Steps at a glance
- Set your notice and minimumDecide how many days before you need each order and the smallest order you accept.
- Show starting pricesGive each item a "from" price, because size and design change the final price.
- Collect every detail in writingDate, time, size, flavour, quantity, message on top, diet needs, pickup or delivery.
- Confirm the final price and advanceSend the total, the advance you need and the date it is due.
- Block full and closed daysSet the most orders you can take on one day, and close the days you are away.
- Remind, hand over, settleRemind the day before, hand over on time and collect the balance.
How much notice and what minimum should you set?
Notice is the time you need to shop, bake or cook, and rest. A minimum makes small orders worth the effort. Set both for each item, not once for everything.
| Item | Notice (example) | Minimum (example) |
|---|---|---|
| Birthday cake | 2 or 3 days | 1 cake |
| Cookie or brownie box | 1 day | 6 pieces |
| Cupcakes | 2 days | 12 pieces |
| Party snack tray | 3 days | 25 pieces |
| Party meal for a group | 7 days | Agree per order |
Show what you make with clear photos of your own work, taken in daylight on a plain background. Under each photo write the name, the starting price, the sizes or flavours you offer, and whether it is eggless or has nuts. Customers order more easily from a photo than from a list of names.
Which details should every order have?
- The date and the time it is needed.
- Size or weight, flavour and design.
- How many pieces or how many people.
- Message on the cake, spelled exactly.
- Diet needs: eggless, no nuts, less sugar, allergies.
- Pickup or delivery, and the full address.
- The customer's name and phone number.
Date and time: Saturday 14, 5 pm
Size: 1 kg
Flavour: Chocolate
Message: Happy Birthday Mia
Eggless: Yes
Pickup or delivery: Delivery to Flat 4B, Green Park Road
Name and phone: Leo, 98765 00000
How should you price it and ask for an advance?
Show a "from" price for each item, for example a 0.5 kg cake from a set amount. Then confirm the final price once you know the size, design and quantity. Never start baking on a price you have not both agreed in writing.
An advance protects you from cancellations after you have bought ingredients. Many cooks ask for a quarter or half of the price for big orders. Some skip it for regular customers. Be honest with yourself: if one cancelled order would hurt you, ask for an advance.
- Say when the advance is due, for example within a day of confirming.
- Say what happens to the advance if the customer cancels. Decide this before the first order.
- Write the balance and when it is due: on pickup or on delivery.
Total: ₹1,200. Advance: ₹600 by tomorrow (cash or UPI). Balance ₹600 on delivery.
Thank you! — Ana
How do you avoid taking too many orders for one day?
Weekends and festivals fill up fast. Decide the most orders you can do well on one day, for example two cakes, and stop taking orders for that day once you reach it. One great cake brings more orders than three rushed ones.
- Keep one calendar for all orders, with the time each one is needed.
- Mark full days as full as soon as they are.
- Close the days you are away, and tell customers early.
- Leave space for your daily tiffin work if you run both.
Festival weeks and wedding seasons book up early. Tell regular customers a week or two before that dates are filling, and ask them to order early. It spreads the work, and nobody is disappointed at the last minute.
How is party food different from a cake order?
Party food is about people and timing. Ask how many people, adults and children, veg and non-veg counts, the serving time, and whether you only deliver or also serve. Agree who returns the containers and when.
Price party food per person or per tray, with a minimum. Confirm the menu in writing a few days before, with the final headcount, and ask for the advance early, because party shopping is expensive.
- Final headcount, and the date it can no longer change.
- The menu, item by item, with veg and non-veg counts.
- Serving time and the address, with a contact person on the day.
- Who brings plates, spoons and serving bowls.
- When and how your containers come back.
How do you handle changes and cancellations?
Customers change their minds: a new flavour, a bigger size, a different time. Small changes are fine until you start baking. After that, say clearly what you can and cannot change.
Decide what happens to the advance if an order is cancelled, and say it when you confirm the order: for example, the advance is returned if the order is cancelled three days before, and kept after that because ingredients are already bought.
- Set a last day for changes, for example two days before the order date.
- Confirm every change in writing, with the new price if it changed.
- If the date moves, check your calendar before saying yes.
- If you cannot make an order, say no early and give a reason. Return any advance you agreed to return.
What should happen on the day?
- Remind the customer the day before: time, place and the balance due.
- Label each box with the name, and with egg, nuts or other allergens.
- Pack for the journey: a firm box for cakes, a flat surface in the car or bag.
- Hand over on time, collect the balance, and note it the same day.