Lasso The Moon

31 DAYS of Setting Up Shop :: Day 26 {production}

This is part 26 of our series: 31 DAYS of Setting Up Shop!  You can find the entire list of days, in order, on our Setting Up Shop Index Page.  I'll add each new entry to this list as it is published.

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{production}

Production is one of my favorite parts of making product. 

After I have an idea, I make a prototype of the product.  I try to keep track of how much time it takes to make, how much the materials cost, and how many steps there are.  While I'm making it, I imagine what it would take to make several (or several dozen) at a time and estimate how I could price them.

Once I have the item plan down to the minimal cost and the fewest number of steps, I'm ready to begin {production}. 

Batch quantities:

How many items make a batch?  When you are starting out with a new product, make small batches.  You might realize when you are halfway through that you are making it harder than it has to be, and it's better to have all of those kinks out before you make really large quantities.  For me, the more the steps, the fewer items in a batch.  My sweater dolls have lots of steps, so I only make them once a year, and I only make 3-4 of them.

For smaller items, I like to make bigger batches.  The last time I made these spool photo holders, I made a batch of about 4 dozen. 

Interestingly, I've noticed that whatever the product, each batch tends to have a retail value of somewhere between $60 and $120.  Just something I've noticed.

When you are preparing for your production line, assemble all the supplies you'll need, stay as organized as possible, and set aside some space for your unfinished items to reside between steps.

Then, break up your production into separate steps, and work on each assembly step separately.  The few seconds that it takes to switch from step to step add up really fast, so this style of creating saves amazing amounts of time.

The only time that I deviate from this style of making product, is when I'm facing a looming deadline.  If you have 12 pillows to make, but only a few hours to make them, set for yourself a time when you will stop your production line and just get things finished.  When that time arrives, take your pillows, and finish them one at a time until your time is up.  This way. at least you'll have something done.  It's better to have 4 finished pillows than 12 almost-finished pillows, right?

Do you make things this way?  What tips do you have to share with your fellow readers??

31 DAYS of Setting Up Shop :: Day 25 {pricing}

This is part 25 of our series: 31 DAYS of Setting Up Shop!  You can find the entire list of days, in order, on our Setting Up Shop Index Page.  I'll add each new entry to this list as it is published.

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{pricing}

Pricing is something that many creative business types have the hardest time with.  You have to value the time you spend on your work, but you also have to present your customers with a product that is affordable.

There is a formula floating around the internet that looks like this:

 

I tried to find the original source for this, but could not.

I have to say, I do not like this over-simplified formula.  For most handmade items, this formula makes your items way too expensive, and here's why.

The average person is not going to be able to make enough product at a low enough cost to wholesale it to a retail company.  That's because most of us are paying retail for our supplies. Our materials are too expensive for this formula.

The other thing I don't like about this, is that you are calculating your time twice.  If you value your time, and calculate a decent worth for it, you shouldn't need to double it to find your retail price.  I find that generally, materials x2 plus time is a good place to start.

But that's just your starting point.  You need to know the market for the item you are selling.  If you are selling greeting cards for example, there is a definite cap on the amount that someone will pay for it.  There are not many customers who walk in off the street that will pay more than $4-5 for a handmade card.  Also think about what you personally would pay for your item.  I love to give my customers really great prices, so I like to see how I can cut the materials cost or the time spent in order to lower the price, or create a bigger margin.

Oh, what's a margin?  A profit margin is how much you make on an item, compared to how much it costs to produce it.  If you sell an item for $10, but it costs $7 to make it, that's a 30% margin.  Not that great.

But if you figure out how to make that same item for $2, and people are still eager to pay $10 for it, you have yourself an 80% margin.  That's amazing.  For me, anything better than 50% is awesome.  I won't make or sell items with lower margins than that, unless I just really need it to round out a product line.

