People Say I Charge Too Much?!?
Business By Island girl Updated 25 Mar 2015 , 5:34pm by cakesbycathy
Hi,
I wanted to ask about this. I know it's been talked about before but I really don't think I'm crazy and charging too much but I am a hobby baker, so maybe I am. But if I cut my prices any lower, I won't even make a profit. I use all high end ingredients and sweetex, so my costs are probably higher than most. However, I do think I'm still getting a good deal on my costs. For my 50lb box of sweetex I paid $116 including shipping. I don't think that's too bad. Anyway.... I'm in the outskirts/ suburbs of Houston and these are the 3 cakes I've been asked to make. All 3 agreed on price and then when it came down to deposit time, they all backed out. The reasons for all three was that they found someone to do it cheaper.
I don't want to be known as the cheap cake lady, but I also don't want to be the expensive lady either and not get orders. I just don't see how after all costs me making $20-60 per cake is overcharging!
The colon cake was requested by a gastroenterologist and only needed it for 5-6 servings. Well, obviously I charged for what I had to make and carve away too and the fondant. I quoted $70.
The mickey cake with a smash cake would be buttercream with fondant decorations. I quoted $120.
The toilet cake I would almost make no profit, and I quoted $100.
Am I charging too much or are people just actually charging too little????
Thanks!
If anything, I think you aren't charging enough! If you are not in desperate need of the money then stick to your standards.
I would charge 200 for the toilet cake as there is a lot of detail and the decorating alone would take about 3 hrs. The colon would be 100 regardless of any of servings again due to decorating time and the Mickey cake I would probably do for 135 if it is buttercream with fondant appliqués. I am south of Boston and everything I make is from scratch. If people say it is too much then they are not my target audience and I wish them luck in finding a cake. I always have them mail me a 50.00 deposit at booking and that has worked well. If you want to see what nice bakeries charge around you that would be a helpful guide in figuring out what to charge. I price my cakes at the same level as higher end bakeries around me. Hope that helps. Don't get frustrated. Just find ways to reach your target audience!
Thank you for your response! I'm not hurting for the money, it's just a bummer because I enjoy doing the cakes and want to build my client base, but not for free cakes or next to nothing. It's saddening sometimes but I just don't want to do these cakes for $50!
It's amazing how clients - of which most of them have no clue about making cakes - pressure us about rates!
Thanks God I'm a home baker and not a slave for anyone!! I charge what I think is right for me and worth my time. If people don't want to pay for it....PLEASE find some poor cheapo slaving away for your demands!
You charge too much (which you don't btw!) - good for you, congratulations
Can I just start by saying EWWWW!!!! I have never understood why people want cakes like toilets and colons, this is no reflection on you rather your customers.
You are too cheap there is no way that I would do any of those cakes for the prices you have quoted. Stick to your guns, I lose a certain number of orders because there are always going to be people out there who will work for nothing, that is not going to be me. It takes time to build up your client base of people who appreciate your work.
The toilet cake is pretty amazing (I wouldn't eat it), the colon cake is beyond gross LOL. (And from someone who is NOT a baker/cake hobbyist, I don't think your prices are bad at all. I enjoy playing with cake decorating once in a while, but until I convinced myself I could do fondant, I would have gladly paid $200 or more for a really cool Angry Birds cake for my little guy. He's only going to turn 5 once, kwim?)
Unfortunately there are always going to be people who want a Pintrest cake at a garage sale price. There will always be someone who will make the cake cheaper than you. Sometime clients will come back and say they found someone to do it cheaper because they really just want you to lower your price. When someone tells me they found someone to do it cheaper my response is always "I cannot lower my price and still provide you with a quality product."
It can take a long time to build up a loyal client base that is willing to pay what you charge because they understand that quality work has a price. Don't lower your prices. Try and market to a more "upscale" clientelle.
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%