Newbie, Self-Taught, At Home, Baker/decorator, Looking For Good Cake Pricing.

Business By Kacie.Mapp Updated 29 Jul 2015 , 9:33pm by Kacie.Mapp

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Kacie.Mapp Posted 29 Jul 2015 , 2:17am
post #1 of 6

Hello, my name is Kacie and I've just started baking and decorating cakes. I haven't sold any yet and I'm looking for good prices per tier.  Any suggestions?

5 replies
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Jeff_Arnett Posted 29 Jul 2015 , 3:56am
post #2 of 6

Wow...you've asked a question that there's no good and fast answer to.  Your pricing depends on many things....the type cakes you offer (mix vs. scratch, buttercream vs. fondant, sculpting, special techniques, etc.).

 A good beginning is to sit down and calculate how much it costs you to produce a cake.  What's you ingredient budget?  Do you have any overhead such as rent, utilities, insurance, etc.?

 Once you determine how much a cake costs you to produce, you can then begin to think about profit.  How much do decorators with similar skill level as you charge in your area?  Pricing is very dependent upon where you live.  City prices are often higher than in rural areas.     If your prices are higher than the average for the area, what are you offering that makes your cakes better than the rest?  This can make for good advertising points.

 At the end of the day when all is said and done, the cake is delivered and you've been paid, do you feel it was worth it?  If so, your prices are probably pretty good.  If you don't think you got what the cake was worth you might need to reevaluate your pricing structure.

Some decorators have a minimum order amount.  Whether you can do this often depends on your market, your experience and how much in demand your cakes are.

 And you need to reevaluate your pricing at least quarterly to every six months...prices of materials just keep rising, and you are walking a fine line between your cost and your profit.

Most of all...enjoy the work!

 

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Apti Posted 29 Jul 2015 , 4:38am
post #3 of 6

Welcome to CakeCentral.  As Jeff states above, unfortunately, there are far, far too many variables for an international forum to provide meaningful pricing advice.  The article below is excellent.  You can purchase the software for a discount by telling them you are a CakeCentral member. 

How Much Should I Charge for my Cakes?

http://www.cakeboss.com/Cake-Stuff/Articles/How-Much-Should-I-Charge


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littlejewel Posted 29 Jul 2015 , 12:02pm
post #4 of 6

Don't get too ahead of yourself, you may need a little more practice before selling to people  you don't know. I recall this very unattractive extremely overweight weight young lady ( she always picked out the faults in everyone other) that I worked with one Christmas season over hearing me tell someone why I was working so many hours for a seasonal job.  This young lady took out her phone and showed me a cakewith a dinosaur that looked amateurish, but she thought it was beautiful because she decorated it( her you know what doesn't stink), sorry guess I was venting.

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littlejewel Posted 29 Jul 2015 , 12:07pm
post #5 of 6

Oops I wasn't finished. I really wanted to encourage you to practice, and challenge yourself. If something seem difficult and others have done it you can to. Determination and practice you will surprise yourself with what you can accomplish.

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Kacie.Mapp Posted 29 Jul 2015 , 9:33pm
post #6 of 6

Thank you!l! You all gave we wonderful advice!

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