So I bake from my home & work full time. I usually just make cakes for family & friends. I had a friend who asked if I might be able to make something for her co-worker. I told her to have the co-worker contact me - first so I could tell them that I bake from my home - I want to make that clear to people, and to discuss pricing, flavors, what she wants, etc.
So my friend tells me this about two weeks ago. YESTERDAY this person contacted me by e-mail and asked if I could make 1 dozen yellow & 1 dozen choc. cupcakes decorated like the babies in my gallery (the Wilton babies). She also wanted to get them by Thursday at 4:00!
I just kinda laughed.... what???? How on earth? I wrote her back a nice e-mail saying I'm flattered she liked me cakes, but I work full-time and bake from home and that there is no way I could turn around an order like that (plus I'd have all sorts of batter left over b/c I'd have to make two dif. cake mixes for both flavors & I think one cake mix makes 24 cupcakes). I told her I need at LEAST a week's notice to get supplies, discuss costs, design, flavors, etc..... and to plan how (and when!) I'm going to do everything. I told her the best I could suggest with her limited time frame was that she go to Kroger or Walmart. I said I couldn't speak for their quality or taste, but I know they have things ready-made. 
Just thought I'd share the little laugh. So what's the shortest time frame someone's given you for an order?
When I had a full time job, co-workers were always asking for cookies for 'tomorrow". I kept telling them, "My oven time is allocated days and weeks in advance. If you want in the schedule, tell me now and I'll let you know when I can fit you in." It worked. They started to ask me what my current lead time was! 
They also looked forward to about every other Friday when I'd bring in overbakes ..... leftovers from the week's orders that just wouldnt' last until monday. I'd bring them in, send a mass email (to my selected few - I was teased about "you have to be a Friend of Debi" to get on the cookie list!") and within minutes, there was a swarm!
I had someone call me at 10pm for a cake they wanted to pick up their way to work the next morning - just something "simple"...
full sheet cake - white chocolate cake, white chocolate ganache and 2 fondant bows!
Ok - let me get me magic wand! NOT!!!!
She couldn't understand why I said no! I wonder what a complicated cake would be for her????? 
People just don't have any idea how long it takes or how much planning.
Back in October I had a woman (repeat customer) from my church call me one Saturday morning at 9:00 needing a cake for 5:00 that evening. Her son was shipping off to the Airborne Rangers and she was having a party and forgot to order a cake. I did it for her because I had the ingredients on hand...even though I had avowed to DH that it was going to be my one Saturday off, and I ended up doing 2 cakes that day!!
I was asked to make decorated cookies in the shape of a tiered birthday cake with candles on it for birthday party favours the next day..I was asked at 4:30 whilst at my fulltime job...don't leave until 5:30...the birthday was at 1pm the next day...
I stayed up till 2am baking and decorating cookies...
That being said, he knew he was last minute, they loved the cookies and I got handsomely paid...much more than I asked for!!!
I don't usually take last minute orders these days though...
Stories like these always get me. Last Friday evening, I had a lady who had ordered a cake several weeks ago call to confirm her cake for Saturday morning. At the time she placed the order, she said she wanted a small tiered cake to feed about 20 people. So when she called she asked what size I was doing and I told her a little 8/4 stack. She then proceeded to tell me that she was expecting a few more people, like 25 now and could I make it bigger. I told her I had already baked it and was about to begin work on it and that was all I'd be able to do for her. She then asked if I could fit another cake on top, even just another 4 inch. I told her that I didn't have the ingredients or time to bake more and that a 4 on top of a 4 would be extremely unstable, sorry can't do it....
I had a man ring me and said could he have a cake for tomorrow. I said Sorry I am fully booked and it's also not enough notice for that type of cake (fondant covered, heaps of modelling detail) and he replied
"there ARE 24 hours in a day you know" quite rudely to me!! 
So I responded politely, not when you have a 3 year old and a 5 year old there's not!
I even had an old acquaintance guilt trip me this morning because she wants a cake when I am fully booked.
Their lack of notice does not constitute my emergency! (this is what I keep repeating to myself!)
People are so funny. I've had to say no plenty of times. I explain to people that I'm usually (not always) booked two weeks in advance. They'll never know when my down time is... My regulars KNOW. Last month I had the time and accepted a "last minute" order. She gave me two days notice. WHen she picked up the cake, I explained to her that I like two weeks, in case I'm booked, to have time for planning, I have 2 kids who go to Dr. weekly(she sees my boy in his wheelchair), and also so she'd get more for her money. I can do more, if I have time ( for modelling, things that need to dry, etc.). She called me a week later telling me that a friend of hers was going to want a cake in three weeks but the third party is going to call herself. Sounds good, right? The date she gave me is next week. Haven't heard anything 
I'll almost bet I hear from No. 3 two days before 
I'm already booked! 
When I had a full time job, co-workers were always asking for cookies for 'tomorrow". I kept telling them, "My oven time is allocated days and weeks in advance. If you want in the schedule, tell me now and I'll let you know when I can fit you in." It worked. They started to ask me what my current lead time was!
They also looked forward to about every other Friday when I'd bring in overbakes ..... leftovers from the week's orders that just wouldnt' last until monday. I'd bring them in, send a mass email (to my selected few - I was teased about "you have to be a Friend of Debi" to get on the cookie list!") and within minutes, there was a swarm!
That's so funny! I send overbakes to work w/ my hubby and I send a mass email from home letting them know they're on the way! He's swarmed within 10 minutes of arrival! I also love doing this for new samples! I ask them to provide HONEST critique/feedback via email...that way I can test nearly 80 folks and know if I have a WINNER!
