It's only a cake?!
Pricing your work can be really difficult
More and more customer expect something for nothing. Huge detailed designs for supermarket prices and they think nothing at telling you ‘how much?? It’s only a cake?’
But that is where they are wrong. It isn’t only a cake or they would have happily purchased the generic version from the supermarket
What they are buying in coming to us is a handmade bespoke design that suits the recipient perfectly from the flavour of the cake to the multiple layers of jams and buttercream within it to the specific colour to match their theme exactly not to mention the look on everyone else’s faces when the cake is revealed at the party.
I have been in that place where I am scared to price properly letting everyone fall into the mates rates category and even being told by my husband to do him a favour because the HR lady at his office helped him recruit someone quickly and her brother’s wife needs a cake at a good price!
Smoke may or may not have come out of my ears! But it was a turning point for me and I now have a really cool spreadsheet that contains all the cake recipes I use at various sizes including the cost for preparing and cooking it. It includes everything from the box, board, ribbon, quantities of icing and filling and most importantly the cost for my time. Don’t get me wrong it took a while to do which is probably why I didn’t have one in place from day one but I’m glad I do now.
If you aren’t brilliant on a spreadsheet there are some really cool apps that you can download that help you to do it, cakeulator is a really good one that my friend swears by.
It is so quick to use (I have mine saved on my desktop so I don’t have to hunt for it amid my dreadful filing systems that I always think I’ll remember but never do!) so now if someone asks me for a hand made pony on top of a round cake for 20 people I know exactly what I will charge.
I also heard a top tip at a class I went to a while ago which I also find really helps me. I give my customers a few options based on the theme at different price points
Most of the time if the carved 3D car they thought of is more than they wanted to spend, the car tyre with handmade car logo and supporters football scarf which still fits their sons 18th birthday party theme perfectly is more than acceptable and they are happy.
It’s still exactly the same price I would have charged but it is in context and the customer has been able to make a choice rather than it being a take it or leave it kind of discussion with the toe curling ‘how much??’ response!
I used to wish that I had someone else to do the quoting part for me who wasn’t emotionally attached to the work but now I realise once you know how much it really costs you to make a cake and you ask yourself how much you are worth you can be confident in the prices you set and confident in your work
At the end of the day it’s only a cake… Isn’t it?!
Bronte Bakes
11 Comments
Oh Kathryn this is oh so true. I have been dealing with the same thing over and over. Also with my fiance who has also now asked me to do a 4th cake for free for yet another friend of his. It is sad, but thank you for your wonderful encouraging words!
Kristyne & Sofia
Great article Kathryn. That’s half the battle, finding a quick way to figure all your expenses, right down to the penny.
Krystine….sorry my dear, you really need to draw a line in the sand. Your fiancé is actually showing lack of respect for your work…..and time. One cake….maybe for extraordinary reasons…2…perhaps. But 4???? Nope, guess this old ladies one big meanie, cause I’d be asking him to pay me my expenses.
Creativity is God's gift to us. Using our creativity is our gift back to God. Clarky's Cakes 😎
This is so true. I still find pricing cakes the hardest part and the reaction you get sometimes almost makes you feel guilty!. I’ve created a spreadsheet like you do that I know how much all of my ingredients, board, ribbon, box etc cost, then I add on my time based on the complexity of the design. It’s so helpful to see it all written down :)
I have found giving out various cake options really helpful. Xx
Sensational Sugar Art by Sarah Lou
Thank you ladies
Pricing is so difficult but you have to work through the pain so that you aren’t working for nothing!
I started a 30 day blogging challenge completely terrified and only on day 3 (should be day 11!) so you guys have helped me want to write a few more x
Bronte Bakes
I give out options too, I’ve found with experience you can usually tell those people who don’t really understand exactly what they’re asking for. By giving design and thus price options you give them an opportunity to think about what they really want and are asking you to do, and you’re far more likely to land the order with realistic expectations all round :)
I too have a spreadsheet with prices for each type of cake in each size. Yes it was a pain to set up initially but the ease and speed with which I can now dish out quotes makes it worthwhile, ultimately a real timesaver!
Also, I’m with June, yes I’m an old meanie! Krystine – what are you doing!!! I guess at some point we’ve all had to draw the line with great rates for mates and I don’t do it any more. I do make occasional cakes as gifts for friends, but that’s MY choice (and in lieu of an alternative gift lol!) xx
Blossom Dream Cakes at www.facebook.com/blossomdreamcakes
Great blog Kathryn – and so glad I only do this as a hobby! I am totally in agreement with June. This is your BUSINESS- you are not running a charity here. I don’t know what line your fiancé is in – but would he spend ours if his free time doing whatever he does for everyone for free……or if he has mates who are mechanics, electricians, plumbers etc would he expect them all to work for his for free? Time to get tough before this becomes an expectation xx
Judy
Very, very relevant and informative article Kathryn:) I also offer different options based on budgets, it is very difficult to price cakes as most people (I have found) do not realize the days, hours, etc it takes to complete each aspect of the process. Thanks so much:)
Name Cakes by Sonia
Thank you ladies. Completely agree. I have a mine craft cake to quote for this week and I am completely sure the client has no idea the time it will take to individually attach all those squares to a 10" square cake! Options are a coming x
Bronte Bakes
Wow! Well said!
The Cake Nook
Nobody would look at a couture gown and say, ’I’m not paying that! I can get one for £10 in the supermarket. It’s ONLY a dress!’ The truth is that the difference between supermarket cakes and bespoke cakes is exactly the same. Supermarket cakes, like supermarket clothes are generic, mass produced and lack in substance, originality and quality. If you want a pancake cake hot off the production line then, by all means, go to the supermarket and pick one up. If you’d rather have a designer original then have the decency to pay for the time, skill and quality which goes into making it. xx
