My favorite thing about the handmade movement is how creative entrepreneurs can be so personal in what we make.  Custom orders are usually a welcome request for any handmade business person, because they indicate that the customer trusts our talent and judgment to craft something unique.

But fulfilling those unique requests on a regular basis requires a system for managing custom orders and making sure your customer's expectations are fulfilled.  I asked three creative business people for insight into handling and managing custom orders.

Does the Customer's Style Jibe With Your Own?

Having placed a custom order with Christina Moreno, who owns floral design studio Flores Del Sol,  I know that she goes above and beyond, handling everything in a friendly and professional manner. Christina has been in the industry for eight years and studied horticulture in college (check out one of her arrangements below).  About 10% to 15% of her sales are custom orders, and that number is rapidly growing.

Christina’s custom order process includes an initial conversation with the customer about color preferences and style.  She encourages them to browse images of her previous work to see if they find something similar to what they have in mind.  Because she deals with flower arrangements, one of her key questions is where the final product will be placed.  Often, the setting inspires some aspect of her design.  (And of course, her favorite thing to hear is “I trust you, create something wonderful!”)

A great tip from Christina: "Stay true to your design style and don’t be afraid to say 'no'. (Jackson) Pollock would never attempt to sell a Monet to make a few extra dollars."  While custom orders can be exciting, only accept orders that will work with your style – it’s meant to be an enjoyable process for you too!

Keep Customers in the Creative Loop

More than 20% of the jewelry Niki makes for her Atlanta-based Stella And Lux (see below) is to fulfill custom orders. She advises for any seller that welcomes custom orders to hang a prominent sign on their website, mentioning communication protocols and contact information.  Niki and Christina both stressed the importance of keeping the customer informed.  Since the customer is placing a lot of trust in your hands, they are usually excited and anxious about how the project is moving along.  Niki likes to send email updates to her clients, and work-in-progress photos are another great way to include them in the process.  Communication is key in any business transaction, but it is of paramount importance when it comes to custom orders, because the customer has not seen the final product before purchasing.  Including them along the way will not only satisfy their curiosity, but also help confirm that you’re on the right track.

How Much Will it Cost?

Bobbie Bonner, the talent behind  Inspired By Marie, knows a lot about custom orders, because they comprise 80% of her sales.  Bobbie creates lovely wooden art (see below) including wedding plaques, bookmarks, trinket boxes, and even family trees.  She definitely has a system for managing custom orders, which starts by figuring out what, exactly, the customer has in mind.  From there, Bobbie says, vendors should determine whether the custom-made item will require more time than usual and, therefore, a higher price tag.  The final cost is something that should always be explained and understood up front.

6 Tips from the Pros

Thanks to some great advice from these vendors, we now know more about handling custom orders. Here are their six key suggestions:

1. Advertise on your site that you welcome custom requests.
2. Ask your customer many questions to understand what they want in the final product.
3. Let your customer see images of your previous work.
4. Only choose work that fits your style.
5. Determine how long you want to spend creating before you have to charge extra, and communicate this to your customer.
6. Keep the customer in the loop through communication notes or photos.

Do you have any custom order success stories (or screw-ups) to share? How do you handle custom orders?

Dionne Christiansen is a graphic designer based in Houston, TX.  She is the face behind the Etsy store City of Dionne and writes at her blog Notes From Dionne.

Main photo courtesy of Shutterstock.