Joined: Jul 30, 2006
Posts: 108
Location: Bay Area CA
Birthday: Apr 16
Posted:
Sun Jun 08, 2008 10:29 pm
people starting asking me to do this shower cake, can you do a wedding cake next year? Yesterday I accomplished my first wedding cake, needless to say it was very stressful, but successful. This was the first time I got paid for it, not a gift as I usually do, so I wanted to do a great job, and follow exactly what they wanted. The couple loved it and so did the rest of the family. I was pleased and glad it was over!
However people started asking at the reception, when I would do their cake, I should go into business, etc. I have always done cakes just for fun, for the experience of learning and being creative. I am not all the interested in starting a business because it's nearly impossible for me to have a legal full-fledged cake business where I live. But yesterday when someone said "I need 300 cupcakes for August 12th." (Mind you this was the same person who asked for a cake back in February, I put it in my calendar, all of my calendars. Then the day before the shower (the end of April) she asked me if I was bringing the cake. What, it's next week, I have it on my calendar..no it's tomorrow..no it's on my calendar..see here in my purse. Needless to say I was mortified even though I knew the date I had was what she had told me, because I asked several times to confirm. Of course no contract because it was for a friend. Well, she didn't get the cake, I was already booked with another commitment.)
What you Need 300 cupcakes????? With plumeria fondant flowers????? I told her that I was probably going to be out of town. Disneyland anyone???? Two other friends have asked me to do their baby shower cakes, and wedding cakes. Until this wedding, I have only been asked once to do a cake and it was for a bridal shower at church. I agreed because I knew it could be my contribution and gift. Since last August I have offered to do cakes for different events at church, showers, birthdays, holidays. For all these cakes I had somewhat free reign of what I could do. I have truly enjoyed doing these cakes and seeing the recipient's reaction.
But now it's not fun, it's like everyone EXPECTS me to do their cake, and they are telling me what they want on the cake and has one person offered to pay me anything for it! No, just assuming I am available and willing to do their cake. I would just love to hang up my cake pan and not do anymore cakes for anyone except close family members.
What should I do, besides grow a backbone? Should I write up a contract and price list and hand it to them? Can I even do that if I am not a legal business??? How do you handle it for yourselves so you can enjoy cake decorating and not having everyone take advantage of you!!
I would simply state that you would be happy to do all their cakes for a fee.....you can no longer do them for free as it cost you money and valuable time to do each and every one...Oh yeah....Learn to say"I'm sorry but I am unable to do your cake" I have learned to say NO...and it feels good!!!
Texas_Rose Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 26, 2008
Posts: 844
Location: San Antonio, TX
Usually when someone asks me for a cake, I offer to show them how to make one. I've never had anyone take me up on the offer.
flowermom Regular Member
Joined: Jul 30, 2006
Posts: 108
Location: Bay Area CA
Birthday: Apr 16
Posted:
Mon Jun 09, 2008 2:07 pm
Texas_Rose wrote:
Usually when someone asks me for a cake, I offer to show them how to make one. I've never had anyone take me up on the offer.
LOL, I do that with my knitting, guess it's time to start with the cakes!
Sandi
indydebi Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Jul 07, 2006
Posts: 13502
Location: Indianapolis IN
Posted:
Mon Jun 09, 2008 2:15 pm
What you need to say to them when they "tell" you that they are expecting a cake (and it's a good first step in that backbone growing thing!) is "How much are you looking to spend?"
A bride planning a wedding for 300 and tells you "Around fifty bucks" (once she swallows her tongue at the SHOCK that she might have to actually PAY for this cake!) will give you the perfect opportunity to say, "I'm sorry .... I just can't do a cake that large in that price range. Thanks for asking, though! "
Then walk away. Practice this part .... just walk away.
miss_sweetstory Frequent Member
Joined: Mar 10, 2007
Posts: 208
Location: Cambridgeshire, England
Birthday: Feb 18
Posted:
Mon Jun 09, 2008 2:16 pm
flowermom wrote:
I would just love to hang up my cake pan and not do anymore cakes for anyone except close family members.
