Ugh, Does Anyone Have A Copy/paste Phrase I Can Use?
Business By Annabakescakes Updated 12 Apr 2013 , 11:22am by cazza1
Anna, take a deep breath, count to ten and then scream and chuck a wobbly and get it out of your system. The deep breath and the counting are just so you can tell yourself you tried to stay calm. The screaming and wobbly are actually much more useful as they will actually help get it out of your system for a while. Either that or go buy a tent!
I was thinking of becoming an alcoholic.... Or smoking some reefer... To bad I have NO IDEA where to get some ;-)
It is perfectly acceptable to throw or punch things when Chucking a Wobbly . 
I used to find the freezer at work an excellent Wobbly Chucking Venue. ( frozen cardboard boxes absorb impact well without damaging the caking equipment.
It is also acceptable to "Curse a Blue Streak " in conjunction with the Wobbly Chuck .
I cuss a blue streak, and slam things, and am mean to my poor husband... I literally have NO patience, AT ALL, when I am irritated like this. I swear, it's a rut. Now that it is nice out, I should get some exercise. I'll feel loads better, but I will still not ever make a cupcake cake. That is NOT HAPPENING!
A
Original message sent by Annabakescakes
Well, a 2 layer half sheet cake is 96 servings, so I would charge $240, bare minimum...like iced, with piped roses on it, and a shell border. I can make about a dozen roses in 5 minutes.
And I do have a solid competitive advantage: [I]My[/I] cakes aren't ugly. And they are yummy!You probably need a little more than yummy and not ugly to sell a basic sheet cake for that much. ;)
Girl, you need to watch some "Project Runway" (and maybe seek counseling. *snort*). Don't you know it's all about expressing your creative "point of view"? haha.
Still, sometimes you have to make the fish-shaped cupcake cake in pink, yellow and blue, to pay the bills. *gag*
I can sympathize. Despite the fact that I have worked with young children for 21 years (god i just did the math. i am old), I have degrees, worked for early intervention, consulted on difficult developmental cases, made impressive diagnoses (TYVM), and raised one awesome kid (damn, I am old!). I still get called "the babysitter" by my clients. Seriously? I'm on par with that 16-year-old who ate all the food in your fridge last weekend? Fine, just pay the bills, I guess I'll get over it. :D
On the upside, you can get on the interwebs and moan about it, cuz we are all sympathetic.
jen
Girl, you need to watch some "Project Runway" (and maybe seek counseling. *snort*). Don't you know it's all about expressing your creative "point of view"? haha.
Still, sometimes you have to make the fish-shaped cupcake cake in pink, yellow and blue, to pay the bills. *gag*
I can sympathize. Despite the fact that I have worked with young children for 21 years (god i just did the math. i am old), I have degrees, worked for early intervention, consulted on difficult developmental cases, made impressive diagnoses (TYVM), and raised one awesome kid (damn, I am old!). I still get called "the babysitter" by my clients. Seriously? I'm on par with that 16-year-old who ate all the food in your fridge last weekend? Fine, just pay the bills, I guess I'll get over it. :D
On the upside, you can get on the interwebs and moan about it, cuz we are all sympathetic.
jen
Oh, let me guess, people tell you things like, "It must be so fun to play with kids all day, I wish my job was like that!"
Girl, you need to watch some "Project Runway" (and maybe seek counseling. *snort*). Don't you know it's all about expressing your creative "point of view"? haha.
Still, sometimes you have to make the fish-shaped cupcake cake in pink, yellow and blue, to pay the bills. *gag*
I can sympathize. Despite the fact that I have worked with young children for 21 years (god i just did the math. i am old), I have degrees, worked for early intervention, consulted on difficult developmental cases, made impressive diagnoses (TYVM), and raised one awesome kid (damn, I am old!). I still get called "the babysitter" by my clients. Seriously? I'm on par with that 16-year-old who ate all the food in your fridge last weekend? Fine, just pay the bills, I guess I'll get over it. :D
On the upside, you can get on the interwebs and moan about it, cuz we are all sympathetic.
jen
HAHAHA! I would not be one saying that to you, I really can't stand other people's kids, for the most part. I was a babysitter from 5th grade up to 9th. I really enjoyed it, and the kids, I used to actually hand out with them, after the sitting part. I am glad you are there for them, so people like me don't have to be ;-)
You know Anna it is very obvious that you are just not eating enough chocolate. Work those endorphins girl!
I'm ON it!
Actually, I am spoiled from my own cooking and baking, and think most candy just tastes cheap. I like Lindor,(sometimes, the outer chocolate is bleah) or Ferrero Rocher, or homemade. I am too snobbish to hork down a Kit Kat, and too lazy to make my own, lol.
To the original question, I say "I can do pretty much anything. What's your budget?" Then when you know what that is you know what you can offer without having to hate them for being cheap when they're really just clueless.
To the original question, I say "I can do pretty much anything. What's your budget?" Then when you know what that is you know what you can offer without having to hate them for being cheap when they're really just clueless.
THIS!!
