I think I should be rather upset... Tell me what you think and what you would do.
Tonight at work, one of my co-workers wanted to look at my cakes so I showed them to her. This is the same co-worker that wanted us to go in to business together with her supplying the money and me supplying all the work and talent (I told her no thanks). Any way, tonight while she was looking at my cakes she said I need to lower my prices because she has 3 people that want to buy one of my cakes from HER! She told me she wants to start a business selling my cakes!!! I asked her "So you want me to make cakes for you to make a profit off of?" She said that it covers her cost of having to go pick it up and deliver it. I'm thinking to myself... What the heck?
Now she has given me her email address and wants me to send her pictures of all my cakes. I'm really in shock over this. I mean, I plan to always charge the same for my cakes. I'm not going to lower my prices. But to know that she is going to buy my cake and then turn around and sell it for a profit! Should I be this upset? Is this any different than buying from a wholesaler and then reselling stuff? Well, I'm no wholesaler!
I feel rather used and cheapened by the whole thing.
What do y'all think?

Lazy_Susan

Personally, I want no middleman between myself and my customers. I have had party companies want to do this and I have said no.
I guess it is a personal decision, but if you heart says no like mine did, stick with it.
You have little control over what they say, do, how much they charge and how they relate to your customers about your cakes.
Personally, I like to control all of that and don't trust them to do it well enough.

Tell her NO!!!

You don't need a sales staff or someone to share the profit with. Were you officially in a business that was obligated to her financially, the situation would be different. I wouldn't sell anything to her...ever. I'd never trust that she wasn't reselling it. In the end you'd be giving up the last step of control we have over our product when it reaches the cutomer.

If she really wants to be in the business of selling other people's merchandise, tell her to get a job with Mary Kay or Tupperware.

Just one more person belittling what we do for a living.. Grrrrr!

I was never in business with her. And I don't plan to ever be either. It just kind of slipped out what she was planning on doing. I was shocked by it and felt sick inside when I thought of ever selling to her again. I feel like she is getting me as her business partner even though I told her I didn't want to. She's just not informing me that we are in business together.

I would go ahead and give her a GREAT deal on the three cakes....make them absolutely PERFECT!....let her sell them.

Laminate one of your business cards or wrap your cake board that your cake will sit on with clear paper so when the person that bought the cake from her will see your business cards and knows exactly where it came from.

Then don't ever make another cake for her again!

That is insane!!! I honestly don't know what to say, I am in shock by the whole situation. DONT DO IT!!!!!!

I think that woman has a screw loose, or maybe two. The nerve some people have never ceases to amaze me. I would NEVER do a cake for her again, if I were you.

But I really love the devilish idea cocorum21 has, for you to make some perfect cakes for her, with your business card on the boards, so the customer knows where the cakes really came from. However, it is possible, that the customer knows that your co-worker is acting as a middleman. Party planners do this sort of thing all the time. Is that her goal...to be a party planner?

I am not sure I would cooperate in any way, even as much as showing cake pictures to this woman. She has twice now shown her true colors.
She is not to be trusted.

She doesn't want to be a party planner. She wants to have her own bakery! She told me before that she wanted to open a bakery with this other woman but that the woman didn't know how to bake... hmmmm. So now she has latched on to me! I told her I wouldn't go in to business with her so now she is doing it underhandedly.

First of all, you have to tell her that she won't be getting any more cakes from you, since it is YOUR baking business, NOT HER'S.......PROTECT yourself.... you don't know WHAT could happen to those cakes once they leave your hands....... what if she didn't care for it properly, and someone got sick? Is SHE going to foot the bill for the lawsuit, or would that come bak on the "baker" ? Of course the answer is that YOU would be responsible......... NO MORE CAKE FOR HER !!

This is such a serious thing to have to deal with. It really scares me as well as ticking me off. grama_j makes an excellent point. What if she does something to one of my cakes and someone gets sick. I really think I should stand my ground and not sell any more cakes to her.

