Someone asked me to cater for a kid's birthday party, vegan and raw vegan,15-30 kids and 30 adults! i have no idea what to charge...what do you think?

i was thinkng of charging cost of ingredients plus $200. does this sound right?

These was my menu suggestions, but I won't be doing all of this!

RAW VEGAN DESSERTS

Birthday cake- chocolate almond
Carrot cake
Chocolate coconut truffles
Fruit salad & vegan vanilla cream

RAW VEGAN SAVOURY
Sushi
Courgetti noodles
Pate with crudites
Guacamole
Salsa
Tabbouleh
Olives
Green Salad
Coleslaw

VEGAN SAVOURY
Homous
Babaganoush
Sushi (made with brown rice)
Bread

HOT VEGAN SAVOURY
Pasta 'bolognaise'
Lentil coconut curry and rice
Sausages- vegan

DRINKS
Juices
Tea & coffee
etc

Your menu sounds fine. It's simple. Charge for your supplies + 20%. Charge for your time (planning, prep, execution & cleanup). Charge for travel & transport expenses (including packing/storage materials). Charge for any misc. expenses and other folks time to reimburse them.

Example:

$200 for food + 20% = $240.00
My time ($20 / hr) X 6 hours = $120
Travel & transport (10 miles x 3.50 / gal.) = $35.00
Misc. Expenses (cleaning supplies) = $10.00

Total Bill to Client (gratuity not included): $405.00

(Please correct my math as needed! Ha! ha!).

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com

thanks david, this sounds a good way of doing it.
my time will be quite alot if i include planning, shopping from various stores, as well as food prep and time travelling etc. i think she also wants me to be at the party.
i don't want to price myself out, but there will be alot of work and love behind the scenes!

I hear you Rosemary. Just remember, unless you are donating to charity, you need to cover your expenses and make a profit. A 20% profit is not unreasonable. If you are doing it just for enjoyment or have some other reason why profit it not an issue...then charge nothing...or let them know you will charging EXACTLY what your costs are and no more. If you are running a business, always get them to sign an invoice agreeing to the work and agreeing on a cost before starting the job. Just my experience.

-The invoice should clearly state what your refund policy is, and how long they have to cancel before incurring a penalty.

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com

thanks david, great business advice! i am obviously only starting out in this. the party is not for anyone i know so am doing this as business.
i just sent her an email suggesting cost of ingredients + $300 for my time.
let's see if she gets back to me.
do you think it's ok to ask for cash payment?

As long as they sign a written invoice agreeing to the order, payment, refund & cancellation policy, then everything is copacetic! The client will know up front what they are paying, and you'll have something in writing if they try to cancel or refuse payment. Your invoice should clearly state what methods of payment are required - which the client also agrees to.

If you are just an individual, the invoice (and your communication to the client) should state that a 50% deposit is due when they sign the invoice, with the remainder due within 3 business days after job completion. Cash is fine, but an online payment service would be quicker, more convenient, and leave a paper trail. You should acquire a paypal or other 'merchant' account that allows you to process credit card payments as they come in (they take a small percentage...of course...and that will have to factor into your charge to the customer).

-I hope my experiences are helpful. More power to you!

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com

yes very helpful, you are wonderful! marry me!

i tell you what, i'll arm wrestle you for him!

cool gig, rm! you'll probably spend at LEAST 10 hours on the prep between planning shopping and cooking/uncooking. which means you're making $30/hr. that's CHEAP btw. the extra $300 should be for your prep time only... if she wants you to be at the party, it should be an extra $30/hr. kids birthday parties can be quite long affairs (my daughters was 7 hours!)just saying if you don't specify, she will figure she's getting her money's worth out of you and may keep you there a really long time PLUS want help with the cleanup, etc. which is fine if that's fine with you, but you should be compensated for that. or it should be spelled out exactly how LONG you'll be at the party. (ex. 1 hour for setup, 1 hour to serve, 1 hour to come back and get your dishes...)

i run a concierge business, and i coordinate services of a LOT of independent contractors (caterers, dancers, musicians, florists, photographers, housekeepers, etc.) the biggest mistake people make is not charging enough for their services, feeling guilty about it, throwing in lots of extra time for free, etc. that's a rookie mistake, and folks who don't learn don't stay in business very long. give great service, but get compensated for it! i mostly agree with david, EXCEPT the part about getting final payment 3 days after the party. final payment should coincide with the refund/cancellation policy, at whatever point its nonrefundable is when you receive the balance, and that should be BEFORE you go shopping for ingredients.

good luck!

yes. if i'm expected to stay at the party all afternoon that should be extra.
the problem with charging what i'm worth is that clients won't want to pay i suppose. thanks.