I don't know about a lot of you, but I find myself saying "yes" to orders all the time when I know I'm not really going to have the time to work on them, and it's going to take me away from my family, etc. (I work full time...decorating is a hobby for me). Anyways, I got this email today:
Hello -
Sorry for the short notice but I am wondering if you will be able to make a cake for Saturday, June 12th.
I am needing a grooms cake - we do not need anything real big and just single layer. I would like to have a truck that looks like the grooms (his baby, lol) on it . I have included a pic below of what it looks like. And if possible I would like to have it so it looks like an actual truck sitting on top of the cake and have cans tied on the back of the truck and also have 'Just Hitched' on the back window with
"name" and "name" some where on the cake.
Is that something you can do and can you do it that weekend? I would like to plan on picking it up on Friday the 11th or early the 12th.
If it is something you can do what would the price be?
I promptly responded and told her that sorry, but I won't have time for her order unfortunately, but hope she can find someone to do it. Anyway, I just wanted to share my small victory! LOL. I'm tired of doing cakes for nothing, with no notice!! No more!
Yay, good job!! I only bake for friends, but I'm still having a hard time saying no to last minute orders. It must feel great hey?
Strange how it takes longer to say *yes* than *no* yet it seems to be the hardest word for people to say...
If you can't say *no* just say "ohhh, what a shame...i can't"
Perhaps you feel saying *no* is too harsh.
They will soon learn that you aren't prepared to drop everything for their emergancey.-
LOLLL - it empowers you - plus your sanity stays intact 
Bluehue
Good job! I've been there and you have to be able to say no, even in business when you are booked, you gotta say no.
My latest rule is to say Ill look in my dairy first. This gives you time to think. Otherwise I always said yes and ended up baking all night!
I LOL where she wrote "nothing real big" an then went on to say all that she wanted....
just a single layer with a thumping big truck on it -
I was laughing at that part myself! Just a single layer ... and oh yeah add this stuff!
I had a catering request from a movie company once. They wanted three meals a day for 8 days .... well, not REALLY 3 meals. Breakfast could be simple, just maybe some breakfast sandwiches (uh, that's bread, sausage, and eggs .... otherwise known as a WHOLE MEAL!) with bagels and muffins on the side, juice and fruit.
Lunch could be no big deal...... just sandwiches (3 kinds), chips, fruit, veggie trays, and a dessert. Not a meal ... just sandwiches.
Dinner was a regular meal.
Plus snacks throughout the day. the list of snacks was exhaustive.
By the time I worked everyting out, I had to point out that they were actually asking for FIVE meals in a day.
But they wanted a quote for 2 meals plus "snacks". They got a quote for 5 meals.
Someone else got the job. THANK. GOD!!!!!
Good job! I have a lady at work that does this to me all the time. She asked me on Wednesday night to make a cake for her husbands birthday on Friday and I told her no. She gave the the dirtiest look. She always orders Tres leches cakes one layer white and one layer chocolate with a layer of vanilla mousse and whipped frosting. I reminded her that the cake she order takes time. I have to bake, pour on the milk custard let it sit and then decorate two soggy cakes with a filling. People seem to think we have a store in available to us 24 -7. I also told her that I would have to purchase the items needed to make her cake. I really enjoyed saying no. Last month she asked me to make a grooms cake for a man at work they were throwing him a little party before his wedding. Then she adds in can you also make me a cake for the same day. I about flipped. People never learn.
Yep - I felt like it was time to finally respect myself and my time and stop catering to people that plan poorly and aren't willing to pay the price for something that requires so much time, stress, and energy. I don't charge enough as it is, and I'm tired of being a doormat for people just wanting to get a piece of cake art for the price they'd pay at Walmart. It's funny how enjoyable saying no really is when you finally reach that point of exhaustion and frustration!
Good job! Yeah nothing elaborate, just a single layer cake with a carved cake on ytop! LOL Nothing to detailish, but I want X,X,X,X on the truck cause as we all know that's his baby!!! LOL
I've had to turn away tons of people this month...I just tell them that I'm sorry but I'm booked up through the end of June.
The nice thing is, the bigger orders are usually planned farther ahead than the small orders...so the earlier I get booked up, the less annoying small cakes I have to do. haha. Well theoretically anyway....
