I need some advice. Here's the situation.

Event Planner brings the clients.

I conduct tastings on my dime but make them in Event Planners licensed kitchen.

I work in Event Planner's licensed kitchen. I make the wedding cakes. I pay for all the ingredients. I deliver the cakes (no charge).

All cakes are priced by the slice. Minimum is $3.50.

Planner get $1.50, I get $2.50. If there is any upccharge it is split 50/50.

Yes, I realize this is a ludicrous proposition. But my question is, if I am working in "free" space what is reasonable/customary to negotiate the commission to be?

On a side note, I will be paying yearly to use the licensed kitchen (Cottage Food Act not active in my county) and Event Planner would charge me kitchen rental when working on my own cakes for my own company which I am organizing.

Also, I am a professional pastry chef, not necessarily a cake decorator. As pastry chef I did much more and so I did not focuse on wedding cakes (which is what I would be doing now on my own). Therefore, I don't have tons of pictures because I never took them.

I want to make sure I understand. Are you paying a commission AND paying rent. I would NOT be doing both.

That is a huge commission you'll be paying the event planner. You would probably be better off operating as an entirely separate business entity and just paying rent, reputable event planners don't ask for referral fees or commissions.

$1.50 + 2.50 = $4.00, not $3.50, so I'm not sure about the percentages, but the commission would be 30-40%. As Jason said, that's HUGE.

Save your money - let your work speak for itself

A GOOD Event Planner should seek out the BEST for their client - if you happen to 'fit the bill' it costs you nothing

I would only pay rent. I would NEVER give a planner a commission off cake customers she brought me, ever. Like mentioned above, a planner's job is to find the best vendor to her customerd. Not to mention she gets paid by her customer!

I would only pay rent. I would NEVER give a planner a commission off cake customers she brought me, ever. Like mentioned above, a planner's job is to find the best vendor to her customerd. Not to mention she gets paid by her customer!

I went back to their website. They advertise themselves as a full catering company, but also supply a whole lot of other stuff - maybe that's where I thought they were an event planning company.

Anyhow, how do cake designers charge if working under a caterer? Do they normally pay for their own ingredients and deliver the cake as well?

I don't understand what you mean by 'working under a caterer'

If the caterer just commissions (hires) you to make the cake then you just quote as normal and make the cake and deliver it AND handle ALL communication with the client - ie paid independently than the caterer and into YOUR account

If you are working for the caterer in another capacity and then they ask you to make the cake - then I guess you are already working for wages and this is just another aspect of your job - you would need to set in place some sort of agreed 'work' guidelines - eg IF you think your cake work should be paid more than your current job - IF you are employed by the caterer then all your expenses should be met by them and you only get wages

Wow, You are being taken advantage of-big time. There is no way that I am going to give any one a percentage of my money! NO WAY! They evidently are not a full service catering company if they do not provide wedding cakes.
If you can only produce cakes by using thier kitchen, then they saw you coming.
I have worked with caterers, they send the customer to me and I send them customers. There has never been any money exchanged-fees whatever.
You should try to re-negotiate and rent only. When you figure out your profit, the caterer is going to be the winner in this deal.

I am in Australia so not familiar with the form you have quoted.

It sounds like a 'statement of income'

I don't think I would work under this system - unless it is going to give you work that you wouldn't/couldn't normally get on your own. WHY should a caterer get such a large chunk just for referring work to you ... but guess what? - somebody will be rushing to jump your spot - no matter how bad the situation sounds - some people are prepared to work for peanuts (and most don't even know they are doing it )

Duplicate post.

OP your posts are a little confusing but from what I grasp, you're being taken advantage of.

You pay the cost, labor, and delivery while all she does is recommend you (which she should be doing anyway since she's a planner and the client is paying her already for such services).

Have you tried looking around for rental rates for other kitchens? Calculate the cost of using her kitchen (your current arrangement including the hefty chunk of your cake money you're giving her) and compare it to renting on your own. It might be cheaper overall to cut this person off, if not you both need to renegotiate new and fair terms.

How many cake decorators does she have working under these conditions? I bet not many. It doesn't seem right.

OP your posts are a little confusing but from what I grasp, you're being taken advantage of.

You pay the cost, labor, and delivery while all she does is recommend you (which she should be doing anyway since she's a planner and the client is paying her already for such services).

Have you tried looking around for rental rates for other kitchens? Calculate the cost of using her kitchen (your current arrangement including the hefty chunk of your cake money you're giving her) and compare it to renting on your own. It might be cheaper overall to cut this person off, if not you both need to renegotiate new and fair terms.

How many cake decorators does she have working under these conditions? I bet not many. It doesn't seem right.

OP your posts are a little confusing but from what I grasp, you're being taken advantage of.

You pay the cost, labor, and delivery while all she does is recommend you (which she should be doing anyway since she's a planner and the client is paying her already for such services).

Have you tried looking around for rental rates for other kitchens? Calculate the cost of using her kitchen (your current arrangement including the hefty chunk of your cake money you're giving her) and compare it to renting on your own. It might be cheaper overall to cut this person off, if not you both need to renegotiate new and fair terms.

How many cake decorators does she have working under these conditions? I bet not many. It doesn't seem right.

OP your posts are a little confusing but from what I grasp, you're being taken advantage of.

You pay the cost, labor, and delivery while all she does is recommend you (which she should be doing anyway since she's a planner and the client is paying her already for such services).

Have you tried looking around for rental rates for other kitchens? Calculate the cost of using her kitchen (your current arrangement including the hefty chunk of your cake money you're giving her) and compare it to renting on your own. It might be cheaper overall to cut this person off, if not you both need to renegotiate new and fair terms.

How many cake decorators does she have working under these conditions? I bet not many. It doesn't seem right.

I don't understand the confusion. If you pay rent to make your cakes, why would you also pay them a comission on top of the rent, just because they bring you a customer. I actually work for a caterer. I get customers from them all the time. I pay them nothing. The one time the did book a wedding cake, Itold them what my pay would be for them to have me make the cake for them. They opted not to do that again, but have me contract my own clients.