Put a LARGE sign on your cake boards and boxes stating "NOT FOR RESALE".... be sure to put your business card on them too.... Do it with ALL your cakes from now on, so she can't have someone else purchase them for her....... I KNOW I'm reaching, but I really wouldn't trust this woman.....

Eeew.. that makes *me* upset.. Tell her flat out that you have NO desire to make cakes for re-sale. Tell her that if you find out that she has already done it you will take her to small claims court. Tell her from now on you will not be making anymore cakes for her in fear that she will be re-selling them to others. Tell her that you have NO desire to go into business with her and that is you final answer.

There are so many variables with this.. and none of them make me feel good. Possible food safety issues.. her putting her face on YOUR product.. customers not knowing where their product has been.. no thanks. Now if she wants to drum up some business for you.. that's another thing.. but those customers should meet with YOU.. not her. Ick.

I really like the idea of putting my business card on the cake board

Tread very carefully. Are you Legal? If so no problem with the business cards. If you are not you may be opening yourself up for a visit from the health department. Her plan may be to turn you in if you if you refuse. Sounds to me like she is no friend.

I agree with other posts. Be very careful you might be opening a can of worms. Envy is a true evil and it sound to me that this woman is very envious of your talent. Try to stay away from her and be very straight and tell her you want no PARTNERS in your business.
Best of luck to you.

Currently, I only bake cakes for family and friends. This woman was a friend. She is trying to take me out side of that family and friend circle. That's a place I don't want to go to. My business cards are only a card with my name and cell phone number on them. There is no business name on them. It's more like a personal card that you give out when you make a new acquaintance.

I seem to be the minority here, but I didn't see the "evil" or "untrustworthy" part of this at all. It sounded to me that she is trying to start her own business....as a coordinator or silent partner...it's being done all the time.
If you don't want to participate, then you must simply tell her so.


"I'm thinking to myself" is not going to get the point across.

WOW! That is sooooooo rude. I can't believe she just assumed you would be okay with that. Tell her to take a hike!! You can deliver the cakes yourself!!

This is the rudest thing I ever hear don't do it!!!

I agree with others on this thread.....JUST SAY NO! The woman sounds rather "pushy" to me. If she wants to start her own business, FINE, let her do it.....but without YOUR help.

Beth in KY

I agree that you shouldn't do it. I can totally understand that you feel like she is making profit off your talent (well planning/trying to).

It does sound more like she is trying to make money off picking the cakes up and dropping them off - more like a courier. Maybe suggest to her that if she wants to start a business doing something like that, she can get a vehicle made food safe and deliver food goods around to people willing to pay the price. The thing is she still wouldn't be buying the cakes anyway, the customer would, she would just be getting money from the customer for delivery.

If she did that as a legitimate (sp?) business (the delivery), she couldn't buy from you anyway because you are not legal. And you don't want to be at the moment from what you have said - if family and friends works for you, keep it that way.

And thinking about it, for your friend to make a decent profit from this, you would have to make a lot of cakes I'm sure, and once again if you only do for friends and family you don't need all that extra pressure!

I don't think she is necessarily being sneaky or anything, but she needs to find her own thing. If your cakes will make money for her, they will make money for you, so whats the point of her being in the picture.

Okay, going to "date" myself here. ANN LANDERS used to always say "Someone can only use you...if YOU let them!"

It took me a loooooonnnngggg time (I'm VERY old! LOL) to learn the technique of saying NO. BUT, I have apparently perfected it. Here is MY method: When she approaches you again look her straight in the eye, smile politely and say "No thank you, I'm not interested" and walk away! When friends ask me to do something, or people wait until the last minute for cakes (had one just yesterday) I just say "No, I'm sorry, I can't do that for you". NO EXPLANATIONS are necessary!! When YOU say NO.....DO NOT wait for them to reply. If I'm on the phone the reply is "No, I won't be able to do that for you, but, thank you for thinking of me....Have a nice day!" Then HANG UP!!

YES, it's HARD and takes a little practice.

Beth in KY

I have to agree with the others tell her NO, it will be easier stopping her now then having a big headache with her later. This seems really pushy and rude to me. She sounds like she wants to profit from your work.

