Well its a new year!!!! I have officially been doing this business for a WHOLE YEAR!! I am proud to say that I did pretty good last year! I normally had one project on the go just about all year, and on average sold about one item per month. I must say it was hard trying to be 100% gung-ho about my business while dealing with a 1 year old and being huge and pregnant. But I managed quite well, and am quite proud of myself.
Over the holidays I was commissioned for 10 different items in the 2 weeks before Christmas, and had to be finished them all by Christmas! It was crazy, but I'm proud to say I budgeted my time properly(a difficult life long struggle) which was a miracle and was able to get all the items done without having to push back any deadlines! It was SO crazy, and really tiring and busy, but I did it! Lesson learned: Have ample stock prepared for next holiday season!!!
A really neat milestone was selling a couple items to a complete strangers- and not just the obligatory friends or family!
Also, for a long time I have been meaning to get a shop on etsy... I kept putting it off as I was quite intimidated by it. But 2 weeks ago I sat down at the computer and made myself do it! Within 5 days I had my first sale, which I was so excited about! I may or may not have done a little happy dance, and then took the family out for supper!
To see my shop check out:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/butterflygarage
But... I'm still having issues about the pricing... Too much, too little??? I have this constant struggle with how much to charge that stems from deeper issues of my own self worth. Just struggling to know how much I value myself, my time, my creativity and my talents is paramount in trying to figure out how much to charge per item. I have a feeling that I am not paying myself accurately for my time but I hesitate to raise prices as I don't know if my products are good enough, or I guess, if people are willing to pay what I am asking. I do a lot of research by comparing similar items and gauging how my product stands up to theirs... But it always boils down to "Is my stuff actually good enough that people want to pay me for it?".
I really struggle with it, because I can't put myself in the prospective buyers shoes... I would never spend 60$ on a diaper bag... My shopping philosophy is: "Why buy it if I can make it for cheaper?" And when I look at my items... Well... They are super cute... but I would never buy them...because I can make them.... And I cant seem to separate in myself the buyer v. diy'er. I go into baby boutiques, not with the longing to empty my pockets, but to see how many ideas I can steal...
Anyhow... now that I am extremely serious about my business, and I have a LOT more exposure through etsy (a couple of my items were featured and received a lot of hits) I'm constantly asking myself the whole "price vs worth" question.
I have raised the price of the Brimstone reversible diaper bags, I know I was charging myself to little, and had lots of friends encourage me to raise the price, so I raised it by 15$, which I think is fair considering the time spent sewing. I have also been trying to figure out how to add features to it that would help it to sell(line it with fusing to make it stiffer, adding stroller straps, ect) which are easy to do, not time consuming, and cheap... Any ideas?
I have also been thinking I should raise the price of the Teddy Bairds, but haven't yet as I am still debating... I figure if someone is going to pay 25$ for a stuffed teddy, they will probably also pay 30$??? Same goes for Judies booties..... Argh!!! I am in such a conundrum!!! Thoughts?
Aside from my business(Which I didn't realize how much I would love, and how much of a passion it has become), life is great! My babies are beautiful! Aurora is a vivacious and precocious, and has the greatest imagination. Auggie is so laid back and the perfect baby! He is even more laid back than Aurora was(I didn't think that was possible) and he hardly ever fusses or cries. In fact, he is constantly smiling, giggling and talking... Its amazing to see his personality. I feel I am in the middle of God's will... I get to be a stay at home mommy(my life long dream) AND I get to contribute financially(even if it is minuscule, every little bit helps!) by doing what I LOVE and using the talent God has given me!
2 comments:
I think it's really important to value your time accordingly when you're pricing things. Sometimes I decide I could never do that, or I don't want to purchase the tools or learn how to do that and I just want the item. For instance, I bought a cute wood nativity puzzle on Etsy. I don't have whatever kind of saw it takes to make that. And I don't see myself making a lot of other wood items to make buying one worthwhile. Even DIYers decide something's just not worth their time, supplies, and learning curve.
As you factor in your time, I think you also should consider that you're staying at home with your kids while you do this. Perhaps think that you're paying yourself by doing that, so then maybe your working time is worth a little less than what it would be if you were working outside the house.
I think if you start low (like you have) you leave yourself open to develop customers who will hopefully become loyal and as you improve (practice, practice, practice), you can adjust your price as your skill and quality increase. As your business grows, it's also a good way to keep you from getting too busy: increase your prices, so you (in theory) make less for more money.
Oh, and I was going to mention it this morning, but you could consider lining the side pockets in thermal lining to help keep bottles and sippy cups cold. That's one of the things our diaper bag has. Not a lot of extra work for that.
Hi!
I'm pretty sure you are a familiar face...we met up at Ikea awhile ago? Briercrest connections?
Anyways, I love Etsy, and checked out your online store. Beautiful stuff! You are one talented girl. I'll forward the store site to friends, and hopefully business will be booming!
~Erin Coote
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