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Overview

A new enquiry comes in. The customer wants two dozen cupcakes for Saturday. Your gut says yes, but your schedule might say otherwise. The Sweet Spot gives you the data to decide with confidence instead of guesswork.

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Step 1: Check the Requested Date

When you receive an enquiry, the first thing to do is look at the fulfillment date.
  1. Open The Sweet Spot.
  2. Navigate to the requested date.
  3. Look at the capacity bar for that day.
The color tells you the story at a glance:
ColorWhat It MeansYour Move
GreenPlenty of roomAccept with confidence
YellowFilling upCheck the details before deciding
RedAt or near fullThink carefully or suggest another date

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Step 2: See What Is Already Committed

Tap the day to expand it. Review every order already scheduled:
  • What products are you making?
  • How complex are they?
  • Are there any orders with tight pickup times?
This context matters. A day at 60% capacity with three simple loaves feels different from 60% with a tiered wedding cake.

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Step 3: Factor In the New Order

Look at the enquiry. Consider the product, quantity, and production time. If your products have estimated production times set up, Knead does this math for you. The enquiry detail view shows how much time the new order would add. Ask yourself:
  • Does this order push the day from green to yellow, or from yellow to red?
  • Do you have buffer time for unexpected issues like a batch that does not turn out right?
  • Is the pickup time compatible with your other orders that day?
Good to know: You do not need exact production time estimates for this to be useful. Even a rough capacity bar helps you see whether a day is light, moderate, or packed.

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Step 4: Make Your Decision

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Green Light — Go

The day has room. The order fits comfortably. Accept the enquiry and move on. Your capacity bar updates immediately to reflect the new commitment.

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Yellow Light — Tight but Doable

The day is filling up. You can take the order, but you will be working close to your limit. If you decide to accept, consider:
  • Prepping ingredients the night before to save time.
  • Adjusting your start time to begin an hour earlier.
  • Moving a flexible order to another day to create breathing room.

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Red Light — Full

The day is at capacity. You have three options:
  1. Suggest an alternative date. Check nearby days on The Sweet Spot and offer the customer a day with more room.
  2. Extend your hours. If you are willing to bake earlier or later, temporarily adjust your production hours for that day to create more capacity.
  3. Decline the order. It is better to say no than to overcommit and deliver late or at lower quality.
Pro tip: When suggesting an alternative date, pick the emptiest day within the customer’s general timeframe. Tap through nearby days on The Sweet Spot to find the best option in seconds.

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How to Squeeze One More In

Sometimes you want to make it work. If the capacity bar is red but you are determined, here is how to create room:
  1. Review your production time estimates. Are they still accurate? If you have gotten faster at a product, lower the estimate.
  2. Batch similar orders. If you are already making sugar cookies that day, a second cookie order adds less incremental time than the estimate suggests.
  3. Shift a flexible order. If another customer does not have a hard deadline, ask if they are open to a different pickup day.
  4. Start earlier or finish later. Adjust your production hours for that specific day in Settings.
After making adjustments, check The Sweet Spot again. The capacity bar recalculates in real time.

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Build the Habit

The most effective bakers check The Sweet Spot before responding to every enquiry. It takes ten seconds and prevents the stress of overbooked weekends. Over time, you develop an instinct for your limits, and the data backs you up.
Still need help? Contact us