Custom Order Machine Embroidery

I do a fair amount of custom embroidery work- not monogramming- but embroidery designs that have special meaning for customers or the people who will receive their personalized gift.  It was scary at first; but I quickly developed a process to deliver completed projects that meet customer expectations.  Here's my process.

I do prep work before accepting a custom order.   First is to understand what the customer wants.   Then, find an appropriate machine embroidery design.  Sometimes, it may be necessary to research the subject-- what is it, what does it look like, etc.  At this point, I decide if I can produce what the customer wants.  If I find an appropriate design, then my creativity comes into play-- determining thread colors for authenticity, recommending thread colors and placement of names or text, and necessary computer work.  It may be necessary to speak with the customer, provide photos of available designs for customer selection, or provide photo of the computer set-up work.  I usually summarize everything for customer agreement.  Then all agreed upon specifications are included on the order form for payment.  After prepayment, I begin stitching and provide a photo of the finished project to the customer before shipment or delivery.  Roughly a quarter of my embroidery sales have been custom orders of 1-48 pieces each.  So far, I've had good results with this process.