Topics: Insurance,
Pricing,
Decorating hints,
Gallery |
INTRODUCTION
I don't know of any other home-craft that a person can do to REALLY make money better than with cake decorating or candy making. You can work your cake business in around taking care of babies. Since this is an edible craft, they will eat it and always want more! |
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| A WEDDING
CAKE WORKBOOK, by Dolores
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One of a kind! No other book has ever been written attempting to include all the necessities in one publication. Technical Information. Tiered cake setup ideas. Many color photos of cakes. Over 200 pages. book's cover |
| . | Other books by Dolores or Sue |
TO
BEGIN:
Ashley Vicos,
owner of the commercially licensed cake studio, Sweet Ashley's in Atlanta,
offered several tips to help save time and money for retail cake decorators
during her discussion at ABE. Some of her suggestions:
.
Charge for
consultations for elaborate (non-wedding) tiered or sculpted cakes. This
eliminates people who aren't serious about purchasing a cake, and you can
credit the fee to the cake price once the order is placed. Decorators need
to remember that their time is money.
.
Cover all
cakes with white icing or fondant and make all fondant or gumpaste decorations
in white. You can airbrush them the color requested. This lowers your inventory
of decorations and saves you time in making colored icing or fondant.
.
Use premade
decorations whenever possible; again time is money. Buy them in white and
airbrush them to match the design.
.
Tiered cakes
attract attention and customers. Small tiered cakes are very easy to make,
but you should upcharge for them. If you upsell decorated sheet cakes for
three times the cost, charge four times the cost for tiered cakes.
.
When selling
sculpted or tiered cakes, always offer the customer three different levels
— low, mid and high. About 90 percent of the time, they will choose the
mid or high design, and you can make at least 30 percent more in sales.
.
Always finish
a custom cake's board with ribbon around the edge. A ribbon gives a finished
look.
.
 Cake
by Amelia Carbine
. In Amelia Carbine won third place for her “Love Letters” wedding cake. She used edible frosting sheets to print the "letters" on. . Carbine adorned the cake in magnolia blossoms and oak leaves. Carbine’s show-stopping additions were the thinly rolled gum paste “letters” on which she hand painted text from the actual letters of her grandparents. . The above cake may represent the ultimate in what can be created using the printer, but I'm sure you will want to lead up to this as you gain experience. ----------------------- There is a process that takes you from the initial idea to the final product. Make three or four pencil sketches of the idea, then incorporates color and makes any adjustments as the idea begins to manifest. . Right now the style is to put snapshots on cakes, even for weddings. Don't worry about collecting tons of pictures. People almost always want family or friend's snapshots used. The most requested size for cakes is 7 x 10" frosting sheet for printing on. We also do carry circles that look splendid on cookies or chocolates. Chocolate- we carry a plain flat mold that is great to use. You will find more hints by browsing our pictures pages. . This can get very creative. Add borders or other "props". The busiest time will be graduation. A good promotional is to let ball teams or Realtors know you do this. Kids love to see themselves on the cake and Realtors are always looking for "thank you" gifts when selling a house. . You must have a dedicated printer. We carry print cartridges filled with food coloring. Just think of this as any printer which prints pictures on paper. But this one prints on sheets of frosting. You should make sure to get a printer that these cartridges fit in. Printer models change often, so we keep a list of the latest ones you can use for this. Also, you need software to alter and help with printing, especially for the small circles etc. The best and most economical is the Photo Express software. . For generic pictures, you can use your computer to find pictures. You can use Photo Express to change picture size, or even change and delete parts of the picture itself. |
I also have a graphics conversion program software called HiJaak, which allows me to change the size of a picture and print it. I can also use HiJaak to convert a picture from one file format to another, aka: .pcx to gif, jpg, etc. .  You
can create your own pictures, use photos customers loan you or buy pre-made
ones.
