Licensed Home Bakers

Business By Kitagrl Updated 4 Apr 2010 , 1:38pm by Niliquely

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Kitagrl Posted 3 Apr 2010 , 2:25pm
post #1 of 20

So...do you ever have anyone who seems to turn their nose up a bit that you work from home?

Usually people are fine about it but sometimes they seem put off by the fact I don't have a storefront bakery.

A customer today who picked up the sunflower cakes (in my pix) seemed a little wary of it back here...yes I do work out of an older looking parsonage behind a church so that makes it weird for people too haha. My boys were all outside playing, and I was not dressed as nicely as I usually try to because its just a "down day". Of course my hair was put back and I do have some makeup on and stuff. Anyway she liked the cakes but I know on the phone when she found out I was from home she was hesitant (I do have it on my website but most people just look at the pix, do not read all my information) and she seemed a little "weirded out" when she was picking up her cake(s).

Anyway....I can only work with what I have LOL but have you ever had customers that seemed to mind that they were not ordering from a bakery? I know occasionally I've even had someone say "never mind" and not order a cake when they found out I didn't have a shop, but at least it doesn't happen too often.

19 replies
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tesso Posted 3 Apr 2010 , 2:40pm
post #2 of 20

I hate that happened to you. Yes, I have had people say,oh you dont have a bakery?

I reply yes I do, it is just out of my home.

Then I give them a list of a few bakerys which are all located 50+ miles away, (there are none locally) and then a few days later they call back and say YES !!! I want you to make my cake, to which I respond, Quite Pleasantly, "This is why I bake out of my home, I dont have to charge as much because I dont have all the overhead that a storefront bakery has."

After seeing some of the prices at a storefront bakery they suddenly dont give a rats hairy butt that I bake out of my home.

I have done the math and that is why I am staying homebased, our economic area cant handle the costs of a cake that a store front bakery deserves for their work and expenses. Or I would so have a store front bakery!

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mindy1204 Posted 3 Apr 2010 , 3:25pm
post #3 of 20

Ok totally off topic but I love your sunflower cake. How did you make the center of the cake?

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Kitagrl Posted 3 Apr 2010 , 3:35pm
post #4 of 20
Quote:
Originally Posted by mindy1204

Ok totally off topic but I love your sunflower cake. How did you make the center of the cake?




Oh thanks! icon_smile.gif

I just made a thick circle of dark brown fondant with a lighter brown middle. Then put it in the middle...then went over it and imprinted it using a wilton leaf icing tip. Then back over it again with a texture tool for clay, and pulled out the sides a bit. Then used a black petal dust, green petal dust, some dots of black airbrush color, and then a bit of gold disco dust.

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11cupcakes Posted 3 Apr 2010 , 3:51pm
post #5 of 20

You can't please everyone. In my area some home bakers do better cakes than 2 or 3 storefront bakeries that we have. Your cakes look great, so you know they will come back, I would not worry about the look.
I am getting ready to start cake business out of home and I expect that some people will not order my cake because I do not have a shop.

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honeyscakes Posted 3 Apr 2010 , 4:03pm
post #6 of 20
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kitagrl

Quote:
Originally Posted by mindy1204

Ok totally off topic but I love your sunflower cake. How did you make the center of the cake?



Oh thanks! icon_smile.gif

I just made a thick circle of dark brown fondant with a lighter brown middle. Then put it in the middle...then went over it and imprinted it using a wilton leaf icing tip. Then back over it again with a texture tool for clay, and pulled out the sides a bit. Then used a black petal dust, green petal dust, some dots of black airbrush color, and then a bit of gold disco dust.



I AM SO SORRY!!! that happened to you icon_sad.gif Its a shame someone would say such a thing to anyone icon_sad.gif I can't say much about this situation because any cake I've made was a gift from me to my friends on their occassions, for hubby's work, birthdays, church etc. never made a paid cake in my life!
I was browsing through your gallery! WOW!!! your work is beautiful.
Please share where you bought the Damask thing that you used for the 50Th anniversary cake and the black and white cake with red roses.
I am in awwwww of how beautiful your work is and how talented you are.
you are my hero icon_biggrin.gif
- honesycakes.

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Kitagrl Posted 3 Apr 2010 , 4:07pm
post #7 of 20

Aww thanks!

The stencil was from global sugar art but its not called damask...

http://www.globalsugarart.com/product.php?id=22779&name=Chic%20Rose%20Side%20Stencil%20by%20Designer%20Stencils

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all4cake Posted 3 Apr 2010 , 4:15pm
post #8 of 20

I get it, the snobbish...mmmmm huh...attitude, sometimes. I seriously don't care though. If they'd like to rent/buy me a storefront spacious enough to keep my grandbabies safely too, I'm all for it! They just better not show me that face on a baaaaaaaad day...I've had dreams of shoving cake in someone's (there's never a clear face of who'd getting it) face!

