brincess_b: Thank you for your honest opinion! You make an awsome point. I, like some other people, want to get the order so that I can add it to my portfolio. But you are right, I shouldn't give it away.

TexasSugar: I have been trying to watch my costs on cakes and also include some profit and as I have become more aware on these numbers it was apparent that my prices were too low but the per pieces I gave reflect these calculations for the most part. Of course they range every time since I end up needing new tools for almost everything I have had to do because I just started as a favor for a friend and I didn't have much of anything that I need. I improvise a lot with things I find in my kitchen drawers. For example, this time I will need supplies to make the flowers. I would love to raise my labor price more but I also feel as I will get the reputation of being very expensive as I just started out about 6 months ago. But then I end up putting in all-nighters and strive to make the cake perfect and I don't feel as if I get paid for the work I put in. Do you have an idea of a reasonable per hour labor cost? These prices put my labor at about $5 an hour which I know is ridiculous... I almost feel like a criminal (I know you guys will tear me up about that) for asking for money for my work. Crazy, huh?

Thank you for taking the time to set me straight and give me another point of view!

If u want to build your portfolio, just buy some dummys.
A reasonable labour cost is kinda hard to judge - but make it at least minimum wage in your area. The more skilled you are the higher it should be.
xx

I agree that no matter what you should be making min wage. Why do you feel your time isn't as valuable as others time? If you worked in a bakery for someone you would make at least min wage. As I said before, people have to remember that doing cakes takes time away from your life and your family, you should be paid accordingly.

Sit down and really price out a cake from beginning to end. You don't have to do it for every cake you do. There are some things that I really wouldn't count towards the cost of the cake. Yes for some cakes you may have to buy things, but you will keep using those items over and over and over in the future, so they will eventually pay for themselves.

In my day job, we don't charge a particular customer more because we bought a piece of equipment that would make doing their job easier. That money comes from the money we put back in the business (your profit) and we know that in the future it will save us time on other jobs, so again it will pay for its self.

I think the only time I would do an up charge for having to buy a particular thing is if it will be a one time use thing. Most tools (cake pans, cutters and so on) are an investment into the business.

Now if the flowers are labor intensive, I would have a separate charge for them.

Thank you!