WARNING: Never ever make or print any copyrighted character. It is against the law and "checkers" are always scouting around for people who infringe upon their rights. . NOTE: Don't be confused with material to print on. Frosting Sheets are used for pictures that will lay on an iced cake. WAFER PAPER YOU CAN PRINT ON:
Wafer Paper IS great for making edible
butterflies (Instructions),
turkey feathers, leaves etc. You will find links to these on our website
with instructions.
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 MONEY-MAKING
OPPORTUNITIES
There are so many services you can
offer!
Earlene says: This cake is delivered along with the wedding cake. The Honeymoon cake is delivered in an 8" box ready to go. It is a 1-layer 6 inch heart shaped cake decorated in the same style and flavor as the large wedding cake and taken with them when they leave the reception. The honeymoon cake is a nice "Thank You" at no charge. Besides the bride and groom usually only get one bite of cake the whole evening. They should at least have enough to know what they paid for. Plus, it gives them more than a bite of the wedding cake too. |
OTHER
$ IDEAS
TIP: If you make a list of services you offer and what you charge for each one, you might offer several "packages" including the favorite things you like to provide. Some examples below: DIPPED STRAWBERRIES
Dip the left and the right halves angled in dark chocolate. Pipe with a small cut tip the bow tie, buttons and lapel. Now you have a cute little strawberry dressed in a tuxedo. They are beautiful! These would be nice for a special man for Valentine's day!! TIP: Tip "front" of strawberry in white chocolate, let set, then dip sides at an angle into dark chocolate, let set. Add tiny bow tie and buttons with dark chocolate. HOW DID THEY DO IT?
1. One couple who BOTH took my classes
together take this very seriously. He goes around where he works taking
orders from his co-workers. He does most of the shopping too. For Mother’s
Day last year he took orders for 50 ‘Box-of-roses- cakes. At $20.00 each,
that was $1,000.00. They also do candy and this supplements off-seasons.
Their goal was for the wife to have the opportunity to stay home with the
baby.
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1. She has a banquet table and
offers to let the bride rent it along with the table coverings.
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2. She offers chocolate or butter
mints, made in the bride's wedding colors.
.
NOTE: We offer butter mints made
in the yellow mint molds for $15.00 per tray. These are placed on a 12"
tray and 100 to 110 fit on the tray. It takes about one hour to make one
tray. Green mint leaves are usually placed at the outer edge regardless
of the other flower, heart and color of the rest. See page 56 "EASY MINTS"
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3. She will also order florist
flowers and arrange these, both for the cake and otherwise- for a fee.
.
NOTE: If I arrange the florist's
flowers (not purchased through me), I charge a fee for my services. This
can take 1-2 hours and more. You should be paid. Florists love to 'dump'
this job on others so they won't have to do it.
.
4. She will even decorate the
Hall for a fee. She gathers information from the bride as to her preferences,
purchases the material and decorates.
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MORE? Perhaps you can think of even
more services you can offer. This depends on how much time you have. Obviously
decorating the hall, arranging flowers and decorating the cake will take
2-4 hours. Plans must be well coordinated ahead of time. And you may find
yourself refusing another cake because you have 3-4 hours work to do with
the first order. If you have helpers it isn't so bad. Before you ask, we
don't offer most of these services because we don't have the time. We may
make and deliver 6-8 wedding cakes in one day.
We agreed that a few of us would each choose a night we wanted to work. Usually there were around 3 or 4 of us. We made the candies in our meeting place, my cake decorating supply shop - Sugarcraft. That part was a lot of fun, getting together.
One problem: We found out we were warming up the refrigerater freezer so bad that our chocolates wouldn't set up. People were standing and holding the freezer door open too long. For our filled chocolates using candy molds, I developed the "dump" method of coating the shell, letting it set at room temp., then add the filling, top with chocolate and only then did we chill the finished piece. See method next.
