So, Does Anyone Actually Make A Liveingg Doing This?

Business By woodthi32 Updated 22 Oct 2007 , 10:58pm by RobzC8kz

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missym Posted 11 Oct 2007 , 6:46pm
post #31 of 59

What a great thread. indydebi, Thakns for sharing. This is great information. I've been on the fence so long. We do not have a bakery here in our area (Two grocery stores and Wal Mart). Everyone tells me to go for it and I know I'd love it, but it's so hard for me to think about walking away from a great job and loosing benefits and insurance. If only my husband had this job! I'd be out the door in a heartbeat. I've had vivid dreams about what my shop would look like down to the color on the walls. Very weird.

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hsmomma Posted 11 Oct 2007 , 6:48pm
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I think it all depends on what "make a living at" means. As everyone has a different idea of what a a good standard of living is.
My husband and I own a store which is our living. Part of our business is my cakes. I put A TON of time into planning, organizing, advertising. I don't spend alot of money on advertising but, put alot of time into it. (free or low cost internet advertising, going to local businesses and talking with the owners and leaving my cards, just started to doing Bridal shows, researching things like theknot and other sites to see what Brides are looking for. Lots of things like that that take time. Mostly, I spend quite a bit of time responding to my Brides, practicing techniques, sketching pictures and answering questions. And while I definitely don't make tons of money ~ I make enough to make it worth while. I don't have to fret over the "extras" of living like Christmas money, weekend getaways (when I have a free weekend!), unexpected repairs, new things for the house, birthday parties, nice vacations. Things like that...some that are a complete luxury and some that are necessary. All in all, it's been a good experience. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed with all that I have to do. I worry that I'm becoming disorganized or overworked. But, then I scale back the number of cakes I want to take ~ thats the beauty of it!!! Good luck to you and remember you get out of it EXACTLY what you put into it. If you need it to be a full time job...you have to make it a full time job. If it's a side thing...at times it will feel like a full time thing ~ but, I guess that's where you have to decide what you need out of it.

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woodthi32 Posted 11 Oct 2007 , 11:56pm
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Thank you all so much for sharing your eperience with me, and, to indydebi, SO much time and effort you put into your posts. All of you, really, have been SO helpful. I LOVE CC!!! I am gong to crunch some numbers and consider this..............

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johnniekake Posted 12 Oct 2007 , 2:45am
post #34 of 59

hsmomma....YOU TOOK THE WORDS RIGHT OUT OF MY MOUTH!!!!

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loriemoms Posted 13 Oct 2007 , 2:07am
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Well, you can't get rich, but you can make a living out of it. LIke everyone said though, you have to be serious. And be VERY dedicated. I am now working part time at my job (22 hours a week, monday tuesday and part of wednesday and couple hours on SUnday from home) and then 50-60 hours a week doing cakes. And that doesn't include the time invoicing, tastings with brides, bride shows and other extras. I have gotten faster over the years and last week I did 12 cakes, including a couple of weddings, and didn't have to pull a single all nighter! But I did get up with the sun and was on my feet all day.

I love! My biggest fear is though when the holidays come, I never have any work coming in. (I have a couple of weddings in December, but that is) so money will be tight. That is the other thing, you cannot live paycheck to paycheck. You have to put money aside and follow a very strict budget! And you have to learn to be a good salesperson and really sell your stuff. Especialy if you don't have store front and people have to find you!

But get rich? Don't expect to become Collette or Duff....

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KoryAK Posted 13 Oct 2007 , 3:03am
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I was thinking about money and cake decorating earlier today (quit my day job 2 years ago, pay all the bills for my family of 3 but barely, in the process of buying a store). Yes you can make ends meet, but no I don't think you'll get rich. So that led me to thinking: does ANYONE get rich off this?? And I think the answer is nope, no one. How much money to Collette and Duff make off the cakes? After all of those employees are paid, etc? They have real money (I'm assuming that they have some real money) because of BOOK and TV deals. Think of the other big names that aren't quite so big... Mike ('s Amazing Cakes) and Elisa Strauss etc... I wonder if they are "rich"?

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MissNeishaGyrl Posted 13 Oct 2007 , 4:39am
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I don't own a store and my goal is actually to open a cafe but as I have researched I have realized that rich is a relative term. I think you can be rich doing this. Maybe you won't have hollywood money but to do something you love, and pay all the bills and pay for other wants then by golly you are rich. Thats just my opinion though.

