Why macarons are so expensive

So what is your time worth? Otherwise, why not just find a job that would pay the same. Your customers should understand this concept as well. If they try to pay you any less, they are not really supporting your business. In time as your reputation and your skills grow, you should look to increase your price. Of course, you can charge more from the beginning if you are able to provide more value than your competitors.

More on that later. Google bakery jobs in your area and see how much bakery jobs are worth, that is another way to help you fairly assess what your time is worth. Don't forget about opportunity costs as well.

Every moment that you are doing one task it is taking you away from doing another. Really weigh out the opportunity cost of the macaron order. Is the few extra dollars worth taking that time away from spending it with those you love or working on another more worthwhile project? Even relaxing on the couch after a long week is good and much needed for your mind and body.

That's why setting the correct price for you macarons is so important. Learn to provide more value to your customers and make use of economies of scale so you can confidently charge those premium prices as early as possible.

Track Your Time To provide appropriate quotes, it's important to have an understanding of the time it takes you to make a batch of macarons and how that time increases when new elements are introduced. Take the time to track how long it takes you to make: - a single batch of macarons in one color, two colors and so on First, it should be noted that regardless of how much you may want to charge for your macarons, the price you set should still be influenced by the market conditions in your local area.

If there is already established players in your area who are offering macarons at a certain price, the price that is acceptable for your clients will be somewhere around what is currently being offered.

Without big purchasing power and economies of scale, it will always be an uphill battle for small businesses to compete on price alone. That is why it is very important that you provide value that your clients cannot find elsewhere. Ways to Provide More Value as a Small Baking Business: - One-on-one service: No customer wants to be forgotten when they are hiring a business to provide a service for their special event.

Bigger stores have more clients and usually can't provide as much individual attention. Make sure you have all your client's notes written down on their own individual project file. Learn about your client by making small talk and asking questions that are relevant to the project. Do you guests have any allergies What's a theme that would 'Wow' your friends?

Customization should be welcomed in the planning stages but make clear on your terms and conditions that once the details are finalized, changes will require a change fee. Offer to deliver and set up if appropriate. If your budget allows, purchase a few pretty display units for displaying your macarons. Rent these out to your clients to use on their special day or offer free rental after a certain purchase amount. I found these pretty and very cost effective display units: White porcelain 3-tier tea tray is perfect for feminine tea party themes, Cascading 3-tier rectangular display has a modern appeal and is well suited for all types of themes, Pink cardboard 3-tier stand is economical enough to let the host keep without returning back to you.

This will cut down on your travel costs. Send them an e-greeting card, flowers or some extra goodies you're currently baking. This will make a lasting impact and your clients will be more apt to recommend you to their own friends and family. Supporting your local industry creates a mutually beneficial relationship. Local vendors have their own client base and you'll be on their radar when customers ask them for recommendations.

And it's just a good thing to do in this special time in the world, we have to rely on each other in our local trade area in order to cut down on the environmental impacts shipping, non-compliance with environmental regulations of outsourcing production to other countries. There is an ever-growing number of customers who are choosing to support local companies that make a deliberate choice to leave the world a better place while conducting their commercial activities.

The takeaway from the last few paragraphs is to not undersell yourself. You should never try to make low price your value proposition. One of the most valuable mantras I found in one of my marketing textbooks was, "Cheap prices attract cheap clients. Everyone, including me, loves a good deal and a good customer should always be respected and cherished. However, extreme bargain shoppers should not be your customers. Customers who put price ahead of everything else will always be on the lookout for the lowest price, making you easily replaceable in their eyes.

They are unable to see how you bring value to them in the different ways I've outlined above. At the end of the day, it may become demotivating for you to work for minimal monetary return while being underappreciated at the same time.

Of course, this doesn't apply to someone who appreciates you and your work, who are willing but unable to pay. Use your discretion. You can always make exceptions and adjust your pricing for customers with extenuating circumstances. In general, avoid setting your prices too low or discounting too often. You don't want to gain new customers only to lose them when you finally decide to increase your prices. Regardless of whether or not it's fair, sometimes customers view price increases as a betrayal of their loyalty to your business.

Try to set a price that will be sustainable for your business in the long run from the very beginning. First off, for those who are taking orders I can't stress enough the importance of a minimum order. Don't think so much of how much you should charge per macaron but how much you should charge per order and you will need to set a minimum amount for this.

I once had a request for 5 macarons, each one bearing the resemblance of a different animated character. I know, all you macaron bakers out there must be in shock. The time it would take to prepare all the different colored batters to pipe 5 different characters requiring 5 different templates Making only five would take so long that the price would be unjustifiable to a customer.

The moral of the story is to set a minimum quantity per color, per flavour, per design, per order. Per color because each new color will require the creation of a "new" batter and this takes time. Per flavour because it requires time and supplies piping bags etc.

Per design because each new design requires a new template to be made. Per order because your time, supplies and ingredients should be accounted for. We'll talk more about that below. I highly recommend setting up a minimum charge for each order. A retail store operation has the ability to spread out their fixed costs among many walk-in customers so they have the ability to sell macarons by piece.

For a home operation, you will need to account for the minimum amount of ingredients e. If a customer requests a special flavor that you don't already have the ingredients for, you will need to buy a minimum amount of it and you might not be able to break even let alone profit by making small quantities of that particular flavour. Let's go over how economies of scale will help you. It's important to take advantage of economies of scale to help you recoup your costs and make a profit.

We break down why they're worth it. Aged Eggs Cracked egg whites used to make the shell age up to five days in the fridge before they're mixed in, so they whip up into airier cookies.

Perfect Pulverization The dry ingredients must be refined several times. The sugar and almond meal are further ground and passed through a sieve to ensure the softest, smoothest shells. Although they are widely considered to be French, it turns out the origins of the macaron may actually be in Italy. It is believed that this cook from Florence brought with him the recipe for the macaron. Even the name is traced back to Italian roots, with maccherone meaning "fine dough" in Italian.

In some cases, this might not be particularly noticeable; in others, well, it is important to note that customers can get very upset very fast when they feel that they have been cheated by a bad product. Under these circumstances, the people who sell macarons have very strong incentive to make sure that their products line up with the expectations created by general consumer awareness as well as their own marketing efforts, meaning that they might not necessarily make the production process for their baked goods cheaper even if there are clear ways that they can cut costs.

Dana has extensive professional writing experience including technical and report writing, informational articles, persuasive articles, contrast and comparison, grant applications, and advertisement. She also enjoys creative writing, content writing on nearly any topic, because as a lifelong learner, she loves to do research and possess a high skill level in this area.

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Prev Article Next Article. If so, there are a number of potential explanations that interested individuals might want to consider: Expensive Ingredients The ingredients that go into macarons can get pretty expensive.