EXPLAINING DUMP METHOD: Melt chocolate in double boiler. Fill a large squeeze bottle with melted chocolate, Squeeze chocolate into mold cavities to about half full. Roll it around to coat the entire cavity, invert over wax paper propping with small coated paper cups. Let set to 'rubbery' - scrape drippings off using an angled metal spatual. Then add the filling and top with melted chocolate working in a spiral from outer edge to center: CHILL. This is an especially good method for chocolate covered cherries so you don't have leakers. I could handle 5 molds at once and turn out about 250 cherries per hour.
So we made all this candy: Reece cups, chocolate covered cherries, easy crispy rice bark, peppermint bark etc....do favorite candies you know will sell. We also made chocolate bunnies, small ones sell faster, ducks with a hat etc. We made a few suckers, but found that filled candie sold better. They really just loved having candy for dessert after lunch. We'd box it up and sent it to work with friends or family, or some of us who worked away from home. The box would empty every day!
We took some orders since it was near Easter. And filled those by request.
HOW WE KEPT TRACK OF MONEY: We first
agreed between ourselves, which candy would be offerred. Then made a form
(like the Girl Scout cookies form). We could let them fill in easily and
fast each time someone removed candy from the box. They were on their honor
but that did not present any problem at all. We had a manilla envelope
in the box with the form so they could deposit their money when they bought
candy pieces. We DID sell filled chocolates by the piece. We made several
thousand dollars within 2 week's time. Our treasurer was responsible for
keeping the money straight. The money was distributed evenly between those
members who worked and made the candies.
 Box,
mold & sticks available at Sugarcraft, see "Candy"
CANDIES SUPPLEMENT INCOME IN SLOW CAKE MONTHS * Easy candies, such as peanut
butter cups, a rose in bride’s colors, chocolate covered cherries, lollipops,
etc., can be made with compound coating chocolate.
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I hope I’ve cleared up some of
the questions. BEFORE you start, be experienced, educated and informed.
Know your city, county, state and government laws concerning food, taxes
and liabilities. Do your paper work and pay your taxes regularly.
BECOME LEGAL?
Legalities vary from one city or
county to another, as well as from one state to another. There are usually
three offices if you are in a city which you must check with. The Health
Department, Building & Zoning and The Department of Agriculture. If
you live in a rural area, contact the County Health Department and
The Department of Agriculture, for a list of restrictions etc.
Fines generated when you do not comply
with local restrictions are sometimes compiled daily. It is up to you to
be informed before you invest in the capitol for operating a business.
Authorities can and will shut down an illegally set up business.
SALES TAX…WHEN IT’S BEST TO PAY RETAIL
When you just want one instructions
book or tools to use, you will be better off to go ahead and buy
the book or tools retail and pay sales tax at the time of purchase. Excess
merchandise lying around is "dead weight" and so actually costs
you more in the long run because it ties up your money.
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You are required to pay sales tax
on all items you use such as paper products, pencils, etc. If you don’t
pay the tax, and you or the company you bought from get audited you will
be assessed the total tax you did not pay, plus penalties.
.
Above are only guidelines. It is
up to you to search out all legal requirements. Only you are answerable
for any questions and fines. All this said and done, many people bake cakes
for family and friends from their home without complying with any of these
restrictions and never have a problem.
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Another consideration—your neighbors—may
not enjoy the extra traffic your business may cause and report you. So,
consider their feelings. Some home bakers prefer to deliver all their goodies.
PROMOTE IT
.
In most instances, several business
cards can be left beside a wedding cake when you set it up, promoting your
business. I would get the bride’s permission first. Just leave a few and
they are sure to be gone before the reception actually begins. The hardest
part of all is trying to explain that your cakes really ARE special
and different. Most people don’t know the difference between Professional
decorators and bakeries.
HEALTH LICENSE: I have a licensed
second kitchen in my home. I sort of got forced into it. I had previously
owned a shop in town and knew everything that was a must to have a legal
kitchen. One of the bakeries turned me in to the zoning dept. and they
made me go legal. Guess the bakeries didn't like the competition!