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loriemoms Posted 13 Oct 2007 , 11:18am
post #38 of 59
Quote:
Originally Posted by MissNeishaGyrl

I don't own a store and my goal is actually to open a cafe but as I have researched I have realized that rich is a relative term. I think you can be rich doing this. Maybe you won't have hollywood money but to do something you love, and pay all the bills and pay for other wants then by golly you are rich. Thats just my opinion though.




I like that! Rich is a realtive term! You can be rich because you are happy in what you are doing! I always tell my DH Shoot, if we dont have any money one week, we can live off of cake scraps! haha!

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heavenlys Posted 13 Oct 2007 , 12:08pm
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I started out baking form my home and it took over our house and now for the past 5 years have had a store. It now supports my whole family. My Dh quit his fulltime job and now works with me. Not to say we haven't had struggles and we don't work our butts off but it can be profitable.
You have to charge enough to cover your costs. It is better to have less orders at a higher price that to be super busy losing money. That will kill you!!

I love what I do!! But you need to realize when you do this for a business that it is a business. You will work your butt off and have to to make the business work. It is not a job when you punch in and punch out and leave it there. You stay until everything is done and you are in charge of it all. It is not just cakes and frosting and fun. You have to have a business mind too. Figuring your costs, labor, budgeting and balancing.

That was my biggest struggle at first was juggling all the new hats I had to wear. It wasn't just about creating a beautiful cake anymore. I find it very rewarding but you have to be prepared to put your whole being into it and be willing to sacrifice a lot!

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cfao Posted 13 Oct 2007 , 6:43pm
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If you do this as your full time job, you no longer have such a thing as a weekend. My day off is now Monday and maybe a Tuesday. It is a lot of hours and you really have to LOVE making cakes. I started doing cakes 26 years ago for family and friends and started my business 18 years ago. That first year I did 30 weddings and thought I was doing pretty good. Last week alone I did 9 weddings, 1 graduation and 1 engagement cake. Luckily, I have a fully licensed bakery set up in the lower level of our home, complete with a cake top and accessory showroom, so I don't have to pay rent for a storefront. I keep at least 250 tops and figurines on display at all times. Buying in bulk helps a lot with pricing, such as guestbooks and cake kinves bought by the case. I will never get "rich" with my bakery, but I do make a very good living. We have 3-4 home decorators in the area chrging $6-$10 per serving, I would not consider charging that amount. My cakes start at $3.65 per serving which works for me. The cake decorating allows us to take a couple of nice vacations/cruises per year and I have been able to pay cash for my delivery vehicles for the last 10 years which I trade in every 2 years(this year it's a 2007 Lexus 350 SUV!). The main point for me is that I am here when our son gets home from school and I'm here during his school vacations.

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loriemoms Posted 13 Oct 2007 , 7:59pm
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man, you can say that again! We have a 32 foot camper that sat all summer. We have realized the only way we can use it is to go camping in the winter, when it gets slow. We may even park it somewhere, so we can just jump in the car and spend two days at the beach...I don't think there is such a thing as a weeks vacation anymore! If you don't work, you don't get paid. And you are so right, you have to LOVE making cakes! ALL kinds of cakes, not just the kind you like to make. I have made some pretty ugly cakes that my clients just LOVED, so you have to adapt to their tastes.

My DH also wants to start working with me and baking cakes while I decorate. He helps me with the books when I Have a question (he has a degree in business) but how did you get your DH involved? I know he would LOVE to quit his full time job and help me!

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CarolAnn Posted 13 Oct 2007 , 8:24pm
post #42 of 59

Very good topic! I'll be catching it in increments.........

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littlecake Posted 14 Oct 2007 , 6:17am
post #43 of 59

i been making a living at it for going on 6 years now.

i'm single so it's my sole income....i'd be doing very well if it wasn't for all the overhead.

2 years ago i sold my home, took the equity and paid cash for a distressed property i've been working on to run the shop out of, and to live at as well....a few months ago i was able to move into the little guest house i own behind the storefront....i worked on it as i had the time and money...(i also do woodwork).

i think i may have to break down and get a business loan to get the front building fixed up....i was trying to go at it debt free....(so i can keep all the money HA HA)...

i'll be doing very well, once i get the overhead down.... "well" for me...my needs are simple.

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loriemoms Posted 14 Oct 2007 , 11:37am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by littlecake

i been making a living at it for going on 6 years now.

i'm single so it's my sole income....i'd be doing very well if it wasn't for all the overhead.

