💰 Lesson 5: Sell Before You Stock (Pre-Orders and Deposits)

The pre-order drop

Announce a product with photos of the sample, a price and a date, and take orders with a deposit before you buy the stock. If thirty people order, buy forty. If three order, you just saved a month's money. This is how small Jamaican shops grow without a loan.

Deposits on made-to-order

Cakes, custom clothing, furniture, gift boxes, catering: 50% deposit before you buy a single ingredient or yard of cloth, balance before handover. The deposit filters the people who were never going to pay, and it means the customer's money, not yours, buys the materials.

The waitlist

When something sells out, do not say "sold out" — say "next batch on the 20th, reserve yours with a deposit" and keep a list of names. That list is your buying order and your proof of demand.

Homework

Run one pre-order drop or deposit-first offer this week, even for a small batch.

✅ Do this now — step by step

1. Pick one product. Post the sample, the price and the delivery date; take deposits by transfer or Lynk.
2. Write the deposit rule in one line on the catalogue and every quote.
3. Confirm each deposit in the banking app and send a receipt the same minute.
4. Order stock to the deposits you have, plus a small margin.

⚠️ Mistakes to avoid

• Buying the full order first and praying.
• Starting custom work on "I will pay you Friday".
• No cut-off date, so the drop never closes and nobody commits.

🇯🇲 How it plays out in Jamaica