I Know I Undercharged....

Business By jillmakescakes Updated 6 Apr 2009 , 6:55am by jouj

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jillmakescakes Posted 4 Apr 2009 , 8:29pm
post #1 of 47

But what should I have charged? I wont even say what I did charge for fear of Indydebis wagging finger (you know why Debi)

I dont want to undercut myself or my competition, but its hard to gauge sometimes with occasion cakes.

Anyone have any specific formulas to start with?
LL

46 replies
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melhoneybee Posted 4 Apr 2009 , 8:46pm
post #2 of 47

Well, I have a base price I charge for cakes depending upon how much batter it takes to make it. Then you have to factor in details. Like carving and what looks to be endless hours of piping! LOL I kind of have made a sort of base price for different details like that too, and then add more here and there if I think it will take more work or longer to complete a particular design.

So let's see, it is really hard to tell how big those cakes are from the picture, but looking at it, I probably would have charged somewhere around $300. It looks like a LOT of work! lol

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Kiddiekakes Posted 4 Apr 2009 , 8:47pm
post #3 of 47

Well..this to me is considered a 3D cake and I charge $5.00 per serving for my 3D cakes....Having said that it looks to be about 28-30 servings maybe a bit more so I would have charged at least $150.00

The train is the wilton 3D train which feeds about 12-15 so the back cars look to feed about 8-10....


Laurel thumbs_up.gif

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indydebi Posted 4 Apr 2009 , 9:26pm
post #4 of 47

YEs, I know why you're asking and she is going to LUV this!!!! I foresee you getting a lot more orders from this "neighborhood" when her friends see this!

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melhoneybee Posted 4 Apr 2009 , 9:37pm
post #5 of 47

Haha, it's funny how that works, huh Debi?! icon_razz.gif

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littlecake Posted 5 Apr 2009 , 12:24am
post #6 of 47

that stuff is really cute...i don't make anything lke that, cause i couldn't get what it's worth around here...they'd wanna pay like 50 bucks...lol.

so you gonna tell us??

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jillmakescakes Posted 5 Apr 2009 , 5:40pm
post #7 of 47

I am so embarrassed, and I KNOW if I tell you, I'll get flamed big time.

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indydebi Posted 5 Apr 2009 , 5:44pm
post #8 of 47

oh come on! We need a good laugh this morning. icon_lol.gif And knowing the circumstances, whatever it was, I would say it was an "introductory special" anyway.

On the serious side, the price you charge is strictly your business and if you choose to keep it confidential, I know we are all ok with that. thumbs_up.gif

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sweetjan Posted 5 Apr 2009 , 5:55pm
post #9 of 47

You took it this far....now you have to tell!! icon_lol.gif

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littlecake Posted 5 Apr 2009 , 5:56pm
post #10 of 47
Quote:
Originally Posted by jillmakescakes

I am so embarrassed, and I KNOW if I tell you, I'll get flamed big time.




awww....we've all done it....i do understand...the flame factor on here can really suck.

if it makes you feel better...i did a wedding cake and grooms cake this weekend and FORGOT to charge for the grooms cake....duh...it didn't take much time, so i'm over it...

what really sucked yesterday was when a sweet little blonde princess moved her 3 teir stacked birthday cake from the back of her escolade(where i put it)...to the front seat (where she could watch it better)...i guess she never heard of gravity.

of course she called 5 minutes later after it fell apart (from my parking lot), i fixed it...but it was the worst thing that's happened in my whole cake career.....i just kept thinking ALL THAT WORK FOR NOTHING!

who in their right mind would think a stacked cake would ride okay on a car seat?

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Janette Posted 5 Apr 2009 , 5:58pm
post #11 of 47
Quote:
Originally Posted by littlecake

that stuff is really cute...i don't make anything lke that, cause i couldn't get what it's worth around here...they'd wanna pay like 50 bucks...lol.

so you gonna tell us??




Being from MI if someone was to order a cake like that you wouldn't get them to pay more than $60.

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indydebi Posted 5 Apr 2009 , 5:59pm
post #12 of 47
Quote:
Originally Posted by littlecake

i did a wedding cake and grooms cake this weekend and FORGOT to charge for the grooms cake



In the words of Larry the Cable guy, "that's funny right there, I dont' care who you are!" icon_lol.gificon_lol.gif

Quote:
Originally Posted by littlecake

who in their right mind would think a stacked cake would ride okay on a car seat?


cake civilians ... they're fun to watch, aren't they? icon_biggrin.gificon_rolleyes.gif

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sherry_lyn Posted 5 Apr 2009 , 6:16pm
post #13 of 47

I'm in MI & would definitely charge more than $60 for a 3D train. I charge anywhere from $3-$5 a serving for sculpted cakes. I don't have a set charge, just depends on how much of a PITA it's gonna be.

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jouj Posted 5 Apr 2009 , 6:20pm
post #14 of 47

I would have charged around 200$.

Don't worry, I've undercharged SOOOOO MANY TIMES, so there is nothing to feel embarassed about. Sometimes I get an order for something I didn't make before, so I give the customer a price, according to what I estimate the difficulty would be, and then while I'm working, I feel that it's harder than I thought, and that I definitely undercharged, and this feeling makes me feel so bad. Don't think about it anymore, just look forward to your new orders, and try to charge more fairly next time.

Good luck.

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leah_s Posted 5 Apr 2009 , 6:23pm
post #15 of 47

You ought to hear me when I load a cake into the customer's car. You remember the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld? mmmhhmmm

What type of vehicle are you in?
Kia
What style?
uh, 4 door.
harumpf, Where are you planning to put the cake?
on the back seat.
No way will I release the cake to you if you're putting it on the back seat.
::stunned silence::
Well, if you push the passenger seat all the way back, I think we can get it on the floor. But you can NOT turn on the heater. And you have to clean out the seat, because if you stop suddenly, those books there will fall onto the cake.
::scurry scurry, clean, clean::
There we go! Enjoy your cake! Have a lovely party!