How to cut the time spent:  The last thing you want to do to your product is cut corners to make a "cheaper" item.  But I have noticed that the best designs are simple and elegant.  So think through your design, and see if there is any way to streamline it.

The second way to cut time cost is to create a production line.  It takes me about 2 hours to make a single burlap bunting like this one:

There are a lot of steps...cut the burlap, sew around the edges, pick the letter fabric, cut them out, iron them on, assemble and sew to the string...

But if I make 6 at once, I noticed that it only takes me about 4 hours.  By making several at a time, even if they say different things, I'm able to cut the time from 120 minutes apiece to 40!  That saves me time, and it helps lower the cost for my customers.

How to cut cost of materials:  This is probably my favorite part.  It is worth your time to brainstorm about materials and how to source them at more reasonable places.  When I started shopping thrift stores for fabric to use in tote bags, my costs plummeted, and my designs got better.  It takes more creativity to work with unconventional resources.

Also, if you have a product that is already generating interest and sales, look around the internet to see if you can buy at least part of the materials in bulk. 

Lastly, having a production line is yet another way to reduce price of materials.  For example, I make these sweater wreaths:

In order to get the best color variation for these, I use between 12 and 16 sweaters in each wreath.  Even at used sweater prices, making just one of these would be really expensive.  But if I make 4 or 6 of them, the time spent on each is reduced, and the materials cost is spread out over several wreaths.  This is one of those items that actually costs less to buy from me ($40) than to make it yourself.  I love that!

So what happens if you streamline your time and materials so much that even the above pricing formula shows your price way under market value?  This, friend, is the sweet spot.  This is your ulimate goal!  Find out what others are selling it for, beat their price considerably, and enjoy the big fat profit margin you've created for yourself.  It's a win, win, win.

 

31 DAYS of Setting Up Shop :: Day 24 {how much to bring}

This is part 23 of our series: 31 DAYS of Setting Up Shop!  You can find the entire list of days, in order, on our Setting Up Shop Index Page.  I'll add each new entry to this list as it is published.

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{how much to bring}

The question of how much to bring is a difficult to one to answer.

So my answer is always the same:  More.

I have a particular vision for the shop, as I know you probably do for your booth or store, so my first goal is to make enough to fill that space.  The problem is, you can always add more.  A crowded table looks much much better than a sparse one.  The last thing you want your customer to think is that they have seen everything you have to offer, just by walking by. 

On the contrary, you want your merchandise to be layered, styled and displayed in a neat, but intriguing way.  You want to have so much to offer, that someone has to stop and poke around for a minute, just to make sure she hasn't missed anything amazing.

This is partly why I decided to invite friends to join me in the shop-opening venture.  If I could do pretty well on my own, imagine how much we could achieve if we were working together.  (And from what I have seen in the product previews, I was not wrong!)

But besides the fact that "MORE" is my general answer to the big question, I do have a few tips.

1. Keep your display in mind.  If you have room for 12 hats in a display, make sure you have at least 12 hats.  The eye is drawn to multiples of similar items.  And the customer likes to see that she has lots of options when choosing.

2. Keep the price of the item in mind.  Make more of the little things, and fewer of the large-ticket items.  More of your customers are going to be able to buy small items, so make sure that you have plenty of "smalls" that match your style.

3. Keep time in mind.  I like to make production runs of 3-4 big items, or a dozen (or more) small items at a time.  Time is always running out on an event, and it's easy to get lost in making a whole bunch of one item.  For example, last week I started making hand-lettered "vintage" signs, and suddenly I wanted to make nothing but lettered signs for the rest of my life. 

But I stopped at 6, worked on a couple other things for the shop, and then went back and made about 5 more signs.  If you don't keep time in mind, you could very easily end up with 4 dozen half-finished somethings, and no finished product.

4. Keep your supplies in mind.  Sometimes the availability of a supply is what determines the number of a certain product.  For my glittered star ornaments, I made as many as my glitter would cover. 

For the signs, I used all of the salvaged wood I had been collecting. 