2 years ago i sold my home, took the equity and paid cash for a distressed property i've been working on to run the shop out of, and to live at as well....a few months ago i was able to move into the little guest house i own behind the storefront....i worked on it as i had the time and money...(i also do woodwork).

i think i may have to break down and get a business loan to get the front building fixed up....i was trying to go at it debt free....(so i can keep all the money HA HA)...

i'll be doing very well, once i get the overhead down.... "well" for me...my needs are simple.




Littlecake:

That just sounds so cool! Hangin there, once you get it all paid off, you will have a great little investment there!

I was looking into a store front to rent and thought man, all the money I would make would go into rent! So we just built a bigger house and the amount of money I would put into rent is now going into equity. (I Have a dedicated area of the house for the bakery) I only do custom order cakes, and in our area ALL the store fronts have had to expand to cookies, breads and even coffee and "cafe" food to bring people in. But do to do what you are doing, I would have LOVED to have found a place like that to fix up and make a little store front. That is my dream one day when I retire, to buy a little house on the beach and open a little neighbhorhood bakery.

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Cakerer Posted 14 Oct 2007 , 12:23pm
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I read this post & had to reply b/c this has been weighing on my mind so much recently. My company is going through a reorg (which they seem to do every 2 years)! I work in the mortgage industry so everything fluctuates with the market. Just the other day, we had a meeting during which we all thought we were getting severenced. I've been there almost 16 yrs & the severence would have financed the beginning of my business so honestly, I wasn't worried - until they came in without the envelopes. Seems they are keeping us a little longer. My DH had already located a storefront for me about 2 blocks from home (newly vacant). When I said I was concerned about making a profit, DH wasn't worried. All he said was - JUST BREAK EVEN! This was an attitude I did not expect and as soon as I get it in writing icon_smile.gif I'll definitely pursue. Thanks for starting this post. I think a lot of us think about this!

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heavenlys Posted 14 Oct 2007 , 1:17pm
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Loriemoms- My Dh has worked in the restaurant business since he was 16 so he had experience with food. I taught him basic baking stuff. We serve pastries and stuff in the bakery so he now does the morning bake. He also waits on customers mostly so I can stay focused on what needs to be done.

He also does dishes and cleans. He does it because even that is better than working for someone else. He was desperate to get out of his job.

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mamacc Posted 14 Oct 2007 , 1:30pm
post #47 of 59

I'm sure there are plenty of other cake decorators making some pretty good money besides Duff and Collette. Toba charges thousands for some of her cakes!

I don't need to be really rich but I'd like to make good money at this someday! I concentrate on doing specialty sculpted cakes and weddings. My customers don't mind paying $100 or more for a birthday cake. Those are the kinds of customers that I'm going for....not the ones looking for a bargain. I think it helps to be unique too...find that niche. There's only a couple of places around my area that do sculpted cakes, and they do more simple ones.

Courtney

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loriemoms Posted 21 Oct 2007 , 10:27am
post #48 of 59
Quote:
Originally Posted by mamacc

I'm sure there are plenty of other cake decorators making some pretty good money besides Duff and Collette. Toba charges thousands for some of her cakes!

I don't need to be really rich but I'd like to make good money at this someday! I concentrate on doing specialty sculpted cakes and weddings. My customers don't mind paying $100 or more for a birthday cake. Those are the kinds of customers that I'm going for....not the ones looking for a bargain. I think it helps to be unique too...find that niche. There's only a couple of places around my area that do sculpted cakes, and they do more simple ones.

Courtney




Courtney:

I am finding the same thing. When someone calls for a sheet cake with flowers on it, I tell them they really don't want to order that from me, that I do more speciality cakes. My area all the Good decorators are going hard and fast for the weddings and large parties. There are fewer and fewer of us doing birthday cakes for less then 100 people, and just a hand full of those doing sculpted cakes. So I have been very lucky and am getting the sculpted cake orders. I don't charge them a fortune, but I don't charge them walmart prices either. Everyone seems happy and I get more and more experience to one day charge the larger amounts! icon_biggrin.gif

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mamacc Posted 21 Oct 2007 , 12:42pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by loriemoms



Courtney:

I am finding the same thing. When someone calls for a sheet cake with flowers on it, I tell them they really don't want to order that from me, that I do more speciality cakes. My area all the Good decorators are going hard and fast for the weddings and large parties. There are fewer and fewer of us doing birthday cakes for less then 100 people, and just a hand full of those doing sculpted cakes. So I have been very lucky and am getting the sculpted cake orders. I don't charge them a fortune, but I don't charge them walmart prices either. Everyone seems happy and I get more and more experience to one day charge the larger amounts! icon_biggrin.gif




I didn't charge that much when I first started doing sculpted cakes, but it didn't take long for me to start raising my prices!! I didn't want to start out too high and scare away the customer...it's a fine line. Now I'm charging pretty good money, haven't done a cake for under $100 in a long time....but if you add up all the hours spent I'm still not making that much really. The other good thing about doing sculpted cakes is that people talk a lot about the cake, take pics, tell their friends...etc, so it's really for word of mouth referrals.

