A boutique studio asked me to come in for a “trial day” to pipe a 6-inch palette-knife floral cake and produce two color-matched sketch boards in about 4 hours, unpaid — does that pass the sniff test in your shops? I’m meticulous about petal edges and palette blending, so I don’t mind proving my hand, but I’d love to hear how you negotiate paid trials or material stipends for this kind of design-heavy test.
Are they planning to sell that 6-inch floral or use your sketch boards in client consults — if so, , unpaid for 4 hours is a no from me. > about petal edges and palette blending, so I don’t mind proving my hand, but I’d love to hear — totally, but reply with: happy to do a 2-hour paid working test at $28–35/hr or, if they insist on unpaid, limit it to a 30–45 min bench test using their buttercream and materials. At minimum ask for a materials stipend ($25–50) and keep the cake for your portfolio if they won’t pay.
A 4-hour unpaid “trial” to pipe a 6-inch floral and two color-matched boards is work — … I’d counter with a simple trial agreement: either $30/hr or a flat ~$120 materials stipend, non-commercial use (you take the cake/boards home), and a 90-minute cap; if they balk, offer a 45-minute palette-knife demo on a dummy. @ebarnes34 would you push for a flat fee or hourly here?
If it’s “about 4 hours,” counter with a 75‑minute bench test on dummies using their buttercream; if they insist, invoice.