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Q. How did you go about licensing
your kitchen? What are some of the criteria for licensing?
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A. A triple sink, covers on all
lights, washable surfaces, covered storage units for ingredients, separate
hand sink, and a grease trap.
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Q. Who would you contact in your
local area to find out about licensing requirements?
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A. HEALTH DEPT. Check county Department
of Agriculture. If you live within city limits, then you must also comply
with the city health department and carry licenses to both.
MY SITUATION
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I live in a nice country area. Close
to town. I baked from my home for 15 years with no problem. I even advertised
in the local paper. Word-of-mouth is better. I had no sign. (But
most states allow you a 12x12" sign at home. My hours were always 4-6 PM
while I was getting dinner- for people to pick up cakes.
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This all changes with your area.
If you live "way out" the laws won't be so strict. In most areas you can't
legally work in your home, from your kitchen --- Rules mmmmmown
--- set up by the health dept. County health dept. if you don't live
in town. Then, there is Building & Zoning.
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There are ordinances which restrict
businesses from opening in residential areas. They can shut you down if
they want. You wouldn't want a bar next to your country home etc.
These laws were made to protect YOU too. People understandably don't
want lots of strange cars & people in there neighborhood.
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Neither department is likely to
bother you unless some nasty neighbor complains. Then, I've seen people
just continue anyway- only more quietly and deliver all their cakes…BIG
hassle!
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We also have our icing made for
us in 28 pound buckets. This saves us lots of time!
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Q. Do you work out of your home
or a shop?
A. I started out working from home.
I have a retail supply shop now (http://www.sugarcraft.com), no bakery
anymore. When we did have a bakery, we did cakes similar to the ones you
produce at home. We used Duncan Hines cake mix for smaller cakes and 50
lb bags for white wedding cakes. We doctored up a lot of mixes and offered
fruit fillings.
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THAWING FOOD
To thaw in the refrigerator, place
raw meat, poultry or seafood on a plate or tray on the bottom shelf so
any spilled juices will not contaminate other food. Cover the food loosely
to allow air to circulate.
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It takes 12 to 14 hours to thaw
steak and chops; 4 to 7 hours a pound for roasts, 24 hours for a 1 pound
package of ground meat; 3 to 9 hours for chicken pieces or 24 hours for
a whole 4-pound chicken; 24 hours for every 5 pounds of turkey; 24 hours
for a pound of seafood.
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If you want to defrost food in the
microwave, plan to cook it at the same time. Defrosting in the microwave
raises the internal temperature of meat, which allows bacteria to grow.
Never refreeze food.
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Taking all proper food handling
into consideration, there are other elements such as food allergies that
should also be considered.
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Some foods present much more risk
than others. Some foods that are risky: peanuts, or other nuts as well,
coconut, milk, eggs, etc. When catering a large party, foods may contain
ingredients that cause terrible reaction when the guests aren’t aware of
all the food contents.
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It is best to avoid potential reactionary
ingredients whenever possible. This does include those used in cakes as
well as for catering other foods as well.
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Allergic reaction can be deadly.
As with peanuts; the throat swells and prevents air from entering the wind
pipe.
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DANGEROUS FOODS:
My opinion only;
It is a lot less dangerous as far as liabilities go, to make cakes in your
home than it would be if you were to cater food. I wouldn’t cater meals
AT ALL unless I first obtained a complete and total education in food handling!
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With baking cakes, essentially there
is nothing in icing or cakes to cause a person to become ill. (Of course
many people have allergies to chocolate, etc., but they know this and wouldn’t
order it). If they did, then they would be at fault, I would think.
But look out for foods that can cause food poisoning or allergies.
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NUTS, COCONUT: These are an example
of foods that can cause an allergic reaction. My rule is that I never
use either without my asking or by request.