And you all probably think I'm kidding.

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indydebi Posted 5 Apr 2009 , 6:24pm
post #16 of 47
Quote:
Originally Posted by jouj

Sometimes I get an order for something I didn't make before, so I give the customer a price, according to what I estimate the difficulty would be,



I call that my "prototype price". ONE bride gets the prototype price .... after that, I know what's involved. My "City Skyline" cake was a prototype cake. It now has a $250 "design fee" on top of the standard cake charge.

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bakery_chick Posted 5 Apr 2009 , 6:31pm
post #17 of 47

lol...
Leah you are stud!

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Wing-Ding Posted 5 Apr 2009 , 6:33pm
post #18 of 47

You are too funny Leahs! I would be the same way though. You know as soon as something goes wrong and it's their fault, they are going to come running up to you to fix it and not want to pay for it!

Soooo Are we ever going to find out the price???

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GI Posted 5 Apr 2009 , 6:39pm
post #19 of 47
Quote:
Originally Posted by indydebi

Quote:
Originally Posted by jouj

Sometimes I get an order for something I didn't make before, so I give the customer a price, according to what I estimate the difficulty would be,


I call that my "prototype price". ONE bride gets the prototype price .... after that, I know what's involved. My "City Skyline" cake was a prototype cake. It now has a $250 "design fee" on top of the standard cake charge.




Call me blind...I went in and looked at your pictures, indydebi, I can't find it or figure out which one your City Skyline cake is.

(Altho, I DO like your ganache-pooling cake!!! icon_cry.gif I'm trying to cut back....off to eat my broccolli and salad. icon_rolleyes.gif )

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erinalicia Posted 5 Apr 2009 , 6:41pm
post #20 of 47

I know where you're coming from... I would hate to even admit to what I got paid for the last 2 cakes I made. The term "highway robbery" comes to mind. But considering that I only make cakes for friends and family as a hobby.

If they ask me what they owe me for a cake, I never give them and answer.... they just pay me what they feel it's worth, or to cover the ingredients. I can't complain though. If I was actually in a position to become a legal baker, it'd be a different story.

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GI Posted 5 Apr 2009 , 6:55pm
post #22 of 47
Quote:
Originally Posted by indydebi

GI, it's this one .... http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1219555




Holy COW the chocolate on that is perfect. I would attempt a little one...but never a big ta-do like that one. Shoot, that chocolate really looks hard to do. You did a nice job for sure. icon_smile.gif

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GI Posted 5 Apr 2009 , 6:59pm
post #23 of 47

Jill...your train cake is just darling. Are you going to put it in your pictures so we can all make a wonderful comment? I love all those bright, bold colors. icon_smile.gif

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mooj Posted 5 Apr 2009 , 7:16pm
post #24 of 47
Quote:
Originally Posted by leahs

You ought to hear me when I load a cake into the customer's car. You remember the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld? mmmhhmmm

What type of vehicle are you in?
Kia
What style?
uh, 4 door.
harumpf, Where are you planning to put the cake?
on the back seat.
No way will I release the cake to you if you're putting it on the back seat.
::stunned silence::
Well, if you push the passenger seat all the way back, I think we can get it on the floor. But you can NOT turn on the heater. And you have to clean out the seat, because if you stop suddenly, those books there will fall onto the cake.
::scurry scurry, clean, clean::
There we go! Enjoy your cake! Have a lovely party!


And you all probably think I'm kidding.





I thought I was the only one who did that! Ha ha ha! Most of the cakes I do are for families at my preschool and I actually inspect the car too. I had a dad who flipped a cake over one time and was back within 15 minutes to have me fix it. He was afraid to go home until it was fixed. I actually got it done 15 minutes before the party started!

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classiccake Posted 5 Apr 2009 , 8:33pm
post #25 of 47

We go through the same process as Leah many times. What people think they can carry cakes in never cease to amaze me!

Then some are so embarassed when we carry the cake to the car to make sure it is in safely and the car looks like a garbage pit!

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indydebi Posted 5 Apr 2009 , 8:52pm
post #26 of 47
Quote:
Originally Posted by classiccake

What people think they can carry cakes in never cease to amaze me!


Did you ever see the stories that Crawford's Bakery used to have on their website? They are hysterical!! If you hadn't seen them, let me know and I'll email them to you .... by chance, I saved a copy before he removed them.

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leah_s Posted 5 Apr 2009 , 9:02pm
post #27 of 47

::waves hand in air::


::jumps up and down::


Me! Me! Send me stories!!

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classiccake Posted 5 Apr 2009 , 9:27pm
post #28 of 47

Yes, I read Rick's stories...but I am sure Leah would love to hear them!

I had a customer bring a cake back in before she had even backed out of her parking spot because the big dog took a chunk out of the top of the two tier cake...the lid was only partially closed. The big dog was in her car and she knew exactly what she was picking up!

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sugarcheryl Posted 5 Apr 2009 , 9:39pm
post #29 of 47

No classicake. What did you? I can't believe someone could be that irresponsible. I just do not understand what people are thinking.

Also I like the "prototype price "idea indydebi.

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classiccake Posted 5 Apr 2009 , 9:43pm
post #30 of 47

Well, the dog just got icing...did not get to the cake. So. we scraped off the icing down to the cake, reiced and decorated it again.

She said she was not going to tell her guests... icon_eek.gif.

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