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costumeczar Posted 3 Apr 2010 , 6:15pm
post #9 of 20

I get questions all the time about "you do all the baking here?" My standard answer is "Yes, the health department comes and inspects my kitchen, I'm lucky that in Virginia you can work out of your home."

I think sometimes people ask because they're worried about it, but most of the time they're just curious about how I can do wedding cakes using a home kitchen, as opposed to a commercial setup.

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tarheelgirl Posted 3 Apr 2010 , 6:23pm
post #10 of 20

Yes! I do get those questions too. I have had several brides say they LIKE the fact that I bake out of my licensed home kitchen because the cake taste fresh and I don't shell out tons of cake a week. I usually deliver and do consults in a local coffee shop. I've had one cake picked up by a client in 2 1/2 years of business. I say.. let them go somewhere else if they have a problem! Girl your cakes rock!! thumbs_up.gif We all have to start somewhere right?!

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Kitagrl Posted 3 Apr 2010 , 8:52pm
post #11 of 20

I don't have time to do all the deliveries and we only have one vehicle so I only schedule the deliveries that the customers need, or pay for.

But on the downside, that means they end up seeing where I work out of...and while the inside of the house looks pleasant and is clean, sometimes from the outside with the boys running around and the exterior on the older side, it may confuse people. (And I usually take their cake to their car for them, I don't invite them in unless its raining) Lately especially I've had several customers hesitant...they sit outside my house and call me to make sure they are at the right place haha....and they sometimes look like they find it hard to believe that the cake they ordered is coming out of a parsonage. haha. I just joke around and say "Yeah its a well disguised little 'bakery' back here, isn't it?" and they don't say much!

But I have ALOT of repeat business so I'm not worried about it...I just feel a little sheepish sometimes when people are looking freaked out about picking up a cake from me!

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tarheelgirl Posted 3 Apr 2010 , 9:03pm
post #12 of 20

Honestly, your work speaks for itself! If you have a lot of referrals and repeat customers then build on that. In my area, I get alot of those high society, deliver it to my club house types. Which is usually the type that want to haggle prices too..

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Loucinda Posted 3 Apr 2010 , 9:22pm
post #13 of 20

Kita - don't worry about it! I live in a 100 year old home - in the older part of our town. The inside is completely redone, but just the older neighborhood I think people question it every once in a while here.....until they come inside! icon_biggrin.gif Once they see the clean modern kitchen with the inspection certificate hanging front and center, they loose all attitude. I have debated (and been offered) having a storefront, but I have the best of both worlds here. Just remember how you can be your own boss with little overhead this way! thumbs_up.gificon_biggrin.gif

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Kitagrl Posted 3 Apr 2010 , 9:33pm
post #14 of 20

Definitely...the work and time involved in making a storefront be a paying business is far beyond my reach at this time.

I love doing it at home! My dream is to someday own our own home and to maybe convert a garage into my "bakery" and a small consult area.

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tarheelgirl Posted 3 Apr 2010 , 9:37pm
post #15 of 20

That is my goal for this year! Converting our garage into a workable cake space! thumbs_up.gif

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Rose_N_Crantz Posted 3 Apr 2010 , 11:11pm
post #16 of 20

Whaaaa! I wanna do cakes from home!!! Minnesota won't let me though.

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Loucinda Posted 4 Apr 2010 , 4:24am
post #17 of 20

We are very thankful and lucky that we live in a state that allows us to bake from our homes. If I didn't have that option, I would definately look into the storefront business.

After visiting Jackson Hole, man, I would love to have a nice wedding cake business there! icon_biggrin.gificon_wink.gif

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Kitagrl Posted 4 Apr 2010 , 4:27am
post #18 of 20
Quote:
Originally Posted by Loucinda

We are very thankful and lucky that we live in a state that allows us to bake from our homes. If I didn't have that option, I would definately look into the storefront business.

After visiting Jackson Hole, man, I would love to have a nice wedding cake business there! icon_biggrin.gificon_wink.gif




You and me both! We honeymooned there...married in Rapid City b/c that's where I lived as a teen. LOVE the west. Wanna open up shop? haha.

We wouldn't have the money to open a storefront so I'm thankful I can do this from home.

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Niliquely Posted 4 Apr 2010 , 1:35pm
post #19 of 20

Haha - I'm already taking over out here!

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Niliquely Posted 4 Apr 2010 , 1:38pm
post #20 of 20

Seriously though - I know what you mean, I have gotten that too....in Nebraska we have to have a separate kitchen to be licensed. We converted my husband's grandmother's house (she has been gone since 2003) into a bakery. People are like, "You want me to come WHERE to get the cake?" But most people are so happy to have cake out here because the only other option is Safeway or Walmart!!!

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