And chuck a wobbly is seriously my new favorite phrase 
Like you if you can do only wedding cakes.. We havent even managed to "get ou" of "those" cakes!!
We do get pay-off enough to live from cake design, so our point is easyer to solve
Wend we don't want to the the cake, either we say no, our we say that the date is impossible for us !!!
It's not that difficult to say NO !!!! It's kind off a commercial line: Just Do it !!! what's going to append !?
Are they going to regrat asking? - YES !!!
Are they going to ask again? - NO !!!
Or, for a very different approach just tell them to go and talk to someone else, and give someone else in particular the job.
If you can't handel it on your one, have a "partner" that does it. You jus might get a new friend, and som problems off your back !!
i really don't understand. it sounds like you don't like making money.
A
Original message sent by kaylawaylalayla
i really don't understand. it sounds like you don't like making money.
Easy now...sometimes the money that you make isn't worth the aggravation of the job. I only do wedding cakes for the most part, and there are cakes that I turn down because I don't want to do them for whatever reason. If you take every job that comes your way just for the sake of making some money off of it you'll get burned out pretty fast.
Part of running a successful business is knowing when to say no. A lot of people don't seem to realize that...if taking a job just to make money on that one cake that you hate is going to make you hate your work completely, you shouldn't take it. The profit on the cake won't be worth the grief it gave you.
AI suppose, but it just seems like a really negative attitude to have towards one of your customers. Like I wouldn't buy a cake from a person who has that attitude. Not even a really awesome cake.
Why not put a positive spin on it. Maybe say " hi my name is so and so, welcome to such and such. My specialties are... I can do anything. the only limit is your imagination and your budget. What do you have in mind? Be specific."
AI'm sure OP doesn't tell her clients/potential clients how much she might be frustrated with a cake design. I'm sure she takes the order with a smile & presents the finished product with an even bigger one. She simply has a frustration and wanted to vent to people who would understand without making her feel like a heel. I must say, I agree with part of her post; I hate it when someone says "can you make a cake in such & such theme?" but have nothing else to offer as far as basic information. Sculpted cake, detailed, tiered, flashy, goofy, etc?
ARefining a basic idea into a design that can be executed within a specific budget is one of the main reasons customers choose a custom cake shop in the first place.
AI do agree with that, Jason. I happen to be dealing with one of those clients who can't seem to figure out what the heck she wants. It's all in educating your customer, but the educating part gets old after a while, and sometimes I do wish there was a button for like auto-educate so I can walk away and do other stuff. When the client gets the basics down, I'll come back & let's design a cake! I happen to love doing birthday cakes. Weddings have crazy women involved.
A
Original message sent by IAmPamCakes
I do agree with that, Jason. I happen to be dealing with one of those clients who can't seem to figure out what the heck she wants. It's all in educating your customer, but the educating part gets old after a while, and sometimes I do wish there was a button for like auto-educate so I can walk away and do other stuff. When the client gets the basics down, I'll come back & let's design a cake! I happen to love doing birthday cakes. Weddings have crazy women involved.
That's funny,because I don't like to do birthday cakes because the people who want to order custom ones are WAY more demanding than the brides I work with! The birthday cake customers are the ones who want a 3-D lifesize replica of whatever for the price of a sheet cake, plus tastings for a 20-serving cake. Brides at least have an idea of the protocol, they're not as wacko.
i really don't understand. it sounds like you don't like making money.
If there was ever such a blanket statement, I haven't seen it. This situation actually proves just the opposite, since there is not enough time in the week to be profitable off sheet cakes with a DecoPac on them.
Easy now...sometimes the money that you make isn't worth the aggravation of the job. I only do wedding cakes for the most part, and there are cakes that I turn down because I don't want to do them for whatever reason. If you take every job that comes your way just for the sake of making some money off of it you'll get burned out pretty fast.
Part of running a successful business is knowing when to say no. A lot of people don't seem to realize that...if taking a job just to make money on that one cake that you hate is going to make you hate your work completely, you shouldn't take it. The profit on the cake won't be worth the grief it gave you.
Exactly. Call me a romantic, or crazy, but I want to do cakes I can be proud of. If there are a few ugly step-sisters in there, I can take it, but trying to do 15 sheet cakes in a week, or 1 wedding cake is a no brainer.
AI'm sure you're right, costumeczar. I have only done a few weddings, and they actually were pretty easy clients. Maybe I'm the one who gets crazy :) I like to be more laid back, and I guess birthday cakes let me do that. You are also VERY right about the 3D/cost thing. Thankfully, so far, my birthday clients haven't been super wacko - yet. You have much more experience in this. I'm a baker. Cake decorating happened because it's harder to sell cookies out of my kitchen than a fancy cake. I have a knack for decorating, but baking is where it's at for me anyway.
Try raising your prices 10% a month until you encounter some real resistance - I promise you will like it. :)
Liz
Getting paid extra to do the boring" stuff can pay the bills too. Even with the crazy PITAs..... How about the good old minimum order price? At least then you are making a set minimum to talk to them... :)
Enjoy that time off!
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