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Some decorators use coconut sprinkled
underneath separator plates for wedding cakes, so the plate won’t stick
to the icing when disassembled. NEVER do this unless it is agreed to by
your customer. Besides, a circle of plastic wrap (Saran, etc) does
the same thing!
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People with severe allergy to these
foods can have terrible reactions. Their throat can swell shut cutting
off their oxygen to breathe. Hospitalization is a must in many cases.
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PUDDING, CREAM CHEESE, etc.: These
are foods which, if miss-handled in any way, CAN and DO cause food poisoning.
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IMPORTANT: Adding pie filling, toppings,
etc., can lead to trouble. The bacteria that forms does not smell or taste.
It is very silent. Symptoms may not begin for 24 hours and more. Most people
who are poisoned with these foods develop vomiting and have sharp stomach
pains, that last 3-4 days. These pains come and go like labor pains. Chances
are, with food poisoning of this type, the person will think they have
a "24 hour virus." They probably won’t associate it with your food
--- served 2 days before. Never take chances. It could be deadly for the
elderly or for a woman who is pregnant.
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Cream cheese (Icing, cheesecake,
etc) should be kept refrigerated to within one hour of serving. I take
no chances.
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Neither do I offer cream cheese
icings. I would rather be safe and lose a few dollars, than make someone
ill.
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None of the commercial cake fillings
we use in our bakery contain any ingredient that can cause this bacteria
to begin forming.
HOW TO GET THE JOB
You should have accumulated several
photos of your cakes before you try for a job in cake decorating. Place
these categorically in an album. Wherever you apply, take the album along.
This will be proof of your ability as a decorator. Also be prepared to
take a quick test and decorate a cake if asked. For ideas on where to apply,
check your local phone book Yellow Pages. It will be best if you apply
in person.
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Also consider whether a bakery who
hires you intends only to use your services as a cake decorator, or if
you would be expected to work in other areas during slow times. If you
need a full work week, this is an important consideration.
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Don’t expect to start out on a high
pay scale. Once you establish yourself as a good worker and a good cake
decorator most bakeries, especially smaller ones, will appreciate you and
give you a raise.
TAKING THE ORDER
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APPOINTMENT: Make an appointment
with the bride, convenient to you and her. While setting up the appointment
be sure to caution the bride on any requirements you have right then. I
always let them know I require a down payment amount, to hold the
order. I will also need to know the bride’s wedding colors, type of flowers
used, exact directions for delivery, etc. About one hour has always been
a sufficient appointment time.
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I always keep a few wedding cake
tops on hand that I got on sale. Another way to make some money. Or make
ornaments yourself from purchased materials.
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You should provide photos, either
ones you’ve taken or from wedding cake books. I would advise an inexperienced
decorator to start off with only simple-easy designs. You might suggest
a small two or three tier wedding cake with sheet cakes to supplement servings
needed. Be truthful about your limitations and you will be pleased with
your work. You and the bride will be disappointed if you try to charge
for something you have never done. For unusual requests, like special cake
or icing recipes, I make a "trial run" cake before I do the actual one
I’m charging them for. SOME recipes may NOT work!
| WHAT SELLS
WELL?
. The number one all-around request now is going to be pictures of friends or family on cakes. Thats easy...just print on frosting sheet (as above) and lay on cake, add borders, thats easy! . For children, nothing pleases small children any better than "toys" on their cakes. Then the fantasy cakes are in great demand. We have to keep so much stock for Princess or Spiderman etc. . For weddings, it is the "unusal" that appeals. They'll do anything to be different now it seems. One thing, if you can convince your customers to use icing flowers rather than real once, it will by far, bring more buisiness back to you. When guests see wedding cakes with real flowers, thats ALL they see. But when they see flowers YOU made (or icing flowers you purchased), they will want to look YOU up. Gumpaste flowers are "in" but very time consuming unless you love the challenge. Even then, many 'pros' are buying premade. They actually enhance the overall look of the cake so much more than real flowers do. Somehow they aren't so garrish looking. . Cupcakes, WOW! Talk about "IN" they definately are. Cupcake cakes are fast and easy. Even for children, ice them together, add the "toys" and done. No sides to ice. I believe people like this style because there is less mess for serving. . |
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How much to charge for cakes depends
on where you live and your level of expertise. You may be much more relaxed
if you are sure you aren’t charging "top dollar" at first. You may get
a few more orders because you are cheaper and that also helps at first.
