What Do You Offer? Bc Only/bc & Fondant/fondant Only?
Decorating By emlashlee Updated 6 Mar 2010 , 4:36am by cake-angel
Okay, ladies. I need some input here. I offer 3 price/design levels for cakes. 1) Buttercream with BC accents, 2) BC cake with Fondant accents, and 3) Fondant cake with Fondant accents.
Personally, I think it is much easier to put fondant accents on a fondant-covered cake. However, most everyone orders the buttercream iced cake with fondant accents to spice it up. I end up spending more time getting the buttercream icing perfectly smooth then I ever would covering it with fondant. So, I'm getting less money for more work.
I'm thinking maybe I should lower my fondant prices, but I'm making a fairly slim profit margin as it is and that would be the least desirable option.
I'm wondering, what do you offer? Just buttercream and fondant, all three, whatever the customer wants? I would love to hear your thoughts...
Thanks!
- Edited to add: FYI: My prices are: BC $1.75, BC + fondant accents $2.25, Fondant $2.75.
Why lower prices? Why not raise the prices of the BC? Maybe just raise them enough so that the clients figure why not just go with all fondant for that little amount more? While the fondant may cost more, you're putting more work into the BC cakes, therefore your labor cost goes up.
That would help your profit margin too. 
agree with above poster. raise at least your b/c w/ fondant accents and see how that goes.. i wouldnt go lowering if your margins are already slim...
I offer all three.
My vote also would be up your prices not Lower!!
Thanks for your input! I appreciate it. It didn't occur to me to raise my buttercream prices to even those out a little. I don't feel like my quality of work is up to raising it a lot higher, I'll have to think about it. I've only been decorating (from my legal home bakery) for about 13 months and know I still have much to learn. I feel that when I'm sending out cakes that are perfect I can raise my prices a little (hmm...we'll see when that happens!).
Thanks for your input! I appreciate it. It didn't occur to me to raise my buttercream prices to even those out a little. I don't feel like my quality of work is up to raising it a lot higher, I'll have to think about it. I've only been decorating (from my legal home bakery) for about 13 months and know I still have much to learn. I feel that when I'm sending out cakes that are perfect I can raise my prices a little (hmm...we'll see when that happens!).
No cake is ever perfect! At least mine never are to me.
Thanks for your input! I appreciate it. It didn't occur to me to raise my buttercream prices to even those out a little. I don't feel like my quality of work is up to raising it a lot higher, I'll have to think about it. I've only been decorating (from my legal home bakery) for about 13 months and know I still have much to learn. I feel that when I'm sending out cakes that are perfect I can raise my prices a little (hmm...we'll see when that happens!).
No cake is ever perfect! At least mine never are to me.
Hello! I took a look at your cakes...and yes, they are perfect! Maybe when I reach a level that I don't have to say, "Yep, that's the back of the cake for sure," I'll feel better about my skills.
Thanks for your input! I appreciate it. It didn't occur to me to raise my buttercream prices to even those out a little. I don't feel like my quality of work is up to raising it a lot higher, I'll have to think about it. I've only been decorating (from my legal home bakery) for about 13 months and know I still have much to learn. I feel that when I'm sending out cakes that are perfect I can raise my prices a little (hmm...we'll see when that happens!).
No cake is ever perfect! At least mine never are to me.
Hello! I took a look at your cakes...and yes, they are perfect!
Maybe when I reach a level that I don't have to say, "Yep, that's the back of the cake for sure," I'll feel better about my skills.
Thanks!
For tiered cakes I ONLY do fondant, but for sheet cakes and 1 "tier" cakes buttercream is standard but I give them the option of fondant (for a small extra cost) but most times they just stick with the buttercream.
The problem with being your own critic is that you will never see your cakes as being perfect. As decorators we get too close to our work and forget to see the whole picture from the perspective of someone like the client. I have recently learned to leave the room for a bit and then come and look at my cake from the normal distance that most people would look at it. It helps to change my perspective once in a while. There will always be someone out there that I consider to be more talented than me.
Sorry -- All I meant was don't sell yourself short.
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%