Hi All,
So in the past several months I have started turning my wood and metal
working hobbies into the way I make my money. It feels good to be
working for myself, making clients happy, and learning more and more
about small business ownership. I was wondering if anyone has any
advice on how to avoid a somewhat common problem I seem to running
into.

So I was contacted by a prospective client, wants to have a custom bed
designed. Looks at my portfolio and decides I am the guy to do it,
though I don't think he looked at anyone else's. We schedule a design
meeting and I ask him to bring some images, sketches etc of beds that
he either likes or doesn't like so we have a jump off place. He doesn't
do this, fine we talk some anyways. Seems he likes an idea I am
currently working on for another client, though wants to look at some
more mass produced beds to have a better sense of how to tweak my
design. Fine. I quote him the very large window of 600-1000 for
something like the headboard and footboard I am working on currently.

A couple weeks goes by. He emails me and says he went to go look at
some beds, and found one at a local scandanavian design place that he
likes the idea of, and wants to combine my project with one from that
store. Says they have them for 600, so he wants to spend no more than
that. This is when I start to contemplate dropping him. I want the
commision, but only so much. I email back, as diplomatically as I can
saying, I would love to work more on the design but that I can't and
don't want to compete with the mass made products. That I will use
higher quality materials, it will be made in town, to his
specifications etc. He replys saying that he can afford 600, and could
make 800 work. I say well lets go ahead and get together, look at what
he has in mind, let me come up with something, and see if it can come
in around that amount. I don't like designing with this hard ceiling,
as it frequently means I take the job for less than I would normally
want, but I like the work.

Today he emails me, asks if I can carve. Now all the other designs even
mentioned have been very clean, very modern, nothing even remotely
carved. Says he went to a furniture store, found a 2" thick 4 poster,
carved bed, and was wondering if I could replicate with some
modifications. Now I came to furniture through sculpture, and I can
infact carve. But no way in hell I am going to carve a full size bed,
for less than 800.

What should I do in this situation? Is there some way to avoid this
situation entirely? Does anyone ever ask for a retainer after the first
meeting? An odd question, but I started feeling like nothing was going
to come of this guy from the first meeting.

Any advice at all?

Thanks
Andrew