..
Once you gain experience, raise
your prices accordingly.
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Q. Does that include deposit for
separator plates, columns, etc.?
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A. The DEPOSIT is a separate fee
I collect deposits to insure the safe return of my setup materials. I return
this deposit if all materials are brought back washed, unbroken and no
parts missing. When parts are missing, I deduct only the cost of that one
part. I have the prices written down so I know what price I need to charge
once I make the cake the first time.
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Just about everyone basically charges
by
the serving. For wedding cakes, generally a good rule is at least $1
per slice (in most areas). For all-occasion cakes, charge, basically about
3 times what the average cost was to make the cake. Some cakes take much
more time to decorate than others. This should be taken into consideration
when determining the per-serving cost. You will need to determine the cost
per serving according to what others in your area are charging. When you
are just starting, price low enough to build your reputation but do NOT
undercut
the bakeries. You take more time & deserve more money. Then, if you
become a really good artist and add more special techniques and details,
raise your prices accordingly. Raise your prices yearly, according to the
market. Unfortunately your cost for supplies and ingredients are higher
than the costs of a big manufacturer but your overhead is lower.
.
One thing I noticed in southern
Ohio is that at the local establishments the choice of decoration is very
limited. My decorating is custom done to my clients requests and I remind
prospective clients of this when they are pricing cakes. My focus is on
specialty decorating, not mass production, and this idea has not hurt business
at all. The clients that I get are those willing to pay for the custom
work done for them. I have noticed that in my area people want to go back
to this form of business rather than the mass produced cardboard tasting
cake. People have a quality perception. If they pay more they THINK they
got more. Not only that, it will be hard to get the price it's worth if
you start out too low initially. Tell them if they want a "cheap" cake
to go to the bakeries or supermarkets. If they want quality it will cost
a little more. They know what I do and expect to pay a bigger price. My
cakes are much more detailed.
.
In some areas you must charge more
because overhead is higher. In highly metropolitan areas, people must charge
more to meet their costs. Clearly, prices can vary drastically according
to where you live. I live above Cincinnati in Hamilton, Ohio. If you live
in an area like NYC, you can charge considerably more than in Cincinnati
Ohio. You might want to ask around or call local bakeries and see what
they charge. Once you are established it will be much easier to become
independent in pricing your cakes. As my business expanded I raised my
prices over the course of a few years. If you've put your best effort forward,
word of mouth will be your best advertisement. Don't start off too high.
Build on reputation, then raise prices. You have to really figure your
market. Are you low quality-high volume or high quality-market?? How much
time do you put into them? What do your ingredients cost? What is the going
price for cakes in your area? Consider all of those things and then come
up with what you consider a fair price. I charge based on the size of cake
and the complexity of the design. When you figure your market, buy the
best ingredients that your market can afford.
.
I HAVE BASICALLY THREE LEVELS OF
PRICING. We charge more if we pipe, or hand draw on cakes. We charge
$22.00 for a 2-mix sheet cake. For wedding cakes, I like offering lower
prices to the budget-minded bride and I like doing the "fast" cakes.
