Hi all...lately I am starting to feel so burnt out...anyone else ever feel like this? I am sure that is a stupid question to ask...
I think it is because I have had all VERY high maintance and bad customers lately. I feel like I am constantly chasing people to return my calls, emails, and confirm and book thier cakes....Hello people you are the ones that need the cake, why should I do all the work. I do have a policy and contract, although haven't been enforcing it lately, maybe that is where I need to start. I don't have anything booked too much in July yet...should I block them, and take a break and regroup? Don't get me wrong....I LOVE cake decorating, and making peoples events special...it is just people lately are being such a$$es...that is just getting to me...I am just starting to get that "rat in a wheel feeling"...Thanks for taking the time to listen to me rant and rave...just wanted to make sure I am not alone~!

Unless you phrased it wrong, it sounds like you ARE doing all the work .... chasing them down to (for lack of a better word) beg them to let you do their cake. If you're doing all of this before it's booked, then stop ..... if they want the cake at your price, they will contact you. If you're doing all of this after it's booked, then re-evaluate your booking process. You should have all the info you need at the time of booking.

But yes, it is normal to hit burnout, and sometimes it's hard for us to learn to set aside time for ourselves ..... especially hard since we are in an industry where we are working on the very days that most people kick back and relax.

Block out a couple of days, kick back with a bag of M&M's and a day of Lifetime Movies!!

I think all of us get burnt out for one reason or another. You definitely need to take some time for yourself before this just becomes no fun at all!

Then when you regroup you need to tell yourself that you have a contract and policies for a reason- it's called your SANITY! You are not being mean by telling them (for example) that you cannot hold a date for their cake until a deposit has been paid or the cake is due in two weeks and the remainder of the money is due or NO CAKE FOR YOU! Lol...

I know it's hard to enforce these things some times b/c you feel like your being a hard @$$ but it's your business and you deserve to be paid for the work your are doing. If they can't appreciate that then you don't need them as a customer.