And for my vintage book-cover clip boards, I found out quickly that I could only make as many as I could with the limited amount of clips in my area.  Make sure you know what your supply limits are before you half-make a bunch of product.

So that's how I have determined how much to bring to Gathered: a Vintage Marketplace.

Display, price point, time, and supplies.

31 DAYS of Setting Up Shop :: Day 23 {what to sell}

This is part 23 of our series: 31 DAYS of Setting Up Shop!  You can find the entire list of days, in order, on our Setting Up Shop Index Page.  I'll add each new entry to this list as it is published.

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{what to sell}

Deciding what to carry in your shop, online store or flea market booth is a very personal decision.

It helps if you give yourself guidelines, or already have a brand in mind.

For Gathered: a vintage marketplace, I'm selling what I love.  We have narrowed down our inventory to anything that has a vintage/rustic feel, but that still encompasses quite a bit!  So before deciding to put a certain product in the shop, I asked myself a series of questions.

Do I love it?

Would I use it or put it in my home?

Do I love it enough to give it as a gift?

Can I offer it for a reasonable price?

Can I make it well?

Is it too time consuming?

Will it meld with the rest of the inventory?

These are all things to think about when adding to your inventory.  When I am considering my handmade items, I think: Does this thing that I make require the use of special materials, special skills, or a production trick?  I like to make things that are not easily reproduced.  For example:

My sweater wreaths require 12-14 wool sweaters each, and a special cutting tool for the thick frame wire.  (It would be more expensive to make one than to buy one from me.)

My button jar tags are made with a stamp that I carved myself.

These zippy pouches are made with found fabrics and salvaged vintage zippers.

I want to make something that makes the customer say, "I want that" and not "I could make that myself."  It's a fine line in the handmade industry, and it's a little tricky to find the right products that balance on that line.

For vintage finds, the questions are similar.  I am selling things that stop me in my tracks when I see them during a treasure-hunting trip...the kinds of things that make me gasp and look around to  see if someone else is running up to grab it away from me.  It's a gut feeling.

In order to chose products for your inventory that stand out as your individual style, you have to actually know what you like.  It's okay to know what is on trend at the moment, but trying to please everyone will make your shop look disheveled and disjointed.

Know your style, and sell what you love.  Because you're the one who's going to be stuck with it if it doesn't sell.

31 DAYS of Setting Up Shop :: Day 22 {preview postcard}

This is part 22 of our series: 31 DAYS of Setting Up Shop!  You can find the entire list of days, in order, on our Setting Up Shop Index Page.  I'll add each new entry to this list as it is published.

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{preview postcard}

I've been playing around today with some product pics and the flyer I made the other day.  I came up with a fun graphic that I'm going to share on facebook today.

It's amazing how effective a simple "share" is.  I think facebook and Craigslist are going to be valuable resources in our grass-roots, word-of-mouth advertising campaign.  We'd love it if you'd help us out by sharing it on your own facebook page, or even just sharing with one friend who you know would love it. 

We are really working to provide a fun, intriguing, and inspiring shopping experience for our customers.  We want to get to know you, show you some of our favorite things, and send you home with some new treasures!

Lots to do...see you tomorrow!

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Support our marketplace by "liking" our page and "sharing" our posts!

Thank you for your help!!

31 DAYS of Setting Up Shop :: Day 21 {vintage paper}

This is part 21 of our series: 31 DAYS of Setting Up Shop!  You can find the entire list of days, in order, on our Setting Up Shop Index Page.  I'll add each new entry to this list as it is published.

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{vintage paper}

One great thing about setting up a physical shop location, is that I can offer items that I normally would not be able to online.

For example, this wreath, made from vintage book pages.

I can't imagine trying to ship something like this.  You can't really tell the scale from this picture, but it is about 24 inches across, and it sticks out about 10 inches from the wall.  It's huge.  And it will be at the shop.  (And so will this massive vintage frame, by the way!)

