To expect to be paid more than half? (Pic included)

[MrsA2015]

Background: I'm a home baker using decent/top quality ingredients in my cakes, friends and family buy off me for special events and am trying to kick start a little baking business from home ( after receiving loads of compliments and encouragement which I'm thankful for!) A friend has requested a cake (pictured) and offered well below the asking price knowing what quality I use and usually the one to berate others if they take the mick when it comes to price. I don't over charge and usually find I've undrecharged when adding up costs ( new to this). How much would you expect to pay for this cake? I'm just feeling a little upset really, I love her and will still make it just surprised at asking to pay less than half. I understand mates rates and all...
Before you ask
Yes she can afford it
I don't buy wholesale ingredients
No I didn't stick to my price (out of shock)

Just read this whole thread op you state you 'love' this friend, yet she clearly doesn't return that sentiment if she's prepared to take the piss so royally!

You should definitely message her
"Hey miser pisstaker unsupportive 'friend' you... I've had a bit of time to look into the cake properly now. Are you def set on that specific one, as I've priced it and £40 won't even cover the ingredients. I can try to make a smaller version if you don't want to spend more than say £60 - or I can send you some other ideas if you want to stick to the £40 budget? Let me know what you want to do xxx" Honestly op don't be afraid, she's in the wrong. Not you!

I want to know where people get a kilo of icing sugar for a pound its 1.79 here for 500g
I make cakes for friends usually for cost if its something I havent done before. I had a woman I work with daughter message me a few weeks back she wanted a birthday cake made.
I quoted £40 for an iced number one with flowers and glitter etc on it was cheap for what she wanted imo I wouldnt have made more than a fiver on it. She was shocked and said she didnt want to spend that much on cake I suggested asda was more what she was looking for. She tried to offer 15 pound for a smaller cake I just ignored her ffs shes not even a friend I work with her mother shes not even a friend

Hm...

What about this: tell her that you calculated the cost and the time. Name the price for the ingredients and tell her it will take 2 full days.

Give her an ingredient list and tell her to buy them and then offer her the mate's price of... Idk, 60£? Seeing as it would take you one day if there wasn't childcare involved (but don't tell that to your friend) you'd get 60£ for 8,5 hours, so about 7 £ per hour, but seeing as it'll take you twice as long, because of your DD, you'll tell her you'll do it for 3,5 £ per hour (because she's such a good friend and your making an exception for her?)

So, "it'll take 17 hours and I'll offer you the fantastic mate's price of 3,5."

Actually no, your starting offer should probably be around 5£ per hour, whereas 3,5 should be your bottom line.
Btw, negotiating is usually easier to do in person or knthe phone than via mail. Be sweet on the people but tough on the issue :)
Good luck

9

It's hard to judge the size of the cake and what ingredients have been used, but for a good, professional looking cake like this I would expect prices to start around the £100 mark up to about £250-ish - depending how many 'slices' or people it was to be shared amongst Don't undersell yourself or let friends take advantage - tell them friendship is one thing but your blossoming business is quite another - and good luck with it, the cake looks lovely :)

All the people who think £150 is ridiculously expensive have presumably never bought a wedding cake (which is what this is, right?). The cheapest M&S one is £179, for a very basic design (which obviously you get no input on): www.marksandspencer.com/romantic-pearl-chocolate-wedding-cake-ivory-icing-el/p/p21038139?prevPage=plp

ICE
Please would you like to come and work for me, as we aren't mates I'll pay £60 a day and still consider I'm getting an absolute bargain!!

Our basic basic starter rate no skill labour staff are on £90, skilled workers start at £150/day upwards......£20 ? my 11 year old might take the job

I would give her the list of ingredients you need and let her go and buy them then I would offer to bake it at her house and tell her you'll just charge her for you time and see how she likes that.

Frankly op, if your friend is as annoying as you were on this thread (oops I didn't realise so many peeps were waiting for me ) you're as bad as each other.

beep

30 minutes?!

Oh, come on! Unless you want me to shame you forever on FarceBook, you'd better have them here by the time I've finished this post.

My BFF has already had to cuddle me and call me "Hun" eleven times, and pour me three glasses of Chardonnay, I am so upset. Gonna post my own AIBU thread about you. I know whose side people will be on . . .

Indeed Margaret, and these are factory made, I have worked many a wedding with m &s cakes and they are complete rubbish, turn up damaged more often than not and aren't 'fresh' so full of preservatives. No comparison to a 'real' cake

A small discount is very generous. Half is taking advantage. Your family and friends need to understand you are running a business.

Yes, exactly! My (lovely) MiL made the actual cake of our wedding cake but paid a professional to ice and decorate it. I don't know what she paid the professional (though I'm sure it wasn't cheap) but ingredients alone cost over £50 (it was a very rich and delicious fruit cake)!

Laid back- wtf! Who rattled your cage?

Laidbackneko

If that's you laid back I'd hate to see you uptight.

Wow laidback are you the arsehole that ordered the cake thinks people shouldn't be paid for working?

What did laid back say ? PM anyone? This thread has been my entertainment for 2 days now. Gutted I missed aneither bit of drama.

Lurky are you in the UK? Poundland often have 1kg Silverspoon icing sugar. Morrisons had it on offer for a £1 to recently, I stocked up!

Called the op a dick and accused us all of "feeding her dick ego".

Ode : Sorry - you know far more what it all involves. I was just trying to point out that even with my extremely basic knowledge that the ingredients alone would cost more than the 40.00 being offered.

So more like 15/20 hours' work I'm guessing - which would bring the cost way over 100.00

Ditto Notmorecake

What did I miss on Laidbacks post? Trolling on a thread about cakes?

Richardbucket No way! I think they were joking. My wedding four tiers and way fancier was half that. That was some time ago though, plus anything wedding is just double. But I checked many websites before I posted, in an number of states. Any price is possible if it's some exclusive to the stars or the billionaires in la or nyc, but in general prices are way less in your average bakery. Ingredients are less too, and most states make it pretty easy to get your commercial kitchen certified.

Washington, D.C. Is a pretty expensive town.. This is their absolute top of the line award winning cake shop, so the most expensive possible. Prices only go down from there. This cake would be 225 to 335 $ assuming it's a custom design. That's about 170£ to 270£. No 1000$ cakes, even to feed 100 people...fancycakesbyleslie.com/pricing/