This is a very valid answer...stick with it!!!
fondantfrenzy Regular Member
Joined: Feb 16, 2008
Posts: 179
Posted:
Mon Jun 09, 2008 2:52 pm
I totally feel your pain..my cakes are always "as gifts". Plus it makes it easier to make a cake if you know the person and make it around their personality. The same thing just happened to me. I guess this lady at work in which i didnt know was going through someone that was a home baker (not legal in california) and she was being flakey. It was a cake for her daughter's shower, she was complaining to her friend that she was scared the lady was not going to come through, then my coworker told her that i made cakes, to make along story short, the original lady ended up making the cake, but we had discussed cookies for favors. She asked me if i would make them (MIND YOU THIS IS NOT EVEN MY FRIEND, NEVER EVEN MET THE LADY ALL OVER THE EMAIL). I agreed, then she proceeds to tell me that she went way over budget and is going to offer me $30 for 30 cookies, i was like WHAT? but figured since i was not in it for profit, i would do it. I emailed her back and said...since she was so in so's friend and this was her first grandchild i would do it for that price, but please dont pass that price to anyone. She agreed, the whole time she made me feel like my cookies were not going to be good enough. Then she proceeded to tell my friend that told her about me..."well her cookies are only worth $1 anyaways" You tell me do these look like they are worth a dolloar (NOT TO MENTION I GAVE 6 EXTRA COOKIES INCASE SHE DROPPED OR BROKE SOME)
Believe me i feel you pain..i tell everyone, the minute you start taking money..>THAT's it. I would continue to make them as gifts.....but you might have better luck, my thing is ...my ego gets hurts...that really pissed me off. That kinda wanted to make me stop making cakes.
Just play it by ear and do whatever feels right.....i totally understand how it takes the enjoyment out of it.
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flowermom Regular Member
Joined: Jul 30, 2006
Posts: 108
Location: Bay Area CA
Birthday: Apr 16
Posted:
Mon Jun 09, 2008 6:48 pm
indydebi wrote:
What you need to say to them when they "tell" you that they are expecting a cake (and it's a good first step in that backbone growing thing!) is "How much are you looking to spend?"
A bride planning a wedding for 300 and tells you "Around fifty bucks" (once she swallows her tongue at the SHOCK that she might have to actually PAY for this cake!) will give you the perfect opportunity to say, "I'm sorry .... I just can't do a cake that large in that price range. Thanks for asking, though! "
Then walk away. Practice this part .... just walk away.
I like that! I would even appreciate it everyone who asked for a cake offered to at least pay for the ingredients!
flowermom Regular Member
Joined: Jul 30, 2006
Posts: 108
Location: Bay Area CA
Birthday: Apr 16
Posted:
Mon Jun 09, 2008 6:55 pm
fondantfrenzy wrote:
Believe me i feel you pain..i tell everyone, the minute you start taking money..>THAT's it. I would continue to make them as gifts.....but you might have better luck, my thing is ...my ego gets hurts...that really pissed me off. That kinda wanted to make me stop making cakes.
Just play it by ear and do whatever feels right.....i totally understand how it takes the enjoyment out of it.
Your cookies are beautiful and definitely worth a lot more than a measly $1! I did NFS cookies with MMF for the first time in May. I practiced with royal icing and fondant and they time consuming, not to mention hard to get the details just right! I ended up doing my in fondant, and they still took me two full days to make over a 100 cookies. I can totally understand why decorators charge up to $5 a cookie. I didn't mind doing these cookies because I really wanted to learn and the person asked me back in January very nicely!
I never imagined that so many people would start asking for cakes, let alone just assume I would do them for them!
FondantFrenzy ur cookies are absolutely beautiful and worth more than $1. I would've told the chick to take her $30 and make the cookies herself, I bet she would've sang a different tune. The nerve of some folk!
cakesbycathy Frequent Member
Joined: Aug 16, 2005
Posts: 409
Location: Cleveland, OH
Posted:
Tue Jun 10, 2008 12:02 am
"Sorry, it's illegal for me to have a cake business. I only make cakes for immediate family. Have you tried X Bakery? Their cakes are delicious."