Courtney

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Tomoore Posted 21 Oct 2007 , 1:07pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by indydebi

I left my full time job over a year ago and have never looked back.

It depends on what you put into it. High volume is the key (one wedding cake for 200 is much more profitable than 10 birthday cakes for 20 people each.)




Very well put, IndyDebi...I am terrified of wedding cakes, but have finally gotten serious about trying to supplement my income with my cakes. I have been using cakeboss to really try to price out my cakes and am seeing how easy it is to undercharge. I've been really thinking about how to make this worthwhile...the volume comment makes perfect sense. Uggghhhh...brides just make me squeamish! icon_cry.gificon_wink.gif

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moodswinger Posted 21 Oct 2007 , 1:27pm
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Ok, this is the best forum discussion I have read so far!!!!! I love hearing about everyone's experiences!
Here's my dilema! I have a bad credit history, filled with some bad mistakes, involving a big house and a new car!
So, now that I have discovered why God put me on this planet, I can not find anyone to grant me a loan to fund the business! I have talent, and a customer base that is growing by the day! I am just robbing Peter, to pay Paul to make ends meet! Any suggestions on getting anyone in their right mind to take a chance on me??? Thanks again for this forum!

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fruit-cake Posted 21 Oct 2007 , 1:32pm
post #52 of 59

I WAS TOLD MANY YEARS AGO ON PRICEING WEDDING CAKES ,TO ADD COST OF EVERYTHING AND TO MULTIPLY BY THREE YOU WILL GET A FAIR PRICE ,AFTER ALL NO ONE WANTS TO WORK FOR PEANUTS
GOOD LUCK
FRUIT-CAKE
UK

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mamacc Posted 21 Oct 2007 , 1:45pm
post #53 of 59
Quote:
Originally Posted by fruit-cake

I WAS TOLD MANY YEARS AGO ON PRICEING WEDDING CAKES ,TO ADD COST OF EVERYTHING AND TO MULTIPLY BY THREE YOU WILL GET A FAIR PRICE ,AFTER ALL NO ONE WANTS TO WORK FOR PEANUTS
GOOD LUCK
FRUIT-CAKE
UK




this has never really worked for me.... Say I spend about $100 on supplies for a wedding cake for 200 people. That would only be $300!! If I go by 200 ppl x $3 per serving then it's $600. That's quite a difference! The problem with this method is that it doesn't take into account all the time spent, which is a LOT. I guess it could work if you did the supplies x 3 and THEN added on time spent x hourly wage, then add the two numbers together. Usually I find it's easier to just have a price per serving b/c brides want a price up front and it's hard to know what the cost of supplies and time is going to be....

C

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loriemoms Posted 21 Oct 2007 , 2:14pm
post #54 of 59

Very well put, IndyDebi...I am terrified of wedding cakes, but have finally gotten serious about trying to supplement my income with my cakes. I have been using cakeboss to really try to price out my cakes and am seeing how easy it is to undercharge. I've been really thinking about how to make this worthwhile...the volume comment makes perfect sense. Uggghhhh...brides just make me squeamish! icon_cry.gificon_wink.gif[/quote]

I know EXACTLY what you mean! My first year doing this, I was like OK< I am NOT DOING WEDDINGS. I was so scared of them. Every wedding I did, I was a nervous wreck. I didnt sleep at night, all I could think about was GOD this is someone's wedding! This cake is going to be the center of attention! What if I screw it up completely! I still get a little nervous now, but I have discovered the fun side of doing the weddings. How I can make really beautiful flowers that I can't make for birthday cakes, how excited brides are, how neat it is to arrive onsite and see it all set up pretty. And you can charge so much more, and less work for more money! One of my favorite parts of it is the consulations, I LOVE talking to brides about their dream day. Sure, you get some real, well, bridezillas, but I always just feed the honey and they eat it right up!

