I just did 2 wedding shows and I'm starting to get lots of calls and emails. I try to keep up with inquiries/consultations/orders/etc. on my computer calendar and spread sheet...but it still gets confusing. I'm scared stiff I will forget to meet with someone or forget a cake. My business phone is my cell phone so I don't always have a calendar/order form with me.
Here are some things I do:
- I have different colored order sheets for occasion, wedding, consultation.
- keep a log of what brides I talk to and general notes about meetings/flavors and what stage we are in.
- computer calendar entries with reminders
- Keep all emails sorted by bride for reference
How do you keep up with all of your orders? Do you have backup order copies in case of fire/theft/loss/computer crash? Any tips on organization from you busy bakers?
What a great question. I don't usually have a big problem with this, but (lol) I nearly forgot about a meeting yesterday! So your question is very timely for me!
I keep notes on everyone I speak with and attach them to an order form. The form then goes into my binder which is tabbed by month and each month has a full-page calendar that I use to put down a quick note about an order due (Smith/Jones wedding - Fairview) (Brown b'day cake), or a meeting (w.c. meeting - Wendy Sampson 2:00). Then when I meet with that person, I have my notes and an order form (so I don't have to dig for it) to get me started.
That's what I do in a nutshell. There's so much more to it, but just this little bit of information keeps me on track.
HTH,
Odessa
My main calendar is on my computer. I have a spreadsheet of every bride who has made an inquiry and a potential dollar value of that quote. When I send her via email the info, I save the email in an electronic folder. These folders are identified by date / name "2007-07-07 Smith, Mary". This tells me how many inquiries I have for a certain date. Everything I do is via email.
I have a paper calendar that I keep next to my cell phone at all times when I can quickly check dates. The notations in these are simple: "Wedding - 2:00 p.m." or "sampling - Smith - 5:30". Just enough to tell me I have something going on that day.
I have order sheets, and a file folder with the 12 months, when a bride calls, I fill out the begining part of my order form and put it in a "on going" folder. Once I have my consult, I finish filling out my order form, then I write when the consult is, as well, once they pay the deposit, I put them on my "main" calender. It is a big big yearly calender on my wall. Then the order form goes in the month their order is due. So it would be pretty hard to forget someone, because I have it in two places!
I have a yearly calander-book type that I keep track of everything and I use different colored sticky notes to take the order then write it in the book with the sticky note attached to the date. It is always open and I page through to see what is coming up in the next week or two to make sure I have everything I need. The colors help me to recognize order size so I can plan out the time I will need. I use green for small orders, yellow for medium sized order and pink for larger orders or more difficult orders that take time.
CakeBoss has an integrated calendar which lets you keep track of orders and appointments.
Yes, it does, and I have that program as well, but I am not yet completely up and running with it ... so much to do, so little time in my days ....
If only someone would come up with a program for adding 13 more hours to my every day!
Odessa
If only someone would come up with a program for adding 13 more hours to my every day!
We'll get right on that. 
For Mac users, in the future we hope to build a web-based version of CakeBoss so people who are unable to install the Windows version, for whatever reason, will have an alternative.
We are hoping to release within the next month. We'll be accepting Beta Testers until that time.
My husband is a database systems architect with 23 years experience programming. He started in 1984 -- a 13 year old programming on an Atari 800! He currently works for a marketing company, but we have also owned our own software company since 2002. Me...I'm just a cake decorator. 
i have a calendar right by the phone to write down appts. and make notes.
then the actual wedding cake order goes in a 3 ring notebook sorted by month and date. i also have a seperate calendar just to write wedding cakes that are booked with deposits. so i have ''double checking'' one with the binder and 2 with the calendar. i also always finalize one week before the wedding, get payment. so we are touching base about the cakes, and hopefully never forget.
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