wnaplay1647545503

Rates are increasing as word of mouth mutually increases. Unfortunately we couldnt start out charging the same as more well known more established shops. At the risk of alienating our core business which have been customers some for over a decade finding the "sweet spot" people are willing to pay is often challenging. Certainly our prices are lower right now than other similar shops and I feel it necessary as the business starts out but they cant and wont remain low forever. Thats not to say they are crazy low with the exception of the wedding cakes. Our wedding cake prices are from what I have been able to gather, very aggressive. Each week the word gets out there more and more and connections are made. As others have said sustaining itself in its infancy is not the norm for most business' so from that standpoint I couldnt be happier. The unfortunate part is the amount of time we can allot to see how well its capable of doing.

The way the shop goes there really isnt alot to do until its time to decorate. Closed sunday and monday. Tuesday mornings are for making the cupcakes for that day and wednesday then just waiting for the daily cupckake sells and trying to drum up business. Wednesday starts the baking which isnt more than mixing and waiting, cupcake sells and trying to drum up business. Thursday morning is more cupcakes which her friend does while she starts decorating and her friend works the counter, helps with cakes she can do. Friday is decorating and her friend and sister comes in as needed. Then saturdays are typically pick ups and whatever cupcake sells come in. The only way I could do anything is when I come in and clean and organize maybe some dishes but our son typically takes care of that stuff. The only difficult part of the actual bakery part is decorating. I could go there and learn but the second its assumed I am working there I get a nice little visit threatening 30 years in prison blah blah blah.

It takes a patience and level of creativity that even after 10+ years of me attempting I still cant figure out. My brain works in a totally different way that what that takes, lol. I will never take a loan. Only loan I have ever had was for my home everything else has been strictly cash. Not having any loans was the only reason we made it this far. What weight does an associates degree carry in todays market. I have heard its completely flooded right now with not only educated but experienced candidates.

My wife will gladly walk away from the shop if it comes down to it and I am sure she would feel bad about it. Me on the other hand, I promised her dad I would take care of her and try to give her everything she ever wants. That hasnt changed just because I was in an accident. I worked all those years so she could spend every available second with the kids and live enough of a stress free life to take care of what I needed. I gave up almost every dream, vehicle wish and everything I wanted for myself just to make her happy. My wife and I are completely opposites. Shes carefree and everything I ever wanted to be but always realized I couldnt. All this stress has changed that and I absolutely hate it. We are a team without a doubt and she will do whatever I ask but this is my cross to bear and until I am completely out of ideas or getting advice from you guys I will try to play this hand the best I can and maintain the steady course of trying to make it through this life clear to the end. Even if right now I dont know what those ideas are just yet.

Just because you did it steve I dont know if I am that brave.

Had one, loved every bit of it. GLWS

Thanks Rocky/Steve your sentiments have been made by every customer I have met or heard from. Now this opens another option. To give the shop a fighting chance we could either walk away from this home or attempt at selling it before the money just simply runs out. We then could either rent a cheaper home as zero verifiable income for 4 years doesnt give the bank assurance to give me another home loan even if I do sell this one. Or (my head already hurts considering this) moving the entire family in with the parents until something pans out. I would only consider this if our open enrollment school program allows them to still stay in our cities schools(I was moved in school, swore I would never do it to my kids).

Higher prices are on the horizon as they have been since opening. Wedding cakes certainly demand the highest prices and consume the most time. Its hard to penetrate the catering business as they have used the same people forever. In all the months she has been open only 2 people have requested a generic cake. Everyone else wants the specialty cake they seen on tv. She started with the generic cake but just ended up throwing them away after they sat unpurchased. With higher prices its hard to convince most people that a birthday cake should cost $100+, not when a walmart cake is $20. These custom cakes are a luxury to most and as stated the business sustaining itself from the get go was a blessing and shows there is potential. Shes in the awkward stage right now on the verge of growing but not quite sure when or how big. You turn down a cake or 2, any business will tell you turning down business sucks but paying an employee to either be on call or to stand around right now would suck even more I think.

