Need A Price Argument W Dh Settled
Business By spottydog Updated 31 Aug 2006 , 8:45pm by LittleLinda
Nicely said. love all your cakes. I like your club photo page too. What a neat idea. Do you have a residential kitchen?I noticed you had prices posted. Do you get much business from this page? Just trying to get input with being a residential kitchen in my home myself in the next few weeks.
I just wanted to say that charging what you yourself would pay is not the way to go. For one thing that is how a lot of us got started in cake decorating because we didn't WANT to pay and thought we could do it ourselves, LOL. (and have)
I am cheap (frugal) but that doesn't mean I have to support everyone else's cheapness. I am not going to work for cheap. ; ) I would rather make fewer cakes and get paid more personally. Means more time with my family.
For 3-d cakes (especially covered in fondant) it's not about the servings, it's about the art that goes into it. They are paying for the decorating. If it was all about the cake then they could just make a cake themselves.
There should be a minimum for 3-d cakes/ carved cakes no matter what the serving amount. I did the 3 d car cake in my avatar and even though it only served 6 (and that might be a stretch) I would have charged at LEAST $60. It had a lot of detail and was carved from several layers of cake. (it was for my son and let me tell you people were FLOORED that is was cake they had never seen anything like it here)
I have no idea how big a wonder mold is but if it's the one that does the traditional doll cakes I remember it I think. I personally think $23 is too cheap for a doll cake (are they providing the doll I hope at least?)
I actually despise doll cakes so I would probably charge more just so that I don't have to do them though. I think it's a deep rooted phobia of doll cakes from when I was a kid....but anyway I digress.
Your turtle is really really cute. And from looking at it, it's even more brilliant because it is simple. (I mean that in a good way, it has few parts to it!) It's a masterpiece!
Next time you make one you will be faster. It will be easier to make.
I think $50 is not unreasonable such a beautiful cake. : ) Yes you should charge more! What a wonderful husband you have to support your talent!
Thanks Amy!!!! I have realized how lucky I am to have a DH like this. He has been pushing me to do my best and that I can in fact do incredible work if I put my mind to it. I have loved hearing everyone's input on this subject. I guess it is all about the way you look at it. Who doesn't love the extra cash??? 
I had a great tip from a talented cake artist last week. He said that you can charge a lower amount to do it the first time for the experience, but after you do it once, the price goes up. You know how to do it now. $35 was fair the first time, but the price has just gone to $50. Very nice job!!
I actually despise doll cakes so I would probably charge more just so that I don't have to do them though.
I think doll cakes are so easy! No artwork involved! They take way less time for me to do than all my sheetcakes. That's why I don't charge much!
Nicely said. love all your cakes. I like your club photo page too. What a neat idea. Do you have a residential kitchen?I noticed you had prices posted. Do you get much business from this page? Just trying to get input with being a residential kitchen in my home myself in the next few weeks.
I get NO business from my club photo page because the only way somebody could find that page is if I give them the address, so they are already customers. Under each photo album it shows how many people have viewed the page. I'd say most of them are cake central people who are looking ... definitely not potential customers!
Yes, I have a residential kitchen. all my customers know me.
Spotty, I'm not sure how many cakes you do for people or if this is a business or not, but I'm with you.....I underrate myself because I want to just make people happy and always help them out....at my expense! I did this in craft shows years ago too. I was so afraid that people would not want my stuff if it was expensive although I knew how much work went into things. I sympathize with you. We'll learn someday!
Spotty, my husband sames the same thing and jokes that he is going to start taking the calls for cake orders because I don't charge enough and I am the world's worst at adding all the "extra stuff" to make it "special" and not charge the customer. He jokes with our friends and says he is the CFO.
Your cake is wonderful, eye catching and has that WOW factor and I think that is what people want and know that is what they are paying for when they order cakes like that is that WOW factor. If it was strictly about how many the cake will serve then they would have order a typical 6" or 8" cake or a sheet cake. By the way, it looks just like a Precious Moments figure and look at the prices of those little 2" figures that you cannot even eat!!!! 
I chargd $45 for my Monkey Cake (in my photos) and it was only a 6" cake!
And like everyone else has said......... you are now an ETCC (Experienced Turtle Cake Creator) so you can up your price! 
I started out making my elephant cupcakes for .75 each. Now I get 1.75 each and my husband keeps telling me that is still too cheap!
Keep up the great work.
bj
Love your monkey cake and the elephant cupcakes are just adorable!!!!
bjfranco
I started out making my elephant cupcakes for .75 each. Now I get 1.75 each and my husband keeps telling me that is still too cheap!
I totally agree with your husband (sorry! )
I think $1.75 is too cheap for those elephants also. They are amazing!
bjfranco
I started out making my elephant cupcakes for .75 each. Now I get 1.75 each and my husband keeps telling me that is still too cheap!
I totally agree with your husband (sorry!
)I think $1.75 is too cheap for those elephants also. They are amazing!
Thank you! They are so easy to do and I feel bad charging much more. I know.........How stupid am I!!!??!!! I am getting better with charging more. I had to create a price list and stick to it because I am getting so busy now. <yea!> I still charge 1.75 for those elephants and whenever I am making them he rolls his eyes.....
A little story:
I was baking a ton of cakes and was running out of room in the kitchen for cakes out of the oven cooling on baking racks so I thought I would line the baking racks/cooling trays on the dining room table to cool. I lined up the place mats, covered them with towels and lined up the cakes on cooling racks to cool on the table. I thought I was sssssoooo smart and had my little assembly line going..........
Well..... <guess you can tell where this story is going.......>
After a little while I starting wrapping all the cakes in saran wrap and bring them back into the kitchen and picking up my racks and towels............ Thinking I am so smart and efficient. When I moved the place mats I burst into tears......... 
the moisture from the hot cakes not only removed the finish on the Antique 70 year old dining room table but also start to split some of the wood.
I called my husband sobbing and told him what happened. I was close to losing my lunch but thankful he was so calm about it.........guess he could hear how sick and upset I was.
Now......... whenever I am making my elephant cupcakes for a 1.75 each he says, "You only need to make about 8,000 more cupcakes to be out of the hole for that dining room table!" 
Glad we can laugh about it now.
bj
[quote="bjfrancothe moisture from the hot cakes not only removed the finish on the Antique 70 year old dining room table but also start to split some of the wood. [/quote]
OMG! That is awful! You poor thing! I think I'd never be forgiven if I did that!
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