You won't want my advise but I'll give it anyway and I'll give it as though it was me doing it.
All this customer wants, is bollocks, it's my hobby customer gets what I want or don't get it at all.
The moment you let the customer dictate is the moment you get complaints and start warranting your goods and getting comebacks.
Tell them what they will get but not when they will get it, don't be rushed or put yourself to deadlines, if they want them they will wait.
System? Do what you have always done or what you want to do, why change for 100 pens or 1 pen, the moment you change anything is the moment they no longer like what you're doing.
Materials? Have a look around the college are they chucking out furniture? Is there any building work going on? Is there a log pile or rotten tree, barn door, school gate, lose rafter.
All good sources of free material with a meaning to the customer and insurance against non payment at least it's cost little to nothing.
Charge the same price for each pen with no discounts and don't do it cheaply for anybody, if they want a 25% discount you now have to arrange discount from all your suppliers or lose out, why should you?
Explain what you are working with and what they buy is a natural product and subject to changes, colours will fade and may not match, it will split crack dent dull with use, the better they care for it the more chance they have of keeping it but due to these factors you cannot and will not guarantee any of this work, if it breaks buy another one.
Customers are nothing but a pain, working is a PITA and a customer is your boss for that contract.
Told you wouldn't want my advise didn't I?
