Ok, I'm officially frustrated now. I don't know if it's becuase of the area in which I live or the people. I had a person that I went to school with email the other day about wanting me to do 2 cakes for her. She wanted a 2 tiered cake and a small cake (kind of like a smash cake). On the larger one she wanted zebra type print on the bottom tier and hand piped paisley/ henna type piping on the top and then on the small cake she wanted airbrushed camoflauge. On top of that she wanted me to deliver the cake to her house. I thought about it when I got home and emailed her back a quote of $50.00 I got an email today from her saying that she was strapped for cash and that what I quoted was too much and that she could get what she wanted cheaper at Super Target or at a local bakery cheaper. I read all of this and thought to myself (well then got to super target or whereever to get your cakes) Oh and she wants all of this by Sat. I could pull it off, but I'm tired of people wanting something for little money to free. They don't think about my time that would be involved or the cost of supplies, all of that.

I guess I'm gona just tell people from now on that I don't make cakes for people of than my family and close friends. Because everytime I quote someone they freak out at the price. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Thanks for listening guys, any suggestions?l

NO THE PRICE ISN'T TOO HIGH!!!!!!

Lol...ok, got that out of the way. The price in fact was too LOW! Seriously too low. That is all. I'm sure you know how much your supplies cost, and what your time (labor) is worth to you, and you can figure out how you would be losing money on that silly arrangement.

We all run into people like this. She has probably bought her cakes from a grocery store and just has it in her mind that is what they all should cost. Don't sweat it. If you talk to her again, just remind her that yours are made custom and not only look better than grocery store cakes, they taste better too. She may pay less, but she'll not get the grocery store to make the design she wanted.

Way too high. I wouldn't have charged more than $9.99.

Actually, I really suggest that you do everything you can to beat the pricing at Super Target and especially Wal-Mart!!! Even if it means paying them to make their cake.......it's all about customer service you know?..........you should NEVER try to TELL a customer what you intend to CHARGE for the cake.......ask them how much they can afford to pay you and then go with the price they suggest!!! You'll end up with happy customers who will tell all of their friends about the awsome cake they got from you and before you know it you'll have more orders than you can handle!!

I just took an order for a 2 tier cake to serve about 30 people and quoted $125. They told me no problem. This is the 3rd cake they have ordered from me since October or so.

Heck yeah Jenn.

LOL!!! I love it. A smash cookie.

Your quote was too low. A bakery would have charged from $125-$140 where I live. Custom cakes, are CUSTOM CAKES. They are not cakes that are sitting around waiting to be bought like at Albertsons or Wal*Mart. Please. And I am sure your cakes taste way better than those places anyway.

There are two types of custom customers. First type thinks that since you're from home you'll do it for cheaper than everyone else, because hey, they're doing you a favor by ordering. The second type knows that custom cakes are worth the extra cost, and hey, you're doing them a service by giving them exactly what they want. Fire number one customers!!!
And $50 is insanely cheap for what she requested, I'm sorry.

..moving to General forum.

set a price for each cake and stick to it, regardless of what the customer says. we are all on a budget - if your price doesn't fit their budget, let me get it from somewhere that does.

You know... I wan't to commend the OP for being able to have a sense of humor about the silly posts of "oh charge $9.99" and "you should totally compete with super target". So many others would have come back all huffy about it but you joined right in on the fun... so bravo to you!

And yes... definitely too low on that price. I won't even turn my oven on for less than $100.00. The smallest 4 tier I could see doing is a 4/6, and that's teeny so I'm sure it was at least a 6/8 right? That's 30 servings. That's $1.67/serving, and if it was bigger... well that price per serving can only go down down down. AND there was a smash cake involved. She needs to know she was getting a killer deal. I say let her eat Super Target cake... her loss.

Is Super Target just a regular Target that's "super-sized"? I've never heard of that.

I bet LaBella. I would give anything to turn all the Walmarts here into Targets...ahem, I mean Tar-GHAYYYY...lol!

I agree with everyone 50.00 is WAY to cheep........

As everyone has said...it was WAY too low. You don't state if it is buttercream or fondant, how many people it's supposed to feed but in my part of the world, buttercream starts at $2 per serving and fondant at $4 per serving...and that's as simple and bare as can be....once they start adding decorations I start adding more cost to it. Even a small (feeds 30) two tier cake in buttercream would start out at $60 and in fondant it would be $120. But all the work you describe..nope, $50 is ridiculously too low. I'd be at $120 for buttercream and $180 for fondant...and that's really just for a 30 serving cake. You are creating works of art, not just flour sugar and eggs mixed together. This is not a quarter sheet cake with shells along the border and buttercream roses in one corner...this is a work of ART. Stand on your prices and don't let those who want you to sell your edible art for soda prices.

I seriously doubt one could get what that lady wanted at a big box store bakery for $50. Actually, I doubt that she could get what she wanted at a big box store bakery at all.

Well, 'custom made cakes' come at a 'custom made price'--i say you priced too low in the first place. For a special order cake even target and walmart up-charge for any of the extras, and she i am sure is aware of this. Thats prob why she sought you out in the first place bc she knows you and thought she could get it from you at a better price. Unfortunately when we know ppl we always want to discount, but when word gets out then ppl outside the friends and family circle expect that same discount. I would simply call her back and let know her that you make special order cakes and even tho she can get it 'cheaper' as she stated elsewhere, but that you quoted her an even more of a discount for something that is custom made that she knows will be work she would like at a reasonable, but lower price than most cake decorators actually charge. What i do is for 'close' family i discount, but i always tell them never to discuss the charge with others so that i can discuss that with those that wish to use my services bc requests come in all shapes, sizes, flavors and decoration which can all add up depending on the size and what is requested. My family respects this and knows that i use this as a business so pricing is always an important factor. Good luck and if she chooses not to take your price i wouldnt worry about it, another request will come along. And, too, dont let this discourage you, just make it a point to actually sit down and figure what it would be for ingredients, your time, the work, etc and work it all up together so that you can have a more accurate pricing system say this happens again in the future--by then you will be more organized and be ready.

If your prices are too low people will compare to the grocery cakes - they think why pay $20 more for the same cake. If you price higher they think wow must be something really special I'll splurge. Yes not everyone can afford a $150 cake but you'd be surprised how many will find the money for a "brand item". How many people do you see who have no money wearing brand name clothes etc when Walmart sell perfectly good ones for a lot less? Brand yourself as a high end custom cake decorator and people will think you are special, brand yourself as grocery store but slightly more expensive and people will go to the grocery store.