Want a starting out story? I have spent the first 10 days of March thinking back to moments over the past 10 years and thought maybe you would like to hear my stories.
My first ever cake order.... I charged $80 for an 8" round cake (4" high) covered in homemade marshmallow fondant, with hand made gumpaste figures, detailers, the child's name and birthday number.
I was proud as punch. The customer, who was a friend of mine, loved it.
Flash forward 2 weeks. I hadn't been paid. I didn't chase it as I knew it's wasn't intentional and frankly, friendship means more to me than money.
And then, I went to a cake show and a lady was talking about how to price cakes correctly. As she was talking my eyes got wider and wider until, I swear it, my eyebrows must have reached my hair line!!!
The moment I got home, I sat and crunched some numbers and discovered, it had cost me $120 in materials to make that cake.
So not only did I not get paid, I would have lost money on the actual cost of the cake.
That first cake taught me sooooo many things. And lessons I took with me for years.
From that cake onwards:
I never ever start a cake without payment in full (regardless of the relationship I have with the person ordering it).
I won't allow a customer to say, I will pay you on pick up - nope... payment up front and never let a cake out of my sight without money in hand or in my account. This includes waiting for payment to clear.... no $$$ balance, no cake for them!
Even if the client is on the phone and asking for pricing, I will tell them that I will call them back as soon as I work it out - and I price it up correctly (I still sometimes get this wrong but at least it's usually the time it will take me to make it and I don't lose too much). I need time to research before even giving a rough price guide.
It might seem silly yo say it, but I am so grateful for that first cake, That it happened with someone I knew and it wasn't a $1000 cake.
Funny how often I think back to that and use that story when I am performing or teaching in the hope, it will help someone else avoid the same situation.
As we are celebrating this month, we have just launched a 25% off sale - check it out here - discount applied to your cart.
Monica xxx
PS - before you ask, the cake in the pic is not the cake I am talking about above. If I show it, they will know.... and I don't want to upset them. The cake in the pic was my son's 2nd birthday cake in 2011.