I was only willing to sign a one year lease on the shop which is from I am told unheard of in commercial real estate. I believe there are 4 more months on it that she will try to make a go of despite going into the slow season. You never know things could turn around any time. If at that time it doesnt seem like a viable option to remain open I own all my equipment and bought everything way under market value. I can probably get my money back in all the equipment and just be out the changeover which I did all myself and other than plumber/electrician didnt cost me that much.

That sucks. We spent nearly $60k in home depot gift cards 2 years ago. The gas perk was awesome.

I also know a guy that has done right by me at the shop, my sister at her place and will hopefully do the same here at my place soon. I will look for his number in a few and post back.

I actually spent a semester at columbus state as part of my rehab. I took 3 classes, got all A's, raves from my professors, deans list the whole nine yards. I actually had 2 professors pull me aside and state that the felt CS wasnt where I should be if I really wanted an education. I was pulled from the program after that semester to undergo my second round of surgeries as they were attempting to make it easier for me to become more mobile. I hated every bit of going back to school and dreaded it everyday. It reminded me of working with other people which in all my years I have never done and basically worked alone everyday and feel this is part of the reasoning for my social awkwardness to this day. I would prefer to do a tradeschool type thing but as with everything it has to be approved and when asked I am told BWC feels a trade is not a viable job consideration given my condition. Oh yeah I get told what I can and cannot do. They are only willing to pay for an associates degree. From the feelers I have put out and the fact there are thousands of others with an associates degree out of work right now I dont know how much weight one carries in todays job market.

I agree, I would be very hardpressed in a good economy to make that kind of income and even that was only after years of proving I was worth it. Add in the fact I have serious limitations now and I would think $2500 might be a stretch. I payed my premiums I hate knowing I have to fix this out of my own pocket.

Any income I make comes right off the top of my compensated wage. Unless I make $ over this wage I might as well not even waste the gas money, physical strains or dare I say time to do so. I feel I am getting a raw deal. Imagine paying your insurance premium on your car. On the way to work someone nails you. Your insurance company now says were going to give you 1/3 of its fair market value and of what you had it insured for. Now repeat this 2 times a month for 4 years and know you cant do anything about it or switch insurance companies. We have tried doing the culinary student thing. Unfortunately nothing shy of an experienced cake decorator will work. Every aspect of the business seems covered its the one thing the shop needs, well that and the steady work load to justify considering them an employee. She has tried 4-5 decorators who have done it for years but their skills just arent there and even then none liked to be on call as orders come in, understandably. People wait until the last second to order and usually any orders after weds/thurs are hard to fit in and if you say you can do them you scramble to find someone at the last second to come in and do them. Unfortunately everyone is custom made to order in 2 days as most orders are for friday or saturday and you cant even start them until ednesday at the earliest. Add in the mix of the cupcakes offered daily(which arent that time consuming necessarily) and your time goes away fast. My wife averages 20 cakes alone between thursday and sat morning. Its hard to get someone who can do 3 cakes in that time frame and if they take that long their wage just ate up all the profit, no pun intended.

My wife could get a job at another cake shop but would rather just give it up rather than move onto someone elses dream, which I can appreciate as I tried painting for someone else one time, it s a difficult thing to do. A lifestyle change may be in order but then I have to come to terms with knowing I did nothing wrong other than show up for work, I payed my dues, I followed the rules, I did everything right and despite often losing my ability to have a normal life I have to lose the home I gave up so much for and uproot my wife and kids. I always promised my wife I would buy her this home and now to tell her I have to take it away. In the grand scheme of things these decisions all sound easy and commonsense but I guarantee you all they are not. Every move feels like a mistake.

Tim, I use pain meds depending on how physical I get. My daily life is often determined by what I have done the day before or sometimes even an hr before. The latest suggestion is amputating my leg which I always knew was an inevitable but find hard to consider. The shop sustains itself meaning we dont pay out of pocket for anything but still no income. Scott she is at about 95%(some weeks it seems like 115%) maximum and that varies by week including putting in hrs and hrs all for free thus far. There is a friend of hers that comes in on busy weeks but since the busy weeks offset the slow weeks still there isnt much by way to pay an employee on a weekly basis. We so far advertise on craigslist and facebook and unfortunately finding a skilled cake decorator(the only help she can use) isnt easy when you need them to be on call. Not having this person sometimes means turning down cakes because there isnt staff to do them because theres either no money or business to warrant them. I could advertise all day long and drive business in but the catch 22 of not enough staff only when needed. Theres alot of cake decorators out there who started out just as she did but unfortunately their families have them believing they are good at it but just arent for a commercial sale. I painted full time for years but it has its good weeks and bad and hard to count on. Its a bad market for the painting companies I know right now with the economy and people not seeing painting as a necessity as they once did. I was painting around the country to find work there at the end and my cousins company is still having to do this. I fear being labelled as saying "I cant because" but thats not the case. Circumstances are what they are for some things.