And for those of you who are more the DIY type, we'll also be carrying these:

Book page bundles.  Make a paper chain, make a wreath, or just stack them around and enjoy their intriguing texture!

Other book-page items in the shop will include: journals, clothespins, garlands, paper chains, and more.  Our little shop is pretty much going to be vintage book-page heaven.  You must some see it!

31 DAYS of Setting Up Shop :: Day 20 {balance}

This is part 20 of our series: 31 DAYS of Setting Up Shop!  You can find the entire list of days, in order, on our Setting Up Shop Index Page.  I'll add each new entry to this list as it is published.

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{balance}

Setting up shop while still maintaining the rest of your life is hard.  It is tricky to find that perfect balancing point.  And if you do find it, let me know how you did it!

As opening day (Nov 7th!) gets closer, I'm finding that my brain space is almost constantly filled with shop plans, preps, ideas, displays, projects, phone calls, etc...  But planning a big event, while time consuming, cannot be allowed to take over my life.  I have a family to run, and a marriage to maintain.

So, I have made a few rules for myself.

#1 Stop everything to read a book to Esther.  If she asks, the answer is yes.  This also applies to chatting with the big kids about school, nursing Eli, helping with homework, practicing for the spelling test, building a block tower, and singing the B-I-B-L-E eighteen times before bed. 

#2 Donnie's day off is family day, not project day.  For several years I have tried my hardest to make family days as restful as possible.  They aren't housework catch-up days, or errand days (if I can help it), or shop setting-up days.  Having a youth pastor for a husband means that we don't get Sunday as our day of rest, so we have to guard that time extra-carefully. 

#3 Set a timer.  It is so easy to fall into a crafting coma, while the rest of my world is buzzing around me.  So, if the kids are occupied and I want to catch a few minutes to work on something, I set the kitchen timer for 10 or 20 minutes.  I work until the timer goes off, and then take a break to make sure everyone is still occupied and not drawing with magic marker on all of Daddy's shoes.  They are usually in the same room with me, so that isn't really an issue.  If everyone is safe and having fun, I may join in for a few minutes, or I may set the timer and get back to work.  I usually don't get more than 2 sessions of work in at any given time of day, and that is fine with me.  If a Rule #1 situation arises in the middle of a timed session, it always takes precedent.

#4 Do not pull all-nighters.  I have done this once or twice in the last 6 months.  It's really not good for anyone.

So when do I work?  I usually get in about an hour during the day, maybe 30 minutes before dinner, and another hour or so after the kids go to bed.  I have learned over the years to plan and troubleshoot an entire project in my head before I've even started, so that the actual work does not take all that long.  I leave one or two in-progress items on the dining room table for easy access.  Otherwise I'd always be taking out and putting away, instead of getting any work done. 

A couple hours a day is not the most efficient schedule, but it's what I've got.  And it's the only way I know how to balance my creative work with my real job, which is being the best wife and mother I know how to be.

If you live in the Dallas metroplex, be sure to come out to the shop. You might be surprised how much can get done in just a couple hours a day!

Do you have any balancing tips for us?  Share them in the comments!

31 DAYS of Setting Up Shop :: Day 19 {vintage fabric}

This is part 19 of our series: 31 DAYS of Setting Up Shop!  You can find the entire list of days, in order, on our Setting Up Shop Index Page.  I'll add each new entry to this list as it is published.

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{vintage fabric}

The first real success I had with my etsy shop was selling vintage sheet fabric fat quarters.  No one else was doing it at the time, so the idea (and the sales) took off instantly.  That was about 6 years ago, but vintage sheet fabric is just as popular, or maybe even more popular, now as it was back then.  Now I sell pieces as small as 6 inches, and as large as 2 yards long.

