Seeking Encouragement

Business By ANicole Updated 14 Aug 2006 , 2:31am by Molliebird

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ANicole Posted 11 Aug 2006 , 4:05pm
post #1 of 18

How did you get your first "for money" cake order, and how long had you been decorating?

17 replies
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Loucinda Posted 11 Aug 2006 , 4:15pm
post #2 of 18

I have been getting paid for baking for years now, I don't even remember when I started! I would guess 25 years now??

I have only been getting paid for DECORATED cakes for a little over a year. (I started decorating them in Feb. of '05) I am lucky ~ the folks who have bought my stuff for years now buy the cakes that I decorate! (and word of mouth has spread too)

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Lousaria Posted 11 Aug 2006 , 4:27pm
post #3 of 18

I just started decorating cakes about a year and a half ago. I brought a cake to a few different functions (mostly for friends) and they loved them. Now they are calling me to make them cakes. I think that's where you have to start. It's hard not to feel bad about charging your friends but that is pretty much who all of my cakes go to. If I didn't charge them I would never make any money.
From there it branches out to their friends and family and so on.
Good Luck!!

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klkhoneycutt Posted 11 Aug 2006 , 4:30pm
post #4 of 18

i had never decorated before!! but did a catipiller cake for my sister i just charged her for the supplies but when she saw the cake she paid me !! u can see it in my photos !! i do alot of cakes ( have not posted any in a long time) most times i just charge for just the supplies i need and give them the cake I love cake decorateing i don't want to be paid for something i love doing ,i also do the same for quilting but i never ever charge for the supplies for that( unless they want to buy the stuff and bring it to me) i consider them a treasure memories last a life time
Lisa

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ANicole Posted 11 Aug 2006 , 4:39pm
post #5 of 18

Happy (early) birthday! My son's is Aug. 28th.

I just hate what I do for a living (legal secretary) and soooo want out. And I love baking.

I would love to do it for extra money. And one day for a real career. But sometimes I wonder if I'm just dreaming...

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Loucinda Posted 11 Aug 2006 , 5:16pm
post #6 of 18

Everyone has to start somewhere. The holidays are coming - if your kids school has the "kids shopping" day for gifts, donate a cake as a raffle item. Bring a cake to work and let folks know you are now making and decorating them for a fee.

BTW - we'll be driving thorugh close by you next week on our way up to Canada - we're taking our ATV's up there to ride!! icon_biggrin.gif

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cupcake Posted 12 Aug 2006 , 7:29am
post #7 of 18

Started 35 years ago, did a cake for a friend, she paid me and the rest is history.

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karmicflower Posted 12 Aug 2006 , 7:50am
post #8 of 18

I've been baking since i was a little girl, pulling on my grandma's apron strings, but i didn't get into decorating till about 6-7 yrs ago.. i remember my first paid cake was for my cousins bday (i think i had been decorating cakes for about a year or two - just as a hobby). My aunt, she's so sweet, was encouraging me and trying to support my hobby,because she knew how much i love it, and she told me she would buy me the supplies i needed (back then i didn't have too many pans, or tips, or anything, just some basics) and she also paid me for the cake!! icon_smile.gif

Since I had my kids, i haven't really been baking for money, just friends and family, but lately i'm starting to get back into it (being a stay-at-home mom of 2 kids sometimes you need some extra cash icon_wink.gif), and i find that sending my hubby to work with cupcakes, or making a cake for a friends bday that i will be attending usually rakes in some business, also word of mouth, it helps if you print little calling cards, and pass them out to your friends and family, that way if it comes up in a conversation they can easily hand out your info. Good luck to you!! icon_smile.gif

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loriemoms Posted 12 Aug 2006 , 9:11pm
post #9 of 18

I have also been baking for years, but when I did my daughers wedding cake, all her friends wanted me to do theri weddings too!! Then people at work heard that I 'made cakes" and I started charging them 25 dollars for a cake. (No matter what) I still just charge then 25 dollars, as they were my tasters and helped me get started. But I tell you, as soon as people start using you (no friends or family, but strangers) word spreads very fast! Especailly baby showers and such...

Good luck!!!

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neicey1971 Posted 12 Aug 2006 , 9:22pm
post #10 of 18

I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. A school aide was asking a (now retired) cake baker to make a graduation cake for her son. When the cake baker explained that she was retiring, the school aide was very disappointed. Since the aide is also a friend, I offered to make the cake for her. It was a two tier (12" round with lemon filling and 10" with caramel filling) decorated in purple and gold.

