Need To Temporarily Close My Business
Business By CakeDiva70 Updated 22 Apr 2010 , 6:53pm by pinkalicious87
Hi!
I need to close my business for about 6 months due to the fact that I am pregnant and it is high risk. I am just not able to do this right now. How do you word this to your customers on a website? I don't want to lose customers in the future, but right now I have to do what is best for me.
Thanks!
I would just tell them the truth, that you are in the middle of a high risk pregnancy and that you will reopen for business once the baby is born and you get a clean bill of health.
If you don't want to share all that info.
Something to the effect of "Family emergency, will reopen after XXXX date"
All orders due between X and X date will be refunded in full, all other orders after XXX date of my return will still be fulfilled. Have a great day!
Cake Diva regrets that we are temporarily unable to take any further orders at this time. We hope to reopen for business in the Fall of 2010 (or whenever). Please check the site nearer this time for a definitive reopening date. Many thanks for your custom to date, and we apologize for any disappointment this may cause in the meantime.
Cake Diva regrets that we are temporarily unable to take any further orders at this time. We hope to reopen for business in the Fall of 2010 (or whenever). Please check the site nearer this time for a definitive reopening date. Many thanks for your custom to date, and we apologize for any disappointment this may cause in the meantime.
Really like this phrasing.
Best wishes for a happy and healthy pregnancy!
On Confetti cake Web site she has on her site that say:
"We are going to be on Sabbatical until February 2010"
Elisa Strass had a baby girl in November and took some time off. In her blog she say:
Thank you to all my clients, students and friends who have sent good wishes.
I will be on sabbatical from teaching, making cakes and Food Network Challenges until February but will keep you updated with a few events here and there.
Sabbatical meaning: Any extended period of leave from one's customary work, esp. for rest, to acquire new skills or training, etc.
Cake Diva regrets that we are temporarily unable to take any further orders at this time. We hope to reopen for business in the Fall of 2010 (or whenever). Please check the site nearer this time for a definitive reopening date. Many thanks for your custom to date, and we apologize for any disappointment this may cause in the meantime.
You are so helpful all the time!
Thanks for helping others!
Cake Diva regrets that we are temporarily unable to take any further orders at this time. We hope to reopen for business in the Fall of 2010 (or whenever). Please check the site nearer this time for a definitive reopening date. Many thanks for your custom to date, and we apologize for any disappointment this may cause in the meantime.
I like the basic wording of this but....as a customer I would wonder why you can't take any orders until Fall. Did you fail a health inspection? Do you have to renovate due to a health risk? That would be my first thought.
I think you'd get better follow-up from customers if you put something personal in there eg. "Baby on the way - check back in Fall 2010 when life gets back to kind of normal!" It's cute and informative and personal. People love that stuff.
Good luck with the pregnancy! I hope all goes very well for you.
Thanks for all the replies..........as always CC has been very helpful to me. I just love this site and the people on it.
Maybe you could even allow those who want to to leave their email address so that you can send them an email when you do re-open. This way, they don't have to keep checking back and, if they kind of forgot about you for a while, your email will remind them that you're still around and back to taking orders.
Cake Diva regrets that we are temporarily unable to take any further orders at this time. We hope to reopen for business in the Fall of 2010 (or whenever). Please check the site nearer this time for a definitive reopening date. Many thanks for your custom to date, and we apologize for any disappointment this may cause in the meantime.
I like the basic wording of this but....as a customer I would wonder why you can't take any orders until Fall. Did you fail a health inspection? Do you have to renovate due to a health risk? That would be my first thought.
I think you'd get better follow-up from customers if you put something personal in there eg. "Baby on the way - check back in Fall 2010 when life gets back to kind of normal!" It's cute and informative and personal. People love that stuff.
Good luck with the pregnancy! I hope all goes very well for you.
Motta is right. If you don't give a definitive reason, rumors can and most likely will fly. Good luck with your baby. I was high risk too, because of fibroids and a prolapsed cervix. I had to be on bed rest near the end of the pregnancy. That was 7 years ago and we both are fine. I'm saying all of this to say, "Don't worry!"
Okay, I think I will enlighten my customers, so the rumors won't start. It's hard to recover after negative press hits you. I also like the idea of giving email address to inform when open again. Thanks for the idea!
How about this:
CakeDiva will be taking a sabbatical as she rests and prepares for her newest sugar artist to be delivered soon. We will reopen XXXX.
That way you can announce it in a fun way and let your customers know that you appreciate their buying from you. I'm sure people would understand what you're doing. If not, you probably didn't want them as customers anyway.
Paul
Maybe you could even allow those who want to to leave their email address so that you can send them an email when you do re-open. This way, they don't have to keep checking back and, if they kind of forgot about you for a while, your email will remind them that you're still around and back to taking orders.
I think this is a good idea. Especially if you set up an email notification list for your customers and prospective customers to sign up for. That way, you could send them an quick little email and maybe a coupon for their loyalty. I don't own my own business yet so I'm not really sure how this works but it looked good when I typed this up 
Congratulations on your baby and good luck!
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