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loriemoms Posted 21 Oct 2007 , 2:19pm
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this has never really worked for me.... Say I spend about $100 on supplies for a wedding cake for 200 people. That would only be $300!! If I go by 200 ppl x $3 per serving then it's $600. That's quite a difference! The problem with this method is that it doesn't take into account all the time spent, which is a LOT. I guess it could work if you did the supplies x 3 and THEN added on time spent x hourly wage, then add the two numbers together. Usually I find it's easier to just have a price per serving b/c brides want a price up front and it's hard to know what the cost of supplies and time is going to be....

C[/quote]

The other side is also as you do more and more weddings, the cost of making the cake goes down. You already have the pans, you already have maybe the fondant, maybe some flowers on hand, the ribbon, whatever. ALL brides want the cost up front..many of them cal to just find out much you charge and never call again for a tasting. And labor is a big factor..Some wedding cakes I get done in an hour, some take me all day, some take weeks! (making flowers,etc) . So I just adverage out what the adverage wedding cake takes me. As well as lots of research in your area for how much people are charging for cakes and be in the middle Not the cheapest but not the most expensive. (Like I dont nickel and dime people to death.there is one decorator in our area that charges for every scroll , edging and extra. So when they hear the price of per serving, these poor brides then find out all it includes is the cake! Icing is extra m'am.

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indydebi Posted 21 Oct 2007 , 2:31pm
post #56 of 59
Quote:
Originally Posted by moodswinger

Ok, this is the best forum discussion I have read so far!!!!! I love hearing about everyone's experiences!
Here's my dilema! I have a bad credit history, filled with some bad mistakes, involving a big house and a new car!
So, now that I have discovered why God put me on this planet, I can not find anyone to grant me a loan to fund the business! I have talent, and a customer base that is growing by the day! I am just robbing Peter, to pay Paul to make ends meet! Any suggestions on getting anyone in their right mind to take a chance on me??? Thanks again for this forum!




www.daveramsey.com
He is a GOD in the "Debt Free is the Key" philosophy! Regular, down to earth advice that regular people can actually do (instead of what everyone else says, like "pay extra on your bills" when you can't even pay the minimum payment!)

My husband and I went thru some very bad fianancial times (between the 2 of us, we've gone thru 4 corporate downsizings). Sometimes it seems you will never crawl out from under. But it can happen. Takes some time, but it can happen.

Get Ramsey's book. It will be a turning point for you, I guarantee it.

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Tomoore Posted 21 Oct 2007 , 3:00pm
post #57 of 59
Quote:
Originally Posted by loriemoms

Quote:
Originally Posted by mamacc

I'm sure there are plenty of other cake decorators making some pretty good money besides Duff and Collette. Toba charges thousands for some of her cakes!

I don't need to be really rich but I'd like to make good money at this someday! I concentrate on doing specialty sculpted cakes and weddings. My customers don't mind paying $100 or more for a birthday cake. Those are the kinds of customers that I'm going for....not the ones looking for a bargain. I think it helps to be unique too...find that niche. There's only a couple of places around my area that do sculpted cakes, and they do more simple ones.

Courtney



Courtney:

I am finding the same thing. When someone calls for a sheet cake with flowers on it, I tell them they really don't want to order that from me, that I do more speciality cakes. My area all the Good decorators are going hard and fast for the weddings and large parties. There are fewer and fewer of us doing birthday cakes for less then 100 people, and just a hand full of those doing sculpted cakes. So I have been very lucky and am getting the sculpted cake orders. I don't charge them a fortune, but I don't charge them walmart prices either. Everyone seems happy and I get more and more experience to one day charge the larger amounts! icon_biggrin.gif




My DH and I were just talking about this this morning... I never thought I'd be happy yo turn away an order. A person that I've made cakes for twice in the past (seriously undercharged) came back to me for a cake. I did the "Go Dog, Go" cake for her in my pictures and a "Upright Bass"...uhhh, violin, cake for her after that. Now, I charged 50 bucks for both cakes. Both cakes took a ton of time. Now, I try not to punish folks for me being a slow decorator, but even if I'd charged her for the amount of time it SHOULD have taken me, I took a loss.

So, she came back to me this week and wanted a gift box/bow cake. I told her that I'd recently established a minimum for my cakes at $50 and that would be her price. She questioned why the price was so high for this one when its not as elaborate as the others I've done for her. I explained that I normally wouldn't have charged $50 for the others. I told her that I hope she'll consider me for future projects, but I was comfortable advising her to go to another "bakery" if she was looking for a better price. We talked a bit more about it and she really did seem to understand, but I was actually proud of myself for standing my ground. (This is actually the second time I turned her away, though. She wanted the eiffel tower cake-built from RI-for less than $75 previously).

