The Email We Sent When School Came First
Customers were told to expect some wait time while school came first. What our records say about the wait, a short template you can adapt, and the delay rules we teach.
BiteSizeLaunch team4 min read
In October 2025, customers were waiting on button orders, and the kids who were making them also had school.
We sent an update. This post covers what our records say it told customers about the wait, why we think that kind of message is worth sending, and a short version you can adapt. We are not quoting the original email word for word here.
What our records say about the wait
Our records describe it this way.
It said the kids were working on orders while school came first.
It told customers to expect some wait time.
It thanked them for their patience while the kids learned to fill individual orders.
That is what our records say about the wait. The email covered other things too, and this post leaves them out. We do not have any customer replies or reactions on record, so we will not describe any.
Why we think this kind of message works
This is our reasoning, and we have no data behind it.
A message like this can answer the question before the customer asks it. A customer who has paid and heard nothing starts to wonder. A message that arrives first changes what they are wondering about.
It gives a reason that people understand. A reason like school coming first needs no explanation to another parent, or to anyone who remembers being a student.
A message like this can skip the excuses. It can say what to expect and say thanks.
What to put in your own update
Four things, in this order.
- Say what is going on in one sentence.
- Give a new date, or a clear window, that you are sure you can keep.
- Say thank you.
- Tell them how to reach a parent if the date is a problem.
Leave out long apologies and long explanations. Two or three short paragraphs do the job.
A template to adapt
This one is ours, written for this post. It is not the original email.
Subject: An update on your button order
Hi [customer name],
Thank you for your order. We want you to hear this from us first: [child's first name] is making your buttons, and school comes first at our house. Your order will be ready on [new date].
Thank you for your patience while [child's first name] learns to fill orders one at a time. If that date does not work for you, reply to this email and let us know.
[Parent's name] [Phone or email]
Fill in a date you are sure about before you send it. A parent should read it first and send it. In our blueprint, the parent handles customer messages.
The rules behind it
These are the rules we teach. Where a rule is in our blueprint, we say so.
If an order is going to be late, our method is to tell the customer before the deadline, then deliver on the new date.
Check how long the work takes before you agree to a date. In our blueprint's words, "A promise you can keep is a good promise."
We think it is fine to pause the business for exams, illness or a busy season. Our blueprint says you can take a break after finishing your promises to customers. If a pause cannot wait that long, our method is to accept no new bulk orders for that window and tell the customers who already have open orders.
We think the order that tests the school-comes-first rule is the one that arrives during exam week or a family trip.
Money and taxes
Keep any payment with a parent. If sales become regular, ask a tax professional what to report. We cannot give tax or legal advice here.
Where BiteSizeLaunch fits
The Buttonology blueprint covers who talks to customers, how to agree on a date you can keep and when to take a break. It is a digital guide. It does not include a press or supplies.
If you would like a gentler start, the free guide, BiteSize Classics, is an illustrated story your family reads together. The quiz can help you pick a business.
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