We all know that time is money, right?
But… For some reason, we often get sucked into the creative process and need to stay up late to finish the cake…
I know, I’ve been there!
Over the years, working on bespoke, elaborate cakes, I developed a few rules that helped me to actually go to bed at night.
The wedding season is coming, and I know that many of you are already fully booked for this year! And I’m so happy and excited to see all the beautiful cakes!
So, here are my recommendations on how to work faster on your cakes:
1. Set a specific time and day for each task. For example, Monday is my admin day – to fix the website, order supplies, answer emails, etc… I don’t bake or make flowers on Mondays. But on Wednesdays I don’t work on my laptop – I bake, make buttercreams, and get ready for the weekend deliveries.
2. Eliminate visual distraction! I listen to podcasts or audiobooks when I’m working and my eyes (and my brain) fully focused on this one task. My favorite podcasts are “My first million”, “3 point perspective”, and “Chill & Prosper with Denise Duffield-Thomas”.
3. Batch! When you are making filler foliage – make a lot at the same time! If you use something all the time, like filler foliage, roses, lace, etc – make those things in advance, because you will use it anyway, but you need to prepare tools and materials (and clean everything) just once.
4. Choose wafer paper ❤️ (Stepping on my soapbox) You knew it was coming, right? The main reason I prefer wafer paper over gumpaste is that it dries faster and is less fragile. When I make wafer paper flowers, I don’t need to make extra petals since I won’t break them. When working with gumpaste, I always make 20% more of everything, just in case…
5. Bonus tip: Charge more (haha)! You will work faster when you enjoy the process, and being paid accordingly helps with that for sure!