Susan I would stop selling cakes to her all together. I would politely tell her that if her family and friends want to purchase a cake they can contact you directly that you don't want a middle man. Just explain to her that you don't agree with her idea and if she continues to push you'll have to cut ties with her all together.

But I would become extremly busy everytime she needs a cake no matter how bad I need the money...

I was screwed over by my best friend of 15 years last year, we started this business together, I purchased a good portion of all the stuff (about $300.~ in one day) and since I was living at my parent's house with little room to spare she offered to keep everything at her home and we could do our baking from her house. That all seemed great until I called one day and didn't get a return call, called again a few days later didn't get a return call, called a few days later again and the phone had been disconnected as well as the number to their cell phone being changed. I saw her parent's in Wal-Mart a few months later and her mom asked what happened why we weren't friends anymore and I kindly told her I had no earthly idea! I don't know what I did wrong or what I didn't do that ticked her off but she won't speak to me anymore so I decided to go ahead with my business idea on my own with my husband. I find out that she's buying cakes from the store and reselling them to people telling them they are her's....

That is what I'd be afraid of with this woman... what if she's actually telling these people SHE makes the cakes? I do like the idea of selling her these last three cakes but make sure you place a business card on the board and then cover it with clear contact paper that way they will know who really made the cake.

I printed up some sticky back labels (mailing labels from walmart) with my company logo and name and info on them just like my business cards and I attach a sticker to every single box before it leaves my house. Mainly because of my mother who doesn't pay for my cakes and doesn't like to admit I can do something she can't... another long story there so I'll skip it... I learned to cover my own ass a long time ago with everything I do and my business is nothing different... I'd sell her these last 3 cakes at your normal charges or even up them a bit and make sure your card is on the board so the receiver of the cake actually knows who made that cake and if it's her that's going to consume it then when she reaches the end of the cake she'll see what you're doing now and will know she can't get away with lying to people.

This is what I would say to her very nicely (because she may be oblivous to your feelings even tho you did not want to go into business with her)

Hi,

I have given a lot of thought to what you have asked and I want to first tell you. I love making cakes. There is nothing better than seeing someones smile when they see the design or the twinkle when they bite into it. It makes me feel like an artist. One of the best things I like about this and it may sound selfish is that this is all my doing - from cracking the eggs to the last swipe of luster dust. They become like my babies. I have to be the one that sells/gives directly to the end user for my passion to continue. I did not get into this to mass produce or never see and talk to my clients. If you know of people who like my cakes could you just pass on my name to give me a call. If decorating is something you would like to try you could go to XYZ for classes or maybe I could tutor you (for a fee). I am so glad we are friends and it makes me feel special that you love my cakes enough to try to sell them to other people but.again thats not what I want from you. I hope you understand.


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I know when I bake this is the way I feel. I want to talk to the person getting the cake. I want to be the that sees who gets it and see their expression. This may seem corny but it's the closest I will ever come to being an artist.

I hope this did not sound sappy I just had surgery and still a little loopy on pain meds

The "NOT FOR RESALE" on the cake box would cure her of trying to make a profit off them.....

That may not stop her.... she could just print up some labels or buy a new box and repackage it.... It doesn't sound like this lady will take No for an answer and being kind is not getting the point across

Do not, I repeat DO NOT, sell any product to this lady!! She may have the best of intentions in her mind, but it will only screw you over in the long run!

A few years ago, a "party planner" called me up one day and asked if I would like to do business with her - me being new, said sure! She ordered a couple of cakes for parties that she was supposed to be planning, which she "delivered". I found out later that she was re-selling them at a markup without telling me - no parties were being planned by her BTW, she was just delivering the cake. She totally botched up the deliveries, short-changed customers, was VERY un-professional, etc.

The boxes had my business name on them. One of the customers called me to complain and being an understanding person, she advised me to cut my ties with this party planner fast, which is just what I did.

It took a couple of YEARS for this woman to finally leave me alone - she tried to order cakes for re-sale (and yes, I told her the truth each time). The bad business that this woman brought me almost ruined me before I got started - so my advice is, don't do it!!

Nicole