AHey Ya'll! Seeking advice here. I am a home-based cake decorator and I have been making cakes for almost 6 years now. About 90% of the cakes I make are celebration/birthday cakes and about 80% of them are Children's birthday cakes. I make cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and cake pops. Now I really love doing kids cakes, I find that's where I really shine. Lately though I have been feeling like I want to take my business further. I really don't enjoy doing wedding cakes, but the money is nice. I have been trying to come up with ideas to do something a bit different. One of my ideas is "cupcake boxes". Just a box of 4 cupcakes to reach those who don't necessarily have kids or need a big cake. Such flavors such as salted caramel etc. do you guys have any other ideas??? TIA

AIf kids' cakes are where you shine, then that's the place to expand your business. Market quirky wedding cakes, push into higher-end kids' parties for more $ per cake (like a wedding cake), quinceanera cakes, market dessert tables, multiple desserts for one party, themes, etc. IMO, you don't want to expand your business by adding smaller, more tedious products to your offerings.

Do you mean the money is nice because the cakes are typically bigger?

AWhat's tiring about it right now? Is it that you're working a lot for a little? Adding a small product that has a high materials cost (I'm thinking of the boxes mostly) isn't the answer. Could you raise your prices? That would probably lighten your load a little while maintaining your current income level.

AThanks guys, I am thinking dessert tables might be a good option. I feel like I am doing a lot of work for not much $$ and I think that's what's getting old/tiring. Maybe I could offer a dessert table menu/set up for kids parties?

AI think the first thing to do is reassess your pricing structure. Getting underpaid will wear a person down.

I have a feeling you're underpricing, but even if your not, this is hard work. I had a look at your facebook page and your cakes are positively gorgeous! The work could just be the teensiest bit cleaner...but you have the "it factor". Assuming you're not already charging top dollar, I'd clean things up just a bit and then charge as high as anyone in town.

And "not much money" is not what your cakes should be going for. Findd the right customers.

AWhat kind of prices are you charging? I saw the dessert table you said took 29 hours on your Facebook page, did you charge enough to pay yourself a decent wage for 29 hours?

AHi guys, thanks for checking out my page. I think the problem might be the area I am in. Most places charge what I am charging, maye slightly more, but most of them less. Thanks howsweet, I agree with the "cleaner" comment and am trying to work on it. I did charge appropriately for the dessert table items and that order had me amped. It's just, unless someone orders a large order or a cake to feed 20-30+ people, I really make not much profit. I have a minimum of 12 servings that ill do for cakes otherwise I make no money. But that's what people are ordering, 12 serving cakes.

AAre you near a city which may have higher income clients? Sometimes a cake business just isn't viable in areas where there are few people willing to pay what custom cakes cost. I know that's hard to hear, hopefully there is a way you can change either who you market to or what you sell to make this still an option.

AWhat does your pricing structure look like?

AI live near several major cities and business has actually gotten better in the past few years. I charge $3.25 per serving and $1.50 for sheet cakes (the sheet cakes I do are usually more elaborate). As you can see from my page I typically am always making children's birthday cakes (which is great, I love it).