The economy, (although we have been told that the recession has ended), doesn't seem to be getting better in our area, and I suspect it is the same in yours. If you're still waiting for that call from one of the dozens of applications you have put in, why not look into creating your own job? It can't hurt, and it may just end up launching you into an entirely new career and you can forget about working for someone else.
Below is a sample chapter from my 54-page e-book, Create Your Own Job! which comes on a CD for $5.95 plus $1 shipping and handling anywhere in the U.S. There are 15 other jobs you can create for yourself detailed on the CD plus 3 bonus chapters so there's something in it for everyone. Makes a great gift for an unemployed friend.
(Chapter 4 from Jeanne Gibson’s e-Book, Create Your Own Job!. Copyright Jeanne Gibson, 2009)
Decorate Cakes to Earn Money at Home
Photo by Jeanne GibsonMost of us have forked over anywhere from $15 to $25 dollars for a birthday cake decorated with the latest hero or teen idol in order to please one of our children on his or her “big” day. Why not learn to do it yourself to save money the next time around, and perhaps end up creating a profitable business you can run from home.
Children’s birthday cakes are getting more expensive every year. It isn’t the cake itself that costs so much; it’s the design made of yummy frosting on the outside that racks up dollars for the creator. And, if you have recently been involved in the ordering of a wedding cake, the prices there are really out of this world.
Why not learn to do your own cake decorating and cash in on this lucrative business? Remember, it isn’t the cake the buyer is paying the big bucks for; it’s the icing. Anyone can bake a cake if they carefully follow the directions provided in a recipe book. Learning how to make it look delectable on the outside takes a little more education and practice, but not necessarily a lot of money. Your family, if they are anything like mine, will be more than happy to line up as guinea pigs for you to practice on.
Here are some suggestions to get you started in this fun business, quickly and inexpensively.
1. Check out your local library
If your town has a good library, it will have all kinds of books on baking, including chapters on decorating your finished products. Look for a basic list of essential tools you will need and plan to add any that you do not already have to your kitchen utensil supply.
Things you might not have may include things like a revolving cake stand, a pastry decorating bag and a variety of baking pans, according to the type and size of cakes you decide to specialize in. A visit to a craft store such as Michael’s Crafts will give you a variety of such tools to choose from at very reasonable prices.
2. Build your own collection of basic cake recipes
You won’t need a box full of cake recipes. Just one good one each for chocolate, white, and maybe strawberry or yellow cake is enough to begin with. Of course you will try them on your willing family to make sure they actually taste as good as they smell, but just plain icing will do for these early experiments. To keep from overloading your meal planning with cake, cut some recipes in half and just bake a few cupcakes to use in lunches or for snacks. If you run out of volunteer cake testers, which is probably unlikely, you can always call on fellow church members, neighbors, or fellow workers to come to your aid.
3. Search online for sites offering free cake decorating instructions
Wilton.com is one of my favorites. Their site gives you basic cake recipes, and even tells you how to grease the pan, pour the batter, bake, cool, and unmold the cake, and finally, how to ice it.
Later, when you start doing cakes for customers, there will be requests for specific designs, but Wiltons can get you started with some of the many designs they offer. See their website at http://www.wilton.com/cakes/making-cakes/baking-cakes.cfm or type “free cake decorating” into a google search box, to find a wealth of other sites to choose from.
4. Learning how to design specialty cakes
Of course you will want to practice making a few specialty cakes before you start calling yourself a professional Cake Designer, but this isn’t as difficult as it sounds. If your son says he wants Sponge Bob on his 7th birthday cake, you can choose from a lot of Sponge Bob designs by clicking the 1st source listed below. These designs are very easy to make, due to Sponge Bob’s simple boxy shape so, if you are a beginner, they will be good ones to start on. If your little girl is intrigued with Hannah Montana’s guitar, a cute cake recipe and decorations for the guitar can be found at the 2nd source listed below.
Don’t be afraid to try new designs. Type “make a__________cake” into a google search engine (fill the blank with almost any design a child might want on a cake), and you should be able to find one or more offerings to pattern your cake after.
5. Wedding cakes are in a class of their own and take much more skill
You shouldn’t attempt a wedding cake until you have had a lot of practice. Kids are much more forgiving if their birthday cake isn’t perfect than a bride would be in the same situation. Kids will have lots more birthdays, but, hopefully, the bride will have only one wedding.
I ran across a wonderful video on u-tube, (see 3rd source below) that takes you through every step of creating a gorgeous wedding cake, from the mixing of the batter—including every ingredient, to baking the cake, to decorating the finished product. I was left with the feeling that I, along with anyone else who watched the video, could create a beautiful cake just like that. In fact, I was thinking that my own creation might be even more beautiful, as I would add a lot more flowers.
Actually, I do plan to give it a try, just for practice, even though I don’t know of any weddings coming up soon in my circle of friends. And, if one does happen to pop up unexpectedly, guess what…I will be prepared to offer my services. Besides, everyone knows that cakes freeze very well, and my family and I can be feasting on small pieces of wedding cake for months to come.
6. Let people know about your cake-decorating business
You don’t have to take out a front-page ad to let people know you are in the cake decorating business. My husband and I used to own a hardwood lumber business and, although we kept an ad in the yellow pages of the phone book, most of our business came from word-of-mouth advertising. One customer would tell another where he had purchased his wood, and soon we would have another customer, and another, and another.
If you have a birthday party for one of your children, be sure to let the other mothers who bring their children to the party that you are the one who created that gorgeous Hello Kitty birthday cake.
Put a colorful flyer on some of the free bulletin boards around town showing a picture of one of your best creations—with kids gathered around to blow out the candles, if possible. Be sure to mention on your flyer that you also do other special occasion cakes such as Easter, Thanksgiving, St. Patrick’s Day, etc.
When you are just getting started, offer your cakes at a price no one will be able to resist. Even if you barely break even at the beginning, think of it as an investment in your word-of-mouth advertising campaign. Satisfied customers will tell others.
7. If you are still hesitant, take a cake decorating class
After you view the video above, you may still feel a little uncomfortable about starting a cake decorating business. If so, consider signing up for a local cake decorating class. Sometimes the recreation department of a city will have one listed in their recreation guide, or you can check out the cooking classes at a local community college. There will be a fee to pay for this training, but the pleasure you receive from having the skill to offer beautifully designed cakes to your friends and acquaintances for their special occasions will make it well-worth the cost.
And, making some extra money at home during these difficult economic times won’t hurt, either.
1. http://www.coolest-birthday-cakes.com/spongebob-cake.html#Spongebob01
2. http://family.go.com/contests/cake-recipes/cakes/hannah-montana-guitar-cake-6695/
3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBZ1lMrP43g
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