1,300 Buttons a Year for One Conference, Two Years Running: What a Big Order Asks of a Kid Business

Our family has filled an order of 1,300 buttons for the same conference two years in a row. A fair table and a bulk order are different businesses that use the same press. At a table, a customer waits while you make one button. In a bulk order, the customer hands you a number, a design and a deadline.

This post covers what we teach families about the second kind. The examples are made up, and they are labeled as made up.

Why a big order changes the rhythm

A bulk order changes the rhythm of a family's week. When a new order comes in, we suggest setting aside a few evenings to press buttons, check them and package them. One risk we warn families about is taking a 200-button order with a one-week deadline when school is busy.

So the first question for any large order is when the deadline is, and what else is on your calendar that week.

Do the time math first

Use a made-up example. A school asks for 500 buttons.

Time ten buttons from start to finish: cut the circle, load the parts, press, check, bag. Say it takes 90 seconds per button. That is an example, so replace it with your own number. 500 buttons at 90 seconds is 750 minutes, or 12.5 hours of work.

Parts come next. Our blueprint's practice example pretends a 200-set refill costs $30, which is 15 cents a set. Use your own refill price.

Then divide the hours by the evenings you have. 12.5 hours is five evenings at two and a half hours each. If you only have three free evenings before the deadline, you need a later date or a smaller order.

Get it in writing

Quote in writing before you press anything. A written quote lists the number of buttons, the design, the price per button, the total and the delivery date. It can be one short email.

For a made-up example: 500 buttons at $1 each is a $500 quote. The price is only an example, so set your own from your own costs.

Take a deposit

We teach families to collect at least half before pressing anything. On the $500 example, that is $250 up front. The balance is due when you deliver, and the customer gets a simple receipt.

A deposit does two jobs. It shows the customer is serious. It also covers part of your costs if the order changes. Agree in writing on what happens to the deposit if the order is canceled. Our blueprint's customer order page has a line for change and cancellation terms.

Press in batches you can count

Our method for a bulk session:

1. Print and cut all the artwork before the session starts.
2. Press in batches of 20 to 30, and count after each batch.
3. Check every button against the quality checklist. Check all of them, not a sample.
4. Package with a label.
5. Deliver on or before the agreed date.

Counting after each batch tells you early if you are behind. Checking every button matters because in a large order of one design, a button that is off center is easy to spot.

Never promise a date you cannot keep

If the work is running late, tell the customer before the deadline and name the new date. Then keep the new date. When you quote the first date, pick one you are sure about. Our blueprint puts it this way: "A promise you can keep is a good promise."

A parent handles this conversation. In our blueprint, the parent manages customer contact and payments.

After the order

After every bulk order, send a thank-you and ask for a referral. Here is a note we suggest: "Thanks so much for your order. If you ever need buttons again, just let me know, and if anyone you know could use custom buttons, I would love a referral." Keep a list of every customer, and write to them before the events they buy for come around again.

Who does what

The child sorts parts, counts buttons and helps with packaging. The adult pulls the press lever, handles the money and talks to the customer about timing.

Money and taxes

Keep the deposit and the balance with a parent, in an account the parent owns. 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 includes a customer order page, with places for the customer, designs, quantity, price, payment plan and delivery date, and a section on planning a big order. It is a digital guide, and it does not include a press or supplies.

If your family would like to try a smaller idea first, the free guide, BiteSize Classics, is an illustrated story your family reads together.