The Conspiracy Continues

A week ago, a coworker suggested I cater our holiday luncheon. I turned her down without hesitation – 90 people, no way! Eventually it did dawn on me that I could provide the desserts. I could make cupcakes and pound cakes. Well, I talked to the coordinator. She was going to order cobblers and cupcakes would be a nice supplement. She didn’t know I was interested in catering. I told her I was going slowly, feeling my way. She shared that she had a food business on the side; she and her daughter bake cookies. We talked about how difficult it was to determine pricing. We always undervalue ourselves. She told me to submit an invoice. After hours of struggling, I completed the invoice. I was still nervous about the pricing. I ran the numbers using an hourly fee plus the cost of supplies and ingredients versus using the prices popular bakeries use. The estimates were within $20 of each other. I went with the lower one. When I submitted it, she didn't even flinch. A few hours later, a member of our managment team told me that she heard that I could cook. She asked if I would make her some cornbread dressing for her Christmas dinner. Word of mouth travels fast. This may be the start of something big …