was "bought" for a special occasion. To be honest with you, I can only remember a couple that were specifically for me and one was my graduation cake. It was store-bought and had a plastic cap and diploma in the middle of it and "Congratulations, Class of 1992!" on it. Little to no imagination went into it but it was the best cake I ever had. Now I know the difference and probably my kids one day will think the same thing..."Finally, a cake that wasn't made by Mom!!" I now see why there are those that go for WalMart and Winn Dixie cakes and those that go for cakes that actually take a little effort to create.

To sum that up I guess, and we have heard this many times before, people that don't know the difference between your cake and cake from WalMart are not going to spend extra just because it is from you. Show them what is so special about your cakes. If they still don't want to buy from you, let them go, they don't know any better!!

yeah, i see all of you sheet cake bakers points

they are easier...for the deocrator and customer. maybe i'll get one of my customers (i can't believe i already have regulars!!! ) who don't care about my prices and will pay what i ask for a cake and don't care what the shape is and just make them an awesome sheet cake (lots of great cakes on this site!!!!). And put all my special touches on it!!

guess i just shouldn't jump the gun and rule it out before i've really given it a try!! people are paying me for my awesome tasting cakes, my decorating ability, and my precious time....it shouldn't matter what the shape of the cake is!!!!

i'm not going to lower my prices, i've set up a base per slice type of system that you kinda 'builda' cake w/all the stuff you want for the final cost. so whether it be a sheet cake or a round or a square the base price is the same. so my sheet cakes aren't more expensive than my other cakes....just more expensive than what you get at walmart.

thanks CC for setting me straight!! sometimes it's hard to see the other side when you're only trying to reason/convince yourself!!!

I think that's a great decision pinkbunny, and I bet you'll find you get even more business then just offering a certain shape cake! Plus, where I'm at, you can get probably anything you want "wrote" on the cake from the grocery store, but there's really only so many choices you get when it comes to the decorating. I've worked in deli/bakeries at a couple different stores and the cake decorators are only going to go to a certain extent for a cake order.Except for the one's you can go through a book and choose from! You may point that out to your customers also, in a nice sort of way . So I wish you all the luck, I think you've made the best decision!