My DH's sister called me 4 hrs. before her grandmother's bday party--oops, she forgot to get a cake and could I "whip" one up real quick. If the cake had been for anyone else, they would have gotten a big fat NO. But I drafted hubby's help. He went to store for cake ingredients while I made the frosting and fixed the cake board. I was 20 min. late to the party but I got it finished. AND let SIL know to give me notice next time. Some people just don't get it!!
I had a man ring me and said could he have a cake for tomorrow. I said Sorry I am fully booked and it's also not enough notice for that type of cake (fondant covered, heaps of modelling detail) and he replied
"there ARE 24 hours in a day you know" quite rudely to me!!
Yeah and do YOU stay up all of them working??? I think not!
Sure, I'll do it - if you pay me triple the amount....b/c I'm losing sleep and my loss of sleep costs that much
oh oh did you all see that YouTube video someone had posted w/ the "magic dancing frosting blobs?" The people left, the blobs got out of other pastries, and then went dancing around and decorated a cake...... maybe other people have seen that video and think that's how it happens
Of course, I can get a cake ready for you in two hours! Let me just get out my magic dancing frosting blobs......
I just had a lady last week who call me on Thursday because she wanted a cake for Sunday (Mother's Day!) for her son's and daughter's Communion Party. She works at the Pharmacy where my aunt gets her prescriptions and she asked my aunt for my number. I asked her how many guests and she said 50 so, I said ok, I will see her in the afternoon to see what she wanted, flavor etc. Later on when I saw her (at her place of work!)she tells me that she had 50 guests, but she wanted something very nice because she wanted to send pictures of the party to her family back in the country where she comes from.
Well, this lady asked me for a three tiers cake, the first tier being a full sheet, and the other two tiers she said she also wanted them the same shape (rectangular) and big, with columns and gumpaste calla lilies, plus I had to deliver it. I told her that she was asking for a wedding cake and that it would serve over 150 people. She said: ..."doesn't matter I just want something extra especial that looks really nice on the pictures".
Now, remember, she wants this cake for Mother's Day, so my daughter tells me not to worry, to take the order and she would help me with everything. My aunt asked me to please give the lady a good price because she is really nice with her, blah, blah, blah,.
I called this lady and told her ok, I'll charge you $250.00 for the cake... the woman almost had a heart attack! She said that was too much money and she was not planning on spending that much, it was just a small party. I told her: "you are asking me for an "extra special" wedding cake for Mother's Day, for over 150 people and you are only giving me two days two make this cake, how much did you think it was going to be? You know what she said? Well, not more than a $100.00. I just opened my mouth for a few seconds and did not know what to say until finally I told her: "for that much I would suggest you go to BJ's, Shoprite or Pathmark and buy two or three of their full sheets".
Could you believe it?
... the woman almost had a heart attack! She said that was too much money and she was not planning on spending that much, it was just a small party. I told her: "you are asking me for an "extra special" wedding cake for Mother's Day, for over 150 people and you are only giving me two days two make this cake, how much did you think it was going to be? You know what she said? Well, not more than a $100.00.
Did she work at the Pharmacy or was she getting HER prescriptions filled from Bellevue? 
..... how much did you think it was going to be? You know what she said? Well, not more than a $100.00. .....
"Hmmmm .... I need a cake..... for a lot of people ..... how much should I spend? Let's see .... (look around in the air) ... Oh! There's a number! (jump up and grab a number from way up high .... you know the place ... the "thin air" atmosphere ..... grabbing a number from thin air) .... yeah! that number looks right! Here .... (handing the number to the cake decorator) .... here's what I'm paying. Now give me the cake that *I* think this will pay for."
..... Could you believe it?
Unfortunately, yes.
Somehow we have to get these people to understand how much cake is worth and how long it takes.
Could you imagine going to a builder and saying I want a brand new house on a 1/2 acre lot. I think 4000 SQ feet would do and I want wood floors everywhere and this and that. I think $100,000.00 is a fair price or at least that is my budget. Do you know how fast the contractor would start to laugh!!
You have to do your research a little bit you cannot just pick a # out of a hat and that is what I want to pay. I am sure you could find someone to help you put, but aware your wood floors might be plywood it you are lucky!
There is a lot of time involved in a cake and then a lot of $$ for ingredients .
Here are my thoughts on time
1 hour planning/design
1 hour shopping or pulling our pans/ingredients
1-3 hour prep cake and bake
while it cools or bake you might be lucky to make your icing or have fondant already resting. (more planning involved in this one)
Then you start the icing process, for a simple cake maybe 30-1 hour if there are only 1 -3 colors and it's a 1 layer cake.
Add another layer and 3 or more colors and you are doubling if not tripling your decorating time.
Ok so far, I have invested a minimum of 6 hours in this cake and I have not been paid for ingredients yet. I would work for very cheap. Cake decorators are artirsts that are not well paid.
Just because the medium we chose is edible and does not last, does not mean that our artwork is less of a value.
It's not just cake, we pour our hearts into so many projects. It's too bad people dont get it.
I am just glad that many of us, have people in our lives that understand and that maybe if they keep on talking to those who dont, we will eventually get the message accross.
I thank my DH all the time for his understanding.
I my previous life, I did purchasing and our motto was, "Your poor planning does not constitute an emergency for me." anyhow this is the cleaned up version of what some of my co-workers who were in the service used to say is the 5 or 7 "p" rule of management.
Good Luck.
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