It seems I often feel guilty about telling people prices for things. A lady just came to pick up the baby blocks and cupcakes in my photos, and she knew I charged $40 for the blocks. So when she came and said "How much do I owe you?" I said, "$40 for the blocks, and $12 for the cupcakes", so $52. I don't know why, I"m just feeling a little guilty. I just keep thinking '$52 for cake??' Maybe it's just cuz I'm a really broke person most of the time, and $52 is a lot of money for me???
Any insight on this?!?!
It seems I often feel guilty about telling people prices for things. A lady just came to pick up the baby blocks and cupcakes in my photos, and she knew I charged $40 for the blocks. So when she came and said "How much do I owe you?" I said, "$40 for the blocks, and $12 for the cupcakes", so $52. I don't know why, I"m just feeling a little guilty. I just keep thinking '$52 for cake??' Maybe it's just cuz I'm a really broke person most of the time, and $52 is a lot of money for me???
Any insight on this?!?!
you so silly..tee hee...
as a really broke person most of the time myself....I too feel guilty..but then I think about all my bills...and I get over it right away! lol
Yes I am the worst business woman in the world/ I spend hours on each cake but living in London and seeing what people charge me for an hours tutoring £30 I must spend at least 15 on most of my cakes and feel guilt ridden asking for the price although the more I do I just think it is not worth the stress and cost of making if I do not charge.
At first I felt a bit guilty if I charged more than what Wally World or a Grocery Store would, but the I got to thinking..most of the cakes I do,you can't get anywhere else! A specialty item requires a specialty price. I know that I could get more for my cakes than what I do charge, but if I cover my ingredients and a little of my time, I'm a happy camper.
I feel the same way!!! I thought it was just me!! It's good to know that I'm not alone. I always feel like I intentionally undercharge people but I think thay may feel like I overcharge because they may see it as 'just a cake' & they can't see the planning it took, the mess it created that has to be cleaned up & not to mention the number of hours it takes to decorate it. I normally charge $40 for a half sheet cake with minimal decoration & when I tell someone how much it is I kind of cringe inside. I've even went above & beyond on the decorations (like spend an additional hour or 2 on them) & not charged any extra. Why do we do that??
It sounds like we all feel the same way. That is nice to hear. We are not so much business people(salesmen) as artists. As an artist I think we think in a different way. I think the way to think of it is in their reaction. I find people want to pay more at times and are so glad they chose me rather than the grocer b/c of the artistic quality they can't get other places. I dont' know if we will get over that feeling, may just have to keep working on it. I think b/c of the way we think it will always be in the back of our minds. I think it also shows dedication to your art. If you didn't feel that way and you just thought of the money would your art suffer? Something to think about. The pay to me is an added bonus to something I LOVE to do!
I think we cut ourselves short on pricing because we think about it from their perpesctive. We think, "Would I pay that much for this cake?" When I first started doing cakes, I would have said no, but now, ABSOLUTELY!! It does take time to make the cakes look the way they do. This isn't an assembly line that we do. The cake is the main focal point at a special event, 2nd only to the person that the event is for. I think of it as a centerpiece, and people spend a lot of money on flowers, why not a cake?
I often feel guilty too.
I did a farm yard cake for a friend's son 1st birthday. It is a 11X15 with a MMF covered barn and silo with MMF aminals and a small cow smash cake. When she ordered it, I told her it would be $55. I felt very bad giving her the quote, I mean she is a friend!
But, she got a cake that she could not have gone to Wal-Mart to get. It is special and reflects her son's love of everything farm related. I should have charged more, but I am not ready yet. Hopefully some day I will charge what I am worth.
I wouldnt say I feel guilty, but I still have a hard time telling them how much because I am afraid they are going to think or worse yet say "just for cake?!?!" But I think as long as you tell them before hand when they order the cake there is no way you should feel guilty. They don't have to buy it. Not to mention people are only ordering cakes once in awhile. It's not usually a once a week staple or anything. If they want something special and custom tailored then they will have to go to a real decorator.
I really like how Mike's Amazing Cakes details their pricing on the website. It really breaks it down so people understand what they're paying for.
http://www.mikesamazingcakes.com/order.html
Rachel
OK I used but got over it very quickly. I had the OMG moment when I realied how much time I do spend on a cake.
Remember A lot of what we do is specialty. I cannot think of another bakery in town that would do a three tiered cake with pulled sugar for under a hundred--Pull sugar alone.
I had someone email me for a quote and you guessed never heard from her again. I am sure she will email like aday before and say oh I need a cake--SORRY you are SOL!
For the Dirve time, Shopping,Pre Planning, Overhead and constuction phase it is very time consuming!
If it's for friends or family I still feel a bit guilty about charging them so I don't charge family and most of the time I don't charge friends. However, I don't usually do very elaborte cakes either. I have a full time job that is very stressful so it doesn't leave a lot of time to make cakes.