Our shop charge more than anyone else locally. Our wedding cake prices
range from $.95 to $1.50 per slice for regular cakes and $2.00-2.50 per
slice, for rolled fondant cakes..
| PRICING ISSUES, as
seen through the eye of a baker
. SHANNAN TUCKER . Buddy Valastro, Jr. of Carlo’s Bakery in Hoboken, NJ, and Mary Strossner of Strossner’s Bakery in Greenville, SC, shared the latest wedding cake trends at September’s American Bakery Expo in Atlantic City, NJ. During the end of their session, the hosts answered questions from a crowd of weddingcake bakers. . Valastro says that most wedding cake trends come from brides asking for cakes they have seen in magazines. He warns that you have to steer brides toward a more realistic incarnation of their favorite cake if the design will be unstable or cannot be recreated. “Sometimes magazines don’t become reality,” he says. Other trends Valastro has observed include: • Writing on cakes . • Color is big; recently black is a popular accent color . • For brides that aren’t too traditional, chocolate cakes are popular in autumn . • Seashells are popular accents for beach weddings . • Painted cakes, such as mosaic cakes . • Requests for “designer label” images . • Ropes to represent the couple “tying the knot” . • Apple blossom accents in autumn . • Marzipan fruit accents in autumn |
Mary Strossner
says that to be a good decorator you need to be two things—resourceful
and accommodating. Resourceful decorators learn new techniques; accommodating
decorators know that if brides don’t get their way, they’ll go to another
baker. Strossner noticed a change in wedding cake trends thanks to the
Food Network. “We used to show the bride a book of our creations,” she
says, “now the bride brings in her own creation.”
. Below are some questions that were asked by audience members and answered by Valastro and Strossner. . Q: What do you do when clients want to change their design two weeks from their wedding day? A: Valastro offers one complimentary consultation to wedding clients. Another wedding designer said she charges for a second consultation because your time is worth compensation. . Q: Would you allow a bride to serve grocery store cake with your bakery cake? A: No, say decorators and bakers. Do you want the guests to think you made the grocery store cake? You cannot control the quality, taste or the cleanliness of the baking environment if you allow outside cakes to be served. . Q: Should we charge for cake samples? A: You can. At the very least, says Valastro, a cake sampling fee can help a bakery recoup food costs. . Q: Should we charge clients to color fondant or add a fondant bow? A: The bakers say that you can set a price—$25 is fair—per fondant bow. And you shouldn’t feel bad about charging up to 25 percent extra for a more labor-intense design. Satin Ice colored fondant can be used to create a consistent color base and take some labor out of coloring fondant. |
| DESIGN
OF THE TIMES
. Cake Insurance SHANNAN TUCKER . Producing a wedding cake without a contract is like driving a car without insurance. This was the message at the “Wedding Cake Contracts—Protect Your Business” session at the 2008 American Bakery Expo, held Sep. 21-23 in Atlantic City, NJ. . Creating a wedding cake contract will protect your business from litigation. According to ABE presenters Beth Fahey, co-owner of Creative Cakes in Tinley Park, IL, and Paul Edwards of Chef Rubber, the unfortunate side effect of our litigious culture is the need to protect your business through the use of a legally binding contract. Creative Cakes has 14 fulltime employees and creates around 450 wedding cakes a year. Edwards has worked in the hotel industry and is an instructor at the Culinary Institute of America. Both have run into instances where wedding cake contracts were a neces sity, and they strongly advocate for contracts. But creating a contract needn’t be tedious. . A wedding cake contract, they say, can be completed as a do-ityourself job from the comfort of your home or office—though legal consultation is recommended. . According to Fahey’s presentation, wedding cake contracts are needed for the following reasons: . • An order form, included in the contract, will explain how the cake will be designed, structured and priced. . • Weddings are emotional, but you are a professional running a business. Don’t let the whims of an emotional bride run your business. There must be guidelines. . • A contract outlines your liability. . Contracts, says Fahey, are three-page documents that explain your bakery’s policies in great detail. The contract can be given as a handout at the completion of booking. One copy should be given to the client; one should be retained for the bakery. . When building a contract, the first two pages should be an order form. The order form should include information that keeps the designers and clients well-informed and