when someone who previoulsy ordered a cake from you has another party and doesnt order another? I am worrying that maybe they thought it was too expensive, or was it dry? did it taste horrible? did they just not like it? was there a hair in it?? It's hard when you are neighbors and you know when the kids birthdays are etc!!
hi,
Yup most of the people i know won't even order a first cake from me... they always seem bit uncomfortable when they "mention" their kids birthday. Ifigure it has everything to do with price since they would rather pay only $10 for a cake from Sam's. At first I was taking it personally (all these people have eaten my cakes before) but then I realized I would rather make them fro people who understand the value of what i do... They make SUCh better customers! I wouldn't take it personal or worry, I'm sure your cakes are great!!
Yes, my neighbors seem uncomfortable about mentioning parties too. I wasnt sure if it was because they werent inviting my kids or because of the cake LOL! I never say anything about the cake, I dont want them to feel like they are obligated to ask me. but sometimes I wonder why they dont ask. I hope it is more about the money than the cake wasnt good!
I've had one order from a neighbor, and I quoted her $55 for a 3D volcano with decorated dino cookies. It had a 12in base! She called a few days before the party to cancel because of the price was too high. Later, she called me to see if I would help her make it....nope! She made it herself...it didn't look very good!
Birthday parties are so expensive these days anyway, a lot of people (including me) don't have the money for any more than a grocery store cake, unless its a big birthday-1st, 16th, 18th, etc. And you gotta admit, most kids out there aren't that picky about their cakes. I go ahead and make them for my kids closest friends because I like to practice, but otherwise I don't worry about it when the Sam's cake shows up.
I just had this happen to me last week. My husband and I were dropping off our daughter's birthday party invitation to my husband's son. He lives with his grandmother (hubbys exwifes mom) and she said "Oh yeah I guess I should tell ya his party is saturday at 4" I said Ok is that an invitation or a "I hope Susie's party isn't the same day" deal lol she said no it's an invite. But I will say I plan on buying the cakes from Acme bakery because I'm short on money and we don't need very much. I said that was fine.
We get to the party and she bought two small cakes maybe 1/8 sheet cake lol It's the same size I would buy for my family of 8 to have as a desert for a special dinner or something lol... she bought two of them one yellow one chocolate and no one really liked it lol. She had half of each left over and complained because no one really ate any cake. So I guess she'll live and learn. We get along alright but I'm still the "*&^%$ that stole her daughter's husband" lol but his ex-wife even ordered cakes from me last year for thier daughter's party so I dunno I guess some people are just cheap-o's and want the quick fast easy cheap way out lol.
[quote="jen1977"]I've had one order from a neighbor, and I quoted her $55 for a 3D volcano with decorated dino cookies. It had a 12in base! She called a few days before the party to cancel because of the price was too high. Later, she called me to see if I would help her make it....nope! She made it herself...it didn't look very good![/quote]
You have GOT to be kidding me!!!!
They might be getting what their kids want too, often kids see what they have at the grocery store and they want it really bad. My 8 year old is just begining to come to the conclusion that my cakes are better, tasting and looking, than what you get from the store, for several years he was terribly jealous of the other kids he knew getting store cakes.
Or it could be price, I know that if I spent what I charge for a cake my husband would flip. That's why I decorate cakes.
Yes! I worry, wonder, and stress over this all the time! I have some that have only ordered one, and I think, well was it not good, wrong flavor, not nice enough??? The list goes on and on.
The only thing that lets me keep my sanity is this, we, my family, are not big birthday people. We rarely buy a cake or have a party to celebrate a birthday. Maybe they are the same way, hopefully!!
I used to worry and even be slightly offended but like goal4me said, at least you aren't being asked to do it for free!!
I do tend to get a little worried about this too. I am the owner of a moms group and although I just started making cakes for profit I always post my kids cakes on my moms group website and alwasy get the "OMGosh that is so cute" comments yet I am never asked to do their cakes .... only recently I had someone ask me to do their cakes, and I have never posted a price so they don't knwo what I charge. Or I will get the "I am definately goign to have you do my kids cake" and when the time comes ..... they never ask .... oh well, their loss, although I do have a neighbor that RAVES about my cakes. She is my taste tester. In fact she is also my best customer .... she buys my cakes as a gift for EVERYONE she knows lol. I guess it just depends on the person. I try not to take it personally that my best friends won't ask me to do their cakes (even though I would give them a discount because I do need more practice and I can try out new techniques for them) but my neighbor will practically fund my rising business.
I've had one order from a neighbor, and I quoted her $55 for a 3D volcano with decorated dino cookies. It had a 12in base! She called a few days before the party to cancel because of the price was too high. Later, she called me to see if I would help her make it....nope! She made it herself...it didn't look very good!
You have GOT to be kidding me!!!!
Nope! She used canned icing and colored it so it was really runny, and spent $35 at the pet store on volcano fish tank stuff! It took her AND a friend 13 hours to make it! This is a girl who spends big bucks on birthday parties too...IMO, she goes overboard with everything...food, gifts, all of it. I made it clear that a cake that large and shaped wit hcookies for $55 was a discounted price, and she still couldn't afford it. I think she thought when she ordered the cake from me, I would offer to give it to her! Nope!
I don't have a lot of business. Most of my cakes are done because I want to do one or for family. I used to bring practice cakes into work but stopped because only one person ever orders from me (she still does). The rest say I charge too much and go to Sam's or Wal-Mart instead.
Sometimes I will make a birthday cake for work if I want to and have the time. Otherwise, I don't volunteer, especially when I was told nicely that I didn't have to bring one for every birthday.
I'm reluctant to do a lot of advertising since I am not legal. But I am hopeful that business will pick up eventually.
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