Be firm. If they pester you, just keep repeating "Sorry, but I just can't do it."
Curtsmin24 Frequent Member
Joined: Feb 05, 2008
Posts: 203
Location: florida
Birthday: Oct 28
Posted:
Tue Jun 10, 2008 3:44 am
Quote:
I never imagined that so many people would start asking for cakes, let alone just assume I would do them for them!
Oh yeah!! They got some nerve. Funny story:
sis: oh my sister makes some banging cakes and they are really good.
sis's friend: you could make my daughters cake ( like I need practice and with a tude)
me:if you want a special cake your going to pay special prices, my shhh!! isn't for free.
The look on her face was priceless
sis's friend: her birthday is on june 30th and i'll pay it. I got the money.
( but with that embaressed, feeling dumb look )
me: (politely said) I will be out of town that month on a well deserved vacation.
her: Cricket......cricket.........cricket......
me and sis smile at each other and I walk away!
There must be a bug going around. I shall dub it walletightess!!!
shill Regular Member
Joined: Mar 19, 2008
Posts: 140
Location: Southeastern PA
I'm noticing this too. I keep getting requests from people to make cakes and they want quotes. I'm so hesitant. I LOVE making cakes and seeing peoples reaction. But I also love having free reign to make it how I want, how big, what colors, whether it has fondant, butter cream, or both.
The thought of trying to get everything the way a client pictures it or in a way that will exceed their expectations really stresses me out.
It's not helping at all that people keep saying things to me like... "Oh... you could make the cake for xxxx event. I got a quote from xxxx bakery and they wanted to charge $80! I'm sure you would be much cheaper!"
I want to scream! NO I WOULD NOT BE CHEAPER! Why would they even think that because they know me, my prices are going to be below the going rate? They tell me that my cakes are better than anything they've seen and then in the next sentence they say I'm not worth what the inferior bakery will charge? I'm not sure this is territory I'm willing to venture into. I haven't even started selling cakes and people already have me frustrated!
Valli_War Regular Member
Joined: Apr 26, 2008
Posts: 193
Posted:
Tue Jun 10, 2008 6:37 am
All of you should send them the link to the huge machinery that is automated that is used for decorating cakes. There are a bunch of them in youtube. They will see why a bakery would sell the cake for less. Everything is done by machines over there starting from torting, filling, icing and decorating.
Or, if you are doing it like I do just for fun, you should do what I do. I just started learning and I am not great it nor I have time to spend too much on practicing and getting it perfect. One of my colleague asked me if I could make a cake for his son's birthday. I just said I will be very expensive compared to what you spend for a cake in a grocery store. He asked me how much would I charge for a 9 X13 cake (I had taken that to work), I told him not less than $30. He kept quiet and no one talks about that now.
Just sharing my experience.
strawberry0121 Forum Addict
Joined: Sep 09, 2005
Posts: 861
Location: Shenandoah Valley, VA
Birthday: Jan 21
Posted:
Tue Jun 10, 2008 6:43 am
Well, I decided when I started this whole thing that I would be firm on my prices. I don't WANT to be the cheap one in town. My time is too valuable for me to give my cakes away. Not only that, but there is nobody else around here that does them as well as I can do them. I'm not tooting my own horn, just being honest. I have seen the cakes and they are horrible!!!!
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but figured since i was not in it for profit, i would do it. I emailed her back and said...since she was so in so's friend and this was her first grandchild i would do it for that price, but please dont pass that price to anyone. She agreed, the whole time she made me feel like my cookies were not going to be good enough. Then she proceeded to tell my friend that told her about me..."well her cookies are only worth $1 anyaways" 
You tell me do these look like they are worth a dolloar (NOT TO MENTION I GAVE 6 EXTRA COOKIES INCASE SHE DROPPED OR BROKE SOME)
I will be out of town that month on a well deserved vacation. 