I am so right there with you and giving you a high five. Just in the last two weeks I have turned down cake orders realizing I create my own stress when I say yes to short orders. I just had a lady call and ask if I could do a John Deere cut out cake, it would only be for 10 pepole and it wouldn't have to be anything great....Well even if it is for 10 pepole I still have to bake, cut out frost and decorate so it might as well be for 50.( I didn't tell her that but thought it in my mind) Plus the other graduation cakes I need to complete for customers who did call in advance. Then she wanted to know how much it would cost, people sure do not realize how much time these cakes take and think they should only be $25. to $30 just because it is only for 10 pepole.
I felt so liberated saying "Thank You" for thinking of me but I am to booked up for this weekend to take this on, but please keep me in mind for future dates. I know she didn't like it but it sure felt good...
"Just a simple little cake" is almost never that.....
Just ask any Wilton Course One student. hahahaha
(That was my favorite part about the two months I taught Wilton....watching their shocked faces when they report how many hours it took them just to ice an 8" round and put a border on it, and make a few roses!!!!)
Not making fun of wilton students...on the contrary...you have to actually sit down and decorate a cake before you can appreciate the work that goes into it. Even a fast professional decorator still puts more work into the cake than it "appears" when you see it sitting there looking so pretty and "simple"....
I have always said "yes" without checking my book until I scheduled 7 big cakes in one weekend. Big Mistake!!! I worked 4 days straight and only got about 6 hours of sleep. They got done but in the end I was pooped!!!
Now I don't take last minute orders unless I know for a fact I have time. I also charge a small "inconvienence" fee.
To quote my mother....."Failure to plan on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine!!"
I had to put on my facebook that I wasn't doing anymore cakes for now. Everyone knows where they can get a free cake, ya know. They STILL ask me for one usually on a Tues or Wed for that weekend. I finally said, NO! myself. So here is my virtual High Five! Feels good, doesn't it!!
I actually just grew a "cake backbone" myself I'm also a hobby baker and it's amazing how in the last few months I've just been flooded with cake requests. I have said yes to almost every single one just because, mostly I'm flattered that they actually like my cakes enough to ask. But I've decided, much to my husband's delight, to take the summer off. Because I too have a full time job and a LOT going on this summer. Just when I decided this I got this email.
Hello, I retrieved your email from ________. I saw the cake you made for her a couple weeks ago for her daughter's birthday.
My little girl is having her 1st birthday party and would like to find out more information about what you charge, what types of cakes you make and if you are available to possibly make some cakes?
If you can send me more information that would be great.
So sadly I said sorry but I don't have the time. And I'm so happy I did. I'm just hoping when summer is over, I'll come across some more projects to do. Because I'm sure by then I'll be going through cake making withdrawals
Hooray for you! I like that quote Christy0722, I might have to borrow it from your mother! LOL
I once said, "no" to a lady three different times (3 different occasions). Finally on her fourth try I was available and humbled (meaning me) she uses me a lot now.
Good for you.
I am a hobby baker and now I feel like I can say no when our friends ask me "can you bake a very simple(!!!) cake and bring it to the party tomorrow?"
okay, here is my story...... i get a call last nite from my SIL, she says that a friend of hers bought a decorated cake from costco, and also an undecorated one, she wanted to know if i would ice on musical notes on the plain cake.... sounds simple right? when i told her to bring the cake over and i would do it, she asked, won't you just come over here and do it? okay, so i am being asked to decorate a cake, drive an hour round trip, and do it as a favor to my SIL for her friend , who i have never met.... i told her i was not able to do it 'time -wise', and she should ask costco to add the musical notes,, she said costco said no.... 'i'll just tell her to take it to a grocery store, maybe they have time'... yeah, good luck with that....
Good for you.
I am a hobby baker and now I feel like I can say no when our friends ask me "can you bake a very simple(!!!) cake and bring it to the party tomorrow?"
"Sure!! If all you want is a "simple" cake by tomorrow, I can whip up a Betty Crocker cake and ice it while it's still in the pan ... one can of Betty Crocker icing should do it!" 
A day later and I'm still laughing over the "thumping big truck" line
We are newbies in the cake business and just learned a tough lesson about saying no. A customer called on Tuesday and needed a cake on Friday for a shower. We said yes, even though we are busy this week, becuase we are nervous to turn down business. Her daughter called and canceled the cake late last night. Ugh!
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