I was so nervous with this cake. When she came to pick it up she was so excited with it. She paid me more than I asked (I was so excited!). Needless to say, I was on pins and needles that entire day wondering how they liked the cake. My phone rang about 9 pm and the first thing she said was "you need to go into the business, the cake was awesome".

Of course she told everyone at school and I've been baking since. I've baked and decorated over 125 cakes during the past year. Most of them are posted here. I have never taken a class, only learning from watching my mother decorate when I was a child.

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cakerlady Posted 12 Aug 2006 , 9:31pm
post #11 of 18

I did some decorating 30 years ago but put it aside for career and family then decided to take a class at Michaels. I gave away cakes for 6 months and then all of a sudden someone asked me to make one for money!! Now I've been asked to work for a bakery on the side. So it can happen just when you think it never will.

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CakeDiva73 Posted 12 Aug 2006 , 10:35pm
post #12 of 18

I made a cake for my daughters preschool and they went bananas! It was a carrot cake and one of the teachers' husbands loved it and told all his friends, family, etc.... It was because of her that I got my first paying order - the Dora cake in my pics.... It was a 14" filled carrot cake and they paid me $70. I almost wet my pants!

I would recommend 'sampling' people.... hee hee, I was trying to explain this concept to my husband and said " Hey, I think i should go 'sample' the coach and see if I can get any business'. (BB coach has a business that gets lots of traffic) Anyway, he looked at me rather oddly.... By sampling, I mean make small cakes or tasters to give along with your cards or whatever. Since I have 4 kids, the school office is a great place to start! If you don't have any cards, VistaPrint had a special last month for 100 postcards, color fronts/B & W backs, shipped for only $5.25. I ordered 200 and uploaded a multi-pic of my cakes for the front.

Then I sat down and forced myself to come up with prices and printed it on the back.... I realize it is a slippery slope with licensing and such but If I could get some business then I could justify renting space in our town's cafe!

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bradylj Posted 13 Aug 2006 , 1:11pm
post #13 of 18

I am just getting started as well. My husband doesn't like cake so I would bring my leftover cake from my wilton classes to work and my co-workers loved it! They all have kids so now I am doing all thier kids' birthday cakes.

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ANicole Posted 13 Aug 2006 , 5:33pm
post #14 of 18

Bradylj, for just getting started, you have done some really nice looking cakes!

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cashley Posted 13 Aug 2006 , 5:38pm
post #15 of 18

I have been asked to make them for money and always said no. I love to make cakes but when it becomes a business instead it changes what I love to do so I just make them to make people happy. I love to see the peoples faces when they love my cakes.

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SweetThistleCakes Posted 13 Aug 2006 , 10:00pm
post #16 of 18

I've only been doing this for a few years. I started out just doing birthday cakes for my co-workers when we had a celebration at the office. People would take a collection for ingredients and I'd go out and buy the stuff, and what ever was left over, I would use it as my "payment". Now that I have moved 1800 miles acorss the USA, I am "restarting" my biz slowly- I'm doing some orders at cost of ingredients ONLY and just asking for referrals and letters of recommendation from my good customers.

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momsandraven Posted 14 Aug 2006 , 2:24am
post #17 of 18

I actually got my first paid order because of my drawing skills, not my baking skills. A friend of mine had a friend looking for a JoJo's Circus cake, before JoJo became popular enough to be a design choice at bakeries. My friend refered her to me, because she knew I'd be able to draw JoJo, and she was pretty sure I baked decent cakes. LOL!! No Lie, that is what she said, and they actually called me. Well, the cake must've been better than just decent, because she called again this year, and has refered several other people to me as well! icon_razz.gif

(edited to add that the JoJo cake is in my pics, and it was done as a FBCT from a coloring book, so my drawing skills had nothing to do with it in the end afterall!! icon_lol.gif )

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Molliebird Posted 14 Aug 2006 , 2:31am
post #18 of 18
Quote:
Originally Posted by Amber0717

Happy (early) birthday! My son's is Aug. 28th.

I just hate what I do for a living (legal secretary) and soooo want out. And I love baking.

I would love to do it for extra money. And one day for a real career. But sometimes I wonder if I'm just dreaming...




You took the words right out of my mouth. I'm a legal secretary also and I have the same thoughts as you. I'm close to you also. Live just outside of Windsor, Ontario.

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