Episode 28 Knowing Your Worth Isn't Enough. You Have to Be Able to Say It.

Episode 28 Knowing Your Worth Isn't Enough. You Have to Be Able to Say It.

Most home bakers don't have a pricing problem. They have a delivery problem. In this episode, I'm talking about the moment — that specific, uncomfortable moment when someone asks how much your cakes cost and you feel that familiar tightening in your chest. Why it happens, what it's costing you, and what to actually do about it. This episode builds on Episode 27 (if you haven't listened yet, go back — today's episode picks up where that one left off), so if you've been following the June sales confidence series, this is the practical next step. In this episode: * Why softening, pre-apologising and over-explaining your prices actually undermines them — before anyone has even responded * The real reason saying a price out loud feels so exposing (and why it's not weakness) * Three practical things to try in your next price conversation * Why the pause after you say your price is more powerful than anything you say next * What to do when someone says "that's more than I expected" — and why dropping your price isn't the answer * A simple exercise to do today that will make price conversations feel less strange Ready to keep working on this? Inside the Profitable Baker Academy this month, we're going deep on sales confidence — from showing up online to handling real enquiries.  For structured support, training and accountability: Join The Profitable Baker Academy Membership https://anniebennett.co.uk/the-profitable-baker-academy-membership/ [https://anniebennett.co.uk/the-home-baking-business-academy/] For regular delves into baking business matters, including taking part in podcast episodes: https://anniebennett.co.uk/#subscribe [https://anniebennett.co.uk/#subscribe] For free tips, insight and real-world business talk: Follow me on social media https://www.instagram.com/theprofitablebakeracademy/ [https://www.instagram.com/thehomebakingbusinessacademy/] https://www.facebook.com/theprofitablebakeracademy [https://www.facebook.com/thehomebakingbusinessacademy] https://www.tiktok.com/@profitablebakeracademy [https://www.tiktok.com/@hbbacademy] https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-bennett-pba/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-bennett-pba/] For her website with all this and more: anniebennett.co.uk [http://anniebennett.co.uk]

Episode 27: You're Not Bad at Selling. You've Just Never Been Shown How.

If selling feels uncomfortable, this episode is for you — and the good news is, it's not a personality problem. It's a skills gap. And skills can be learned. Annie breaks down what selling actually looks like in a small, values-led baking business — and it's nothing like the pushy, high-pressure version that's been putting you off. In this episode you'll learn: * Why most bakers who struggle with selling aren't bad at it — they just haven't been shown how * What selling actually is when it's done well (hint: it's helping someone make a decision) * The three specific skills that make up selling in a baking business context * Why following up after an enquiry isn't pushy — and what to say when you do it * One practical thing to do before the end of this week Want to take part in The Sales Confidence Challenge?  Sign up here: https://anniebennett.co.uk/the-hbba-sales-challenge-2026/ [https://anniebennett.co.uk/the-hbba-sales-challenge-2026/] For structured support, training and accountability: Join The Profitable Baker Academy Membership https://anniebennett.co.uk/the-profitable-baker-academy-membership/ [https://anniebennett.co.uk/the-home-baking-business-academy/] For regular delves into baking business matters, including taking part in podcast episodes: https://anniebennett.co.uk/#subscribe [https://anniebennett.co.uk/#subscribe] For free tips, insight and real-world business talk: Follow me on social media https://www.instagram.com/theprofitablebakeracademy/ [https://www.instagram.com/thehomebakingbusinessacademy/] https://www.facebook.com/theprofitablebakeracademy [https://www.facebook.com/thehomebakingbusinessacademy] https://www.tiktok.com/@profitablebakeracademy [https://www.tiktok.com/@hbbacademy] https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-bennett-pba/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-bennett-pba/] For her website with all this and more: anniebennett.co.uk [http://anniebennett.co.uk]

Episode 26 Why Selling Feels So Hard (And What to Do About It)

