Cake Decorating Community - Cakes We Bake

I'm thinking of teaching in my home.. if you do classes at home, was there anything you did to prepare, protect and have to do ahead of time>?? Thanks..

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I wish you could teach on line
This will depend on how you going to set it up. It does have its advantages, but it also has its disadvantages. The best advice I can give is set your boundaries and be firm in your rules. Since you are doing it at home, students will feel they can just come to you (and home) when ever they have an issue. This is ok, but at times you may want privacy and you do have some students that are "needy".

If you are doing and all inclusive class, its best to have all the tools in one central spot. I did all inclusive classes. So they got a cake, frosting, tools and literature materials. I did a plastic shoe box to hold all their tools and then provided a storage bag to take it all home. This will minimize the walking away of your equipment. Frosting I did a demo on how to make it, and then I would have a large amount ready to use. I used pudding cups as a filler (cheap too). make sure your tools are accounted for. Its not that they are stealing it, but they tend to get mixed up with the students stuff and they get packed away.

Best of luck with it. I did start in my home, then moved it to a church, because of more room and also I included how to make a cake to the course, and it was better with a larger kitchen. Oh and I did it all in one day. was a rather long day, but they left with the teaching, and a completed cake (6 inch was the cake I provided).
can I ask how much you charge for your class??

Wendy

Ed M said:
This will depend on how you going to set it up. It does have its advantages, but it also has its disadvantages. The best advice I can give is set your boundaries and be firm in your rules. Since you are doing it at home, students will feel they can just come to you (and home) when ever they have an issue. This is ok, but at times you may want privacy and you do have some students that are "needy".

If you are doing and all inclusive class, its best to have all the tools in one central spot. I did all inclusive classes. So they got a cake, frosting, tools and literature materials. I did a plastic shoe box to hold all their tools and then provided a storage bag to take it all home. This will minimize the walking away of your equipment. Frosting I did a demo on how to make it, and then I would have a large amount ready to use. I used pudding cups as a filler (cheap too). make sure your tools are accounted for. Its not that they are stealing it, but they tend to get mixed up with the students stuff and they get packed away.

Best of luck with it. I did start in my home, then moved it to a church, because of more room and also I included how to make a cake to the course, and it was better with a larger kitchen. Oh and I did it all in one day. was a rather long day, but they left with the teaching, and a completed cake (6 inch was the cake I provided).
$100.00. I began with 150.00, but had some difficulties getting students, once I lowered it to 100, it really took off. I used the 53 piece decorating set as the tools, since it includes colors, spatula, tips, coupler, and a book. I used and created my teaching using the book as a reference, and tied it all together. I would stock up on that kit, using coupons, and my profit margin would be greater. If I got a 50% off, it was like Christmas, the cake was a box cake, and since I made 6 inch ones, I can extend the batter. They all got a 6x3. Powder sugar and shortening was purchased in large quantities at Sam's or Costco. so my breakdown was $20.00 for kits (this is based on 40%off, that is the most common discount coupon I can get, and I would make multiple trips and take some friends to purchase), $20. for cake, icing and filling. So on average its a 50 dollar to 60 dollars profit for teaching. Its not a lot, but it was easy money. on Average I would make profit about 300 a weekend, for just one class. If I did Saturday and Sunday it was about 500 to 600. I would limit it to about 6. Since they get very hands on, any larger and it was harder on me. You have to stay on task and cut down on the chit chat. I even did a class with just guys. Lunch was not provided, how I got around this was to make it a pot luck. The class was very social, but structured. I also branched off to other classes (fondant, gum paste) but those classes they brought the cake, iced. I provided the fondant (MMF) and they can use my tools, so no tool where given. Same for gum paste.
wow!! lots of great info.. thank you!!! So by the "kit" I"m thinking the Wilton kit? Did you work with them (Wilton) or separate? I was actually thinking of letting them all bring their own cakes and frosting (because of individual allergies) and that would cut back on the prep work for me. Maybe even structure it around character pan cakes since they are easy.. I"m not trying to teach anyone how to decorate, but to have the average joe be able to do a decent cake.. so many of my friends say they wish they knew how to do that, and it's so easy to teach a star and shell border that anyone really can do it.. A class for those who don't want to decorate a huge cake, but something simple and nice...



Ed M said:
$100.00. I began with 150.00, but had some difficulties getting students, once I lowered it to 100, it really took off. I used the 53 piece decorating set as the tools, since it includes colors, spatula, tips, coupler, and a book. I used and created my teaching using the book as a reference, and tied it all together. I would stock up on that kit, using coupons, and my profit margin would be greater. If I got a 50% off, it was like Christmas, the cake was a box cake, and since I made 6 inch ones, I can extend the batter. They all got a 6x3. Powder sugar and shortening was purchased in large quantities at Sam's or Costco. so my breakdown was $20.00 for kits (this is based on 40%off, that is the most common discount coupon I can get, and I would make multiple trips and take some friends to purchase), $20. for cake, icing and filling. So on average its a 50 dollar to 60 dollars profit for teaching. Its not a lot, but it was easy money. on Average I would make profit about 300 a weekend, for just one class. If I did Saturday and Sunday it was about 500 to 600. I would limit it to about 6. Since they get very hands on, any larger and it was harder on me. You have to stay on task and cut down on the chit chat. I even did a class with just guys. Lunch was not provided, how I got around this was to make it a pot luck. The class was very social, but structured. I also branched off to other classes (fondant, gum paste) but those classes they brought the cake, iced. I provided the fondant (MMF) and they can use my tools, so no tool where given. Same for gum paste.
When I became a WMI I asked Wilton about teaching down were my parents lived, doing classes much like described with one day or one weekend kind of thing. I was told unless I could finda retailer that would carry and make the product availble to the students I was out of luck. This really stinks too because they have to drive an hour and half to take classes. It just did not work out, we are going to try again soon, but this time with me setting the cirriculum, going to talk to the local university about making it part of their continuing education. And see if we can find someone other then walmart to carry the products.

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