Anyway, I think Indydebi is starting to sink in icon_wink.gif I can't keep making $3 an hour on these cakes.

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Jenn2179 Posted 21 Oct 2007 , 5:26pm
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I am just starting my business. Luckily fo rme I have a nymber of things working in my favor to help me succeed. I get $900 a month in disability pay from the VA so if I have a slow month it won't be feast or famine. I am also getting help buying equipment and supplies from the VA. They are also paying for me to go to the Wilton school and 4 classes with Nicholas Lodge (he needs to post his 2008 schedule) so I can plan them. I did the wedding show here this past August and am starting to see some results from it. I have booked 2 wedding cakes, 2 grooms cakes, and cookie favors from it. Plus I have 2 more consultations set up from it at the beginning of Nov. Luckily for me in NC you can work out of your house so I don't have a ton of overhead. Also my dining room is my office (never had furniture for it). Plus I have a huge kitchen and a 2 car garage with no cars in it that I use for storage. My husband supplies us with the health insurance and my MIL is helping me with my book keeping. I am hoping with all the equipment I am getting and with my advertising things will take off and I can make a living from this. Don't want to be rich but able to afford the things we need and sometimes want.

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RobzC8kz Posted 22 Oct 2007 , 10:58pm
post #59 of 59

I think you can make a decent living off of this business if you have a niche. My specialty is 3D sculpted cakes. I am naturally born artist who can draw, paint, sculpt, etc. etc. To me, it just seems natural for me to bundle up all of these talents while using cake as my medium. Granted, I have been lucky to have been taught the basics of cake decorating from my Mother and Grandmother(s) my entire life, but for me, this is such an "easy" and fun way for me to create art AND fill a void in my local market area for these cakes. No other bakery in my area can do the type of cakes I do. There are three bakeries (not counting the grocery stores or warehouse clubs) in my immediate area and none of them offer the 3D cakes like I can do. Actually, one of the biggest bakeries near my house uses ME as their "3D cake" guy (they stopped making 3D cakes a few years back due to the degree of difficulty and their staff not liking to do them!!) and I also get their wedding cake over-flow.

I've only just barely started doing this business (since May 2007) but already I have a pretty decent word of mouth volume. I've never advertised and I don't go out looking for work. With the exception of networking when I deliver a cake, handing out business cards, or getting the referrals from the bakery, I don't "advertise" at all. I am just barely starting to get hooked up with some wedding planners ( I have 1 so far!!). I know that the wedding/sculpted cake market is where the money is at. An average wedding style cake is $800.00 in my area. A few of those a month and I'm making MORE than I make now. I charge a minimum fee of $100 for all of my 3D cakes and so far, I've not had a single problem keeping busy.

I think if you are going to compete in this market, you have to set yourself apart. No one will pay $75-$100 for a 1/2 sheet cake from me when they could get the same cake from Costco for $24.99 if I didn't set myself apart from those guys by having better flavors, custom designs, free delivery, etc. etc. I think people will pay for quality any day of the week!!!

I am a victim of under-pricing myself though! Well...not really...I think I price accordingly considering size, difficulty of design, distance to delivery, etc., but I'm so darn anal about details that I spend WAY too much time on each cake. I swear...even if there's not a lot of details, I'll drive myself nuts making sure that every single thing about the cake is 100% perfect and I end up spending more time on the cake than I thought!! But that's totally MY fault. Like that Lakers grooms cake I just completed. I charged $50.00 because it was a very close friend and on paper it is a very easy design, but I spent an obcene amount of time fussing over details. It took me hours to complete it.

So far, just off my cakes in my photos I've managed to make enough to cover my car payment and a few little bills here and there each month. I'm hoping that once I can break into the wedding cake market (I'm doing another cake in December, just finished a tiny one this month, got another one for June) I'll be able to make enough money to quit my "day job" and pursue this gig full time.

Like so many posters have said, if you want to be successfull at this, you have to stop thinking of it as a hobby and start thinking of it as a business. I firmly believe that if you TRY to be successfull, you will BE successfull. If you never try, you'll never know...

And I love how one poster said that being rich is relative. I cannot agree more. Doing what you love, making enough money to pay your bills and have some left over for those fun things you like to do....man....that is rich to ME!!!

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