I’m sure you’ve heard this before, but it really depends on where you are and what your competitors are charging. In addition to that, my absolute best advice is to sit down with a pen and paper, write down ALL your costs. Every cake board, seperator plate, ribbon, teaspoon of vanilla, cup of flour, any special tools you need to purchase for this endeavor, ect. Mark up the price you paid for these things by 10 – 15% for the cost of time and gas for going out and getting them. Then decide how much your time is worth. When I started out, I was just hungry for the experience, and I charged $6.00/hr. Nowadays, I charge minimum wage.
The only thing you should really be estimating in the beginning is how long it’s going to take you to complete certain tasks related to making your custom cake – because, well… you’re new to it.
Three things to write on sticky notes and keep in front of you while setting up cake quotes:
1.) YOUR time is worthy of charging for. Every minute.
2.) If you don’t charge enough, you’ll end up resenting it in the long run after you’ve pulled all your hair out and cried your last tears.
3.) You’ll have a customer at any price point, really… You’re creating a CUSTOM cake. Not a frozen, canned buttercream, industrial tasting slab of cake put out by a grocery store. You’re one of a kind.
Hugs,
Holly
