Actually, $500 for a cake that feeds 300 is TOO little, that is less than $2 per serving! It will be all buttercream, right? Have you calculated how many tiers you will need?? I would charge at least $2.50 per serving OR you can multiply your cost (down to a small % of your electric bill) by 3, this will give you a pretty accurate number. Hope this helps!!
(also call bakeries in your area to see how much they are charging, that always helps!)
Good Luck!
I agree $500 is to little also. My starting price for that cake with a basic cake flavor, buttercream filling, and buttercream icing would be $600.
Since you then have to add guest names to it I would charge another $150 minimum for that, it is going to take awhile to figure out how to space everyones names.... and when is she going to have the final list to you? I would say at least 3-4 weeks in advance so it gives you time to get ready.
If there is a filling in the cake then for 300 servings it would be another $150 for my basic fillings.
So my base price for that cake would be $750, this includes delivery within a 7 mi radius of the center of town.
Also, what sizes are you planning on doing? I can't come up with exactly 300 servings for a cake. You want to make sure you are charging for what you are making, not how many she is wanting to feed.... the closest I can get is 297 servings with a 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and this is including the 6" in the servings. (oh my I just realized you are going to have to write 300 names on that cake and make them fit... hmm... I might up that price for the names.
My price for BC only is $3/serving = $900 PLUS I'm not sure you could pay me enough to put all the names on the cake, so be sure you charge a proper LABOR FEE to cover doing that. That is something definitley above and beyond!
They are not paying $900 for A CAKE. They are paying $900 to feed dessert to 300 people.
They are not paying $900 for A CAKE. They are paying $900 to feed dessert to 300 people.
Couldn't have said it better!
Pssst! And exactly how much space DO you need to fit THREE HUNDRED NAMES on a cake!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
If it takes you only 1 minute per name .... ONLY ONE!!!! ...... , that's 300 minutes divided by 60 = 5 hours just to put the names on. If you're slower than that, or more careful (i.e. slower) or the names are long, then you may be looking at 7 to 10 hours just to put the names on.
If you get any flack from the client for the name-charge you're going to add on (and you ARE going to add one on!), be sure to share these numbers with her and ask her how much it would take for HER to work 10 hours doing the detail work?
Debi Does Data!!
Pssst! And exactly how much space DO you need to fit THREE HUNDRED NAMES on a cake!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
If it takes you only 1 minute per name .... ONLY ONE!!!! ...... , that's 300 minutes divided by 60 = 5 hours just to put the names on. If you're slower than that, or more careful (i.e. slower) or the names are long, then you may be looking at 7 to 10 hours just to put the names on.
If you get any flack from the client for the name-charge you're going to add on (and you ARE going to add one on!), be sure to share these numbers with her and ask her how much it would take for HER to work 10 hours doing the detail work?
Debi Does Data!!
OMG you are the bomb indydebi LOL I couldnt have said that better. Whoa thats a lot of above and beyond. Can you, like increase the margins under page setup?.... oh wait.. we are talking about a cake. Dangit.
OK so I did a little more math on this myself. I found out how much room you will have on each of the cakes (using the cake sizes I listed above) and I figured on average 5 letters per name with one space so a total of 6 spaces for each name. Doing this and getting 300 names on these cakes your letter (and spaces) will not be able to be more than about 5/8"x5/8" to fit 300 names that are 5 characters long. So if you have a higher average then your letter/spaces are going to have to be smaller.
Now I am in no way trying to talk you out of this b/c it definitely can be done, I just want to make sure you realize how long it is going to take.
Great break down Debi... hmm I am starting to think maybe $1/name... $300 is sounding a little more reasonable, no matter how you put the names on there it is going to take awhile, expecially to make sure all of the spellings are correct and someone is going to have to figure out how to space them all... and I doubt your client will do that.
I agree with the $1 a name suggestion. Maybe you could talk the bride into just doing names of important people.
If I was doing that cake, $900 is about what my bill would be. The amount of hours to write 300 names.....
I would charge probably around $5 per serving for that cake. At 300 people, that's $1500. I think you're selling yourself WAY short. Ingredients and supplies alone to make that cake will probably be close to $100. Maybe more, depending on what you use. Any idea how many hours and hours it is going to take you to write all of those names on there? Not to mention the stress of it all - making sure the writing is so nice, etc. I would say at least a grand for that. AT LEAST.
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