If you’ve ever looked at your prices and thought, no one will pay that, you’re not alone. Many cake business owners set their prices based on fear rather than fact. You worry that charging more will drive customers away, that people will think you’re greedy, or that your cakes aren’t “worth” it yet. These are emotional hurdles, not business ones — and they can quietly sabotage your profits.
What Emotional Pricing Looks Like
Emotional pricing happens when feelings, not figures, set the price of your cakes. You might undercharge because you want to please people or because you don’t yet feel confident in your value. You might discount out of guilt or panic when someone hesitates at your quote. You might even match competitors’ prices without checking whether their costs, skill level, or customer base are anything like yours.
The problem is that emotion-driven pricing doesn’t protect your business. You can bake the most beautiful cakes in the world, but if your prices don’t reflect your time, skill, and costs, you’ll always struggle to earn a fair return. You’ll work harder and harder, but your income won’t match the effort.
How to Recognise Emotional Pricing in Your Business
Ask yourself:
- Do I reduce my prices when I feel uncomfortable quoting?
- Do I compare my prices to others more than my own costs?
- Do I feel guilty charging for my time or creativity?
- Do I panic when someone says my prices are too high?
If you’ve answered yes to any of these, emotion is running the show. And until you deal with it, no amount of spreadsheets or calculators will fix your pricing problem.
Why Clearing Emotional Hurdles Comes First
You can’t build confident pricing on shaky foundations. Before you can charge fairly, you have to believe that your work deserves fair pay. That means shifting your mindset from “I hope they’ll pay this” to “this is what it costs to do it properly”.
Confidence comes from understanding your numbers — but acceptance comes from doing the emotional work first. When you know why you feel awkward about charging, you can separate fact from feeling and start making decisions based on your business, not your insecurities.
Practical Cake Pricing Tips to Help You Move Forward
Once you’ve tackled the mindset piece, bring in the numbers.
- Know your costs. Work out exactly what it costs to make each cake — ingredients, packaging, and your time.
- Include overheads. Don’t forget electricity, marketing, equipment, and cleaning — they all count.
- Add profit intentionally. Profit isn’t greed; it’s what keeps your business alive.
- Review your prices regularly. Ingredient and energy costs change — make sure your prices do too.
- Communicate confidently. When you know your figures, you can state your prices without apology.
The Takeaway
You can have the best pricing formula in the world, but it won’t stick if emotion keeps getting in the way. Start by recognising where fear or guilt influences your decisions. Once you clear those emotional hurdles, the practical cake pricing tips become easy to apply — and your business finally starts to pay you what you’re worth.
If you’ve realised that emotions are shaping your prices more than your numbers, you’re not alone — and it can change. Once you understand what’s behind those doubts and learn how to price with purpose, everything about your business starts to feel steadier. My new book, Simplifying the Business of Pricing, is designed to help you do exactly that. Join the waitlist to get early access, bonuses and tools that’ll help you price your cakes properly and finally feel confident doing it.