Now, if I don't know the person I don't feel guilty at all. They can either pay it or not because I know they will never get a cake from Wal Mart or a grocery store that tastes as good as mine. The best lesson I learned was years ago I made a 10" round cake with buttercream icing and torted with a raspberry fillling. I decorated it with sotas all of the top and halfway down the sides. I then made buttercream roses and placed them in the center of the cake. It was a very simple decoration, but very elegant looking also. I brought it to the bankrutpcy court for the staff (I worked for a bankruptcy attorney) as an appreciation gift to them. The judge's secretary called me a couple of weeks later and wanted to order a cake just like that for her wedding (2nd wedding & not a big to do and just family so she didn't need a large cake). Well, since it was a wedding and it looked like a wedding cake I quoted her the "per slice" charge. The total for the cake was only $45.00. When I gave her the price her reply was "How Much"? in a very shocked voice. She obviously wanted a wedding cake for a Wal Mart birthday cake price. After I hung up the phone I felt very guilty thinking I was overcharging her. I called my cake decorating instructer and she set me straight right away. She told me there will always be people who want something for nothing and you aren't "nothing". From that day forward I don't have any qualms about charging the right price. I probably shouldn't admit this, but there have been times when I just didn't feel like making the cake so I gave them a much higher price and darn it if they didn't want the cake anyway - LOL.
BTW, she didn't order the cake & I didn't suffer any ill affects from it.
You and your time are worth far more than you give yourself credit for.
I have a real problem with this too. I recently decided I won't do anything for less than $30. Just for me to start cracking eggs and turning on my oven, that's the minimum. But I spend so much time on everything, I feel like I make like $3 an hour... I think I would be more comfortable charging more if I had a store front business, because prices are prices. Also, I make EVERYTHING from scratch. I have a friend who decorates here and she's a lot busier than I am and she buys buckets of pre-made icing and fondant and stuff. That's just not me.
I have a real problem with this too. I recently decided I won't do anything for less than $30. Just for me to start cracking eggs and turning on my oven, that's the minimum. But I spend so much time on everything, I feel like I make like $3 an hour... I think I would be more comfortable charging more if I had a store front business, because prices are prices. Also, I make EVERYTHING from scratch. I have a friend who decorates here and she's a lot busier than I am and she buys buckets of pre-made icing and fondant and stuff. That's just not me.
My DH always tells me I'm working for less than minimum wage when I make a cake. That's why I can't quit my job and make cakes for a living.
When I started adding up how much it cost me to make, then consider my time (I work full time, and have two boys...5 and 2 1/2). I figured $52 was a fair price. Like what Jenncowen said, before you started doing cakes, you think....would I pay that much for a cake? Well, I think, these people don't do cakes, that's why they are ordering from me, so is that what they are thinking?? I mean, I know how much time, money, and effort I put into these cakes, but do they??
For example, I don't know if any of you read the post about the cake-off with my brother. He thought, 'oh, no big deal, it's a cake'. But, once he started making his, and found out he didn't have the patience, time, or ablility, he realized how much goes into one of my cakes. I guess I just hope people realize it.
Another thing about people's reactions, when she came to pick up the cake, she said 'oh, it's nice, I like it'. But it wasn't like 'oh, I'm so glad I ordered this! It's going to be so special, blah, blah, blah....' I mean I don't expect a full blown cheering sqaud, but I don't know, guess I'm just being the nervous type right now. Alright, I'm starting to not make sense now....thanks for all the input on this!! Glad to hear others are in the same boat, and advice from those who got over it!! 
Don't feel guilty. You had 12 cupcakes there. You can't get a cupcake for $1 anywhere.
I know how you feel though. That is why most of us will do things for free.
I am a very broke person as well and when I think of what I will charge for items it is so hard to do because I know I couldn't normally pay that for a cake either.
People do pay it though that is why there are so many bakeries around and they make good money.
I checked you photos and I think it was priced perfectly. There is alot of work there.
I always wait for a look of horror when I tell someone the price of a cake. That's why I had to start making cakes myself, because I won't pay those prices! 
http://www.mikesamazingcakes.com/order.html
WOW his cakes are AMAZING!!!!
I always wait for a look of horror when I tell someone the price of a cake. That's why I had to start making cakes myself, because I won't pay those prices!
Yup, that's why I started again, too. I don't sell, but see it as a gift they can't get anywhere else. My kids, of course, get any cake they want, no matter if it takes weeks to work on. Couldn't afford them if I had to buy them.
We had a really tough week, plus a birthday in the (extended) family. I made the cake, as normal, but couldn't afford a gift. The birthday girl said she didn't care, because "that's easily a $50 cake, and it's exactly what I wanted in a cake." People do know what they are worth, or they wouldn't order them.
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