If talking about your work, following up on enquiries, or asking for the sale makes you want to quietly look the other way, this episode is for you. This week I'm getting into something that doesn't get talked about enough in the home baking world: the discomfort around selling. Not pricing, not finding customers… the actual act of putting yourself and your work forward with confidence. I talk about the three beliefs that keep brilliant bakers stuck, why the version of selling most of us are afraid of isn't the version we actually need to do, and what the reframe is that changes everything. There's also one practical task, something you can do today, in about ten minutes, that will start to shift how you talk about your business. And at the end, I share details of the Sales Confidence Challenge, a free five-day challenge I'm running from Monday 1st June. One email a day, one short video from me, one task. Link below if you'd like to join. Sign up for the Sales Confidence Challenge: https://anniebennett.co.uk/the-hbba-sales-challenge-2026/ [https://anniebennett.co.uk/the-hbba-sales-challenge-2026/] Connect with Annie: For structured support, training and accountability: Join The Home Baking Business Academy Membership https://anniebennett.co.uk/the-home-baking-business-academy/ [https://anniebennett.co.uk/the-home-baking-business-academy/] For regular delves into baking business matters, including taking part in podcast episodes: https://anniebennett.co.uk/#subscribe [https://anniebennett.co.uk/#subscribe] For free tips, insight and real-world business talk: Follow me on social media https://www.instagram.com/thehomebakingbusinessacademy/ [https://www.instagram.com/thehomebakingbusinessacademy/] https://www.facebook.com/thehomebakingbusinessacademy [https://www.facebook.com/thehomebakingbusinessacademy] https://www.tiktok.com/@hbbacademy [https://www.tiktok.com/@hbbacademy] https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-bennett-hbba/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-bennett-hbba/] For her website with all this and more: anniebennett.co.uk [http://anniebennett.co.uk]

Episode 25: When They Say 'That's Too Expensive' — What to Do Next

Those four words. You know the ones. You've done the work, built your pricing properly, sent the quote — and then it comes back: "that's too expensive." And suddenly all the confidence you had disappears. In this episode, I'm talking about what's actually happening in that moment, what it means (and what it doesn't), and what to do next that isn't immediately reaching for a discount. We cover: * Why "that's too expensive" is almost always budget information — not a verdict on your work * The two questions that fire at once when a client pushes back, and why the emotional one tends to drive the response * A real enquiry I had for a wedding cake — and what happened when I handled it properly * Three practical responses you can use when the pushback comes * Why guilt-discounting costs you more than just the money * The mindset shift that changes how these conversations feel If you've ever said yes to a price you knew was too low just to make the discomfort stop — this one's for you. Connect with Annie: For structured support, training and accountability: Join The Home Baking Business Academy Membership https://anniebennett.co.uk/the-home-baking-business-academy/ [https://anniebennett.co.uk/the-home-baking-business-academy/] For regular delves into baking business matters, including taking part in podcast episodes: https://anniebennett.co.uk/#subscribe [https://anniebennett.co.uk/#subscribe] For free tips, insight and real-world business talk: Follow me on social media https://www.instagram.com/thehomebakingbusinessacademy/ [https://www.instagram.com/thehomebakingbusinessacademy/] https://www.facebook.com/thehomebakingbusinessacademy [https://www.facebook.com/thehomebakingbusinessacademy] https://www.tiktok.com/@hbbacademy [https://www.tiktok.com/@hbbacademy] https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-bennett-hbba/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-bennett-hbba/] For her website with all this and more: anniebennett.co.uk [http://anniebennett.co.uk]

Episode 24: Stop Covering Costs and Start Building a Business

Most home bakers price to survive. In this episode, Annie makes the case for pricing to build — and explains why that shift changes everything. If you've ever set a price by working out what your ingredients cost and adding "a bit on," this episode is for you. Because covering costs is the floor, not the goal. And if you've been pricing from the floor, it explains why you're busy but not building. In this episode Annie covers: * Why "what do I need to cover?" is the wrong starting question — and what to ask instead * The hidden costs that almost never make it into a home baker's pricing (but absolutely should) * The three layers of pricing: direct costs, overheads, and the profit margin that actually builds a business * Why low prices don't just affect your margin — they affect perception, and perception affects everything * The real reason raising your prices often loses the wrong customers and attracts the right ones * How to use pricing as a filter, not just a formula Plus: a practical exercise to find the gap between what you're charging and what you should be charging — and what to do about it. If your prices haven't been looked at in a while, this is the episode to listen to with a notebook nearby. For structured support, training and accountability: Join The Home Baking Business Academy Membership https://anniebennett.co.uk/the-home-baking-business-academy/ [https://anniebennett.co.uk/the-home-baking-business-academy/] For regular delves into baking business matters, including taking part in podcast episodes: https://anniebennett.co.uk/#subscribe [https://anniebennett.co.uk/#subscribe] For free tips, insight and real-world business talk: Follow me on social media https://www.instagram.com/thehomebakingbusinessacademy/ [https://www.instagram.com/thehomebakingbusinessacademy/] https://www.facebook.com/thehomebakingbusinessacademy [https://www.facebook.com/thehomebakingbusinessacademy] https://www.tiktok.com/@hbbacademy [https://www.tiktok.com/@hbbacademy] https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-bennett-hbba/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-bennett-hbba/] For her website with all this and more: anniebennett.co.uk [http://anniebennett.co.uk]