10 years at home and it was either try it and expand or give it up. She wouldnt be devastated if it shut down but who knows if it will come up years from now and I will be the cause. Closing would allow for her to get a job with income. You only have one chance to live a dream and were almost 1/2 way through this life. Steve I could go to work but need to take home roughly $5000 a month to get back where I was. Would you pay me that and give me the option of calling off as needed, come in whatever time I need, leave as needed, walk, sit, stand and whatever else including dealing with me on pain meds or mood swings as my pain increases? I dont see any employer accepting that. On on top of all this the fact that everything we own is getting old. Our cars are falling apart. My wife is beginning to have medical issues and we havent had any insurance in 4 years.

I know this is cr but hearing advice might help my decision making easier. I sincerely apologize for this rant. Most know my situation, hurt 4 years ago, havent worked since, permanent injury. Fortunate when hurt to have access to reasonable amount of funds, enough to float me for a good while. I am compensated around 1/3 of my original wage and am told theres no way to change it. Each month I subsidize my income with my own money and by buying, trading and selling stuff as a hustle. I kinda knew but its become more obvious that the inevitable end to this will be running out of money. I made a good living based on the fact I was willing to abuse my body, do whatever it took and was very loyal to my employer. I never had any education beyond high school but I have owned a small painting company for nearly 17 years. My wife has never really had to work the entire time we have been together. Heres the situation, I have a few more things I can sell and make money on but once those are sold and that money runs out I am tapped. I could try to go to work but the reality is I believe it would be hard for an employer to agree with me needing to arrive and leave as needed(including calling off as needed) and sitting/standing/walking as needed per my injury and everything else it comes with. Add to that even if I go to work and dont make as much I will only be compensated the difference up to what I am making now which unless I find a crazy paying job that earns more than I do now, is basically the same as not putting myself through the physical/mental strain of working not to mention gas and all other costs that just goes into it. Now to the cake shop. We started the cake shop as it was something my wife had worked at for years and I didnt want my injury to affect her dream. It didnt cost me a fortune to start and it sustains itself. However it has not translated into income which my wife could be bringing in each month if we shut it down and she found an actual job. It was a gamble which we knew and only gave it 1 year to produce or say goodbye to, I know thats not alot of time but it could have went either way and for it to sustain itself from day one is a miracle by itself for any new business. Now what to do. I owe nobody a dime except this house. Once the extra money dries up(the inevitable) the parties over. I could sell everything which would buy me some time but not more than a few months. I could shut the shop down then we will wonder the rest of our lives what could have been but the wifey could go to work and we could probably make it and my injury will forever be known as the reason her dream was crushed. There is no future plans for my income to increase anywhere in the near future and could be years if it ever does. I could walk away from this house, find a cheaper place and have a go of it but I think why should I have to do that, I did nothing wrong other than go to work one day the same as everyone. I am lost and just to see what other people think.

Is there any practical use for one of these?

650

I am able to but more than likely will wait until spring and try to sell it.

Couldnt be happier with the trade. The car was sitting here for 3 years and I never did a thing to it other than move it around and a 10min paint job. This bike was literally free and I have some other parts to still sell the guy didnt even want.

No.

Had a guy offer me all the money I had in my roadster plus this bike as trade. 2003 vstar 7k miles, near mint condition I would say. Came with 2 sets of pipes, cover and helmet(junk). http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d87/wnaplay/DSCF9303.jpg http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d87/wnaplay/DSCF9302.jpg

Greg I am sorry I do not have any info on either of those questions. I believe it was pulled from a mid 90s chevy truck but thats all I got.