organized. Fahey says the following items should be included on any order form: . • Contact information for the couple and reception venue . • Detailed description of the cake • Rentals, such as pedestals • Extra servings • Payment forms • Cancellation information • Signatures . Constructing a Cake Contract . INFORMATION FROM THE CLIENT . Place your company’s name and contact information at the top of the page. Next, name the document (as simple as “Wedding Cake Contract”). . The rest of this page includes a section to be filled out by the bride or groom. Fahey collects the following information from each client: . • Wedding day and date . • Name, home address, e-mail address and several phone numbers for the couple . • Name, address and phone number of venue • Estimated number of guests • Guest arrival time • Set-up time . • The room where the cake will be placed . • Other pertinent vendor information • Photographer name • Florist name |
INFORMATION FROM
THE DECORATOR
. This may be easier to design as a horizontal page. The information on this page is gathered by the bakery’s order taker. In the left-hand corner of the page, place the following prompts: . • Name of design • Special notes for decorators • Toppers • Flowers . • Advance work to be done (gum paste flowers, accessories) • Board size • Color • Pillars • Swatches . • If the client is serving or “wrapping” the cake • Illustrations, tier information • Orientation of the cake . • Number of guests the cake will serve • Extra servings • Rentals • Icing • Filling Fahey suggests leaving a blank for the client to leave “approval initials” by each element of the design. This will protect your business from fickle clients who think they ordered chocolate fudge cake when they actually chose lemon. She also suggests naming your designs after female names, as this will help your order takers and brides to recall the design more clearly. People will remember the “Bree” cake better than the “112” cake. Some clients bring in swatches of color or ribbon, and this can be stapled to the bakery’s copy of the contract for color matching purposes. . Fahey also suggests leaving a large blank space on the page for the decorator or bride to draw a “blueprint” of the cake. A drawing will help the client’s vision come to life. Fahey collects the name, phone number and credit card number of someone who can return the rentals by a predetermined due date, should the bride become unreachable (due to a honeymoon, usually). . She also allows clients to purchase extra servings of cake in the form of smooth iced cakes that have a prorated price to reflect less decorating time. . PRICING AND LIABILITY . Fahey saves the money and lawyer talk for last. Under pricing, Creative Cakes gives the client the following cost information: . • Amount of cake multiplied by price per serving • Filling upcharges • Floral addition charges • Accessory charges . • Rental fee (for pedestals, etc.) • Delivery fee • Subtotal • Grand total . • Non-refundable deposit amount • Final balance due date . • Final balance due date for payment of extra servings . Creative Cakes sets a final balance due date of one month before the wedding for two reasons: It takes three weeks to see if a check will bounce, and it gives the family enough time to let any payment issues work themselves out. Fahey treats extra servings of cake as a separate transaction, so customers know they are two different cake purchases. . The next addition to page three is the “fine print.” Fahey says the most important piece of legalese is the cancellation policy. Creative Cakes includes the following information in their fine print: • Cancellation policy . • Notification of re-consultation fee if clients changes their minds about the style of the cake . • Inedible products disclaimer • Food spoilage disclaimer • Food allergen disclaimer • Outdoor display disclaimer . • Notification that the designer has structural and design discretion . • Statement that bakery liability ends at finished set-up . • Statement that liability is limited to the value of the cake . • Right to cancel if the cake is not paid in full . • Acknowledgement (an “I understand the previous statements” line, to be noted by the client) Signature . Fahey and Edwards recommend investing in a lawyer who can formulate the fine print of the contract. A lawyer will make sure that your bakery is protected from many preventable litigation circumstances. A lawyer can also help you attain the right to arbitrate outside of a courtroom. Fahey says to come up with a good lawyer joke to break the ice when introducing the legal portion of the contract. . Edwards also recommends the creation of a separate limited liability corporation for the delivery of your cakes. This can protect you from being sued if your cake is ruined in an accident. “Count on being sued, and protect yourself,” he says. |
TUXEDO
STRAWBERRIES
