Guides · 6 min read
How to take customer orders with deposits
The short answer
Write every order on its own page with exactly what the customer wants, the full price, the deposit paid, the balance and the date it is due. Take a deposit that at least covers your materials before you start, and collect the balance before or at handover.
Step 1Write exactly what the customer wants
Give each order its own page or card. Write the customer's name and phone number, exactly what they want (size, colour, flavour, style), how many, and the date and time it is due. Ask for a photo of the style or design and save it with the order. Most order quarrels come from details nobody wrote down.
Step 2Agree the full price before you start
Tell the customer the full price and write it on the order. If something will cost extra (delivery, a rush, extra pieces), say so now, not when the work is done.
Step 3Take a deposit that covers your materials
Work out what the materials will cost you, and ask for at least that much as a deposit. Many owners ask for half or more. Make it your rule: no deposit, no start. That way, if a customer disappears, you have not paid for their order yourself.
Step 4Write what the customer gave you
If the customer brought fabric, a topper, trays or anything of theirs, write it on the order with a short description, like "3 yards of blue lace". When many orders are in your shop at once, this stops things from getting mixed up.
Step 5List what to buy, and buy it with the deposit
Write a short list of what you need to buy for this order, and tick each item off as you buy it. Use the deposit for these materials, so the order pays for itself.
Step 6Move the order through its stages
Mark each order as it moves: taken, in progress, ready, delivered. Look at all your orders every morning, starting with the ones due soonest. When an order is ready, message the customer at once with the balance to pay.
Step 7Collect the balance before or at handover
Ask for the balance before the customer takes the order, and write it as paid. Handing over first and "collecting later" turns a finished job into a debt.
An example: a wedding cake order
Funmi took an order for a three-tier wedding cake for ₦85,000:
- Full price agreed₦85,000
- Deposit paid when she took the order− ₦50,000
Balance to collect at pick-up₦35,000
Her materials cost ₦38,000, so the deposit covered them with ₦12,000 to spare before she baked a single layer. On the day, the customer paid the ₦35,000 balance before taking the cake.
Or let Clara do it
Clara can do all of this for you
Instead of orders scattered across chats and paper, tell Clara about each one. She keeps the deposit, balance, due date and what the customer gave you, and reminds you what is due.
Wedding cake for Tolu, 85k, she paid 50k, due Saturday
ClaraNew order for Tolu: ₦85,000, ₦50,000 paid, ₦35,000 balance, due Saturday. Save?
Free while Clara is in private beta. Works on any phone, even offline.
Mistakes to avoid
- Starting work without a deposit. If the customer disappears, you have paid for their order.
- Keeping order details in WhatsApp chats only. They get buried; write each order in one place.
- Handing over before the balance is paid.
- Not writing what the customer brought, then mixing up fabric or items between orders.
Do this today
Write every order you have right now on its own page with the price, deposit, balance and due date, and message each customer whose order is ready with the balance to pay.
Questions owners ask
How much deposit should I take for an order?
At least enough to cover your materials. Many made-to-order businesses ask for half or more of the full price before they start.
What if a customer does not come back for their order?
If you took a deposit that covers your materials, you have not lost your own money. Agree at the start how long you will keep a finished order, and write it on the order.
How do I keep track of many orders at once?
Give each order its own page or card, mark its stage (taken, in progress, ready, delivered), and look at all of them every morning, starting with the ones due soonest.
Or let Clara do it
Clara can do all of this for you
Instead of orders scattered across chats and paper, tell Clara about each one. She keeps the deposit, balance, due date and what the customer gave you, and reminds you what is due.
Wedding cake for Tolu, 85k, she paid 50k, due Saturday
ClaraNew order for Tolu: ₦85,000, ₦50,000 paid, ₦35,000 balance, due Saturday. Save?
Free while Clara is in private beta. Works on any phone, even offline.