One of my best sellers has always been the "super chubby pack".  The silly name is part of the draw, but the real fun is that there are 30 different 12-inch squares in a single stack of fabric.  If you are working on a small project, like a set of napkins or a small quilt, you really don't have to buy much more than a single pack of these squares.  Even if you are the type who likes to hunt for vintage fabric, 30 different vintage sheets would cost at least $60.  At least.  Add all that to the sheer cuteness of a tall, rainbow-ordered stack of fabric, and it makes sense that these are my best seller.

One way I tie my two shops together, is by using the vintage fabrics from ROPE in some of the finished designs from Lasso the Moon.

So after I stacked up a bunch of chubby packs for the marketplace, I used the smallest pieces for a new product.

{Vintage Fabric} Clothespins!

These cuties will come in sets of four.  They are covered on the front and the back.

I could see these being used to attach a tag to a gift, clip a note to a backpack, or display a string of artwork on a wall.  Wouldn't they look so cute all mixed up in a big glass mason jar?

Here's a little peek at the display.  A vintage sewing box in one of my favorite colors.

I had some fun with the packaging, too. 

These little details are what setting up shop is all about!  I hope you get the chance to come.  Invite a friend and make a day of it.

31 DAYS of Setting Up Shop :: Day 18 {canvas + linen}

This is part 18 of our series: 31 DAYS of Setting Up Shop!  You can find the entire list of days, in order, on our Setting Up Shop Index Page.  I'll add each new entry to this list as it is published.

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{canvas + linen}

How do you create a cohesive collection?  One way is to repeat the colors, motifs, and materials in several different products.

For example, these {canvas + linen} pillow covers:

I sorted my recycled linen stash into a couple different color schemes, and used them to applique these simple motifs of the canvas pillows.

I love a pop of bright with layered neutrals!

I continued the same few motifs through a stack of pillows, changing only a few details from one to the next.  No two are exactly alike, but they all kind of "go", ya know?

Then, before I put away my linen fabrics, I used the same applique designs in a smaller scale for these zip pouches:

All of the linen is salvaged from clothing.  Salvage and reuse are a signature of mine.

And how about those metal zippers?  I've been hoarding them for just such an occasion as this.  I love vintage metal zippers. 

Pillows, zip pouches, and at least one other item are all going be made with similar materials and applique designs.  And that's how you make it all work together.  If you want to know more about branding and product lines, stick around.  I have lots more to show you in the next few days!

31 DAYS of Setting Up Shop :: Day 17 {enlist some help}

This is part 17 of our series: 31 DAYS of Setting Up Shop!  You can find the entire list of days, in order, on our Setting Up Shop Index Page.  I'll add each new entry to this list as it is published.

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{enlist some help}

The days are counting down very quickly to the Gathered marketplace.  The venue is still not ready, but instead of panicking, I'm just making more stuff to sell. The rest of the month,starting tomorrow, is going to pretty much fit into one of three categories: product, packaging, and display.  All three of these items are on my mind CONSTANTLY right now.

I did some calculations in my head a couple days ago.  And it turns out, that I could work around the clock every day from now until we open, and I would maybe, maybe see 90% of my vision for the shop become reality.  But the truth is, I don't have every day, 24 hours-a-day to work, so I'm trying my hardest to prioritize.

And...I got some help.

Kathryn is part of the youth group at our church, and is also one of the most talented people I know.  This girl exudes creativity.  She agreed to help me out one day a week, and let me tell you, on the day that Kathryn is over, stuff. gets. done.  I thought she would double my productivity, but honestly I think she triples it, or more.  LOVE HER!

Here she is, making yards and yards of vintage-book-page paper chains.  We are going to swath the entire shop in them.  She started on these after she had finished the entire list I had made up for her.  Oh yes.

Can't afford an assistant for a few hours a week?  See if maybe you can barter for it.  Or have someone trade babysitting days with you so you can create for a few hours without the kids around.  However you get it, {enlisting help} is a good idea when setting up shop tasks start getting away from you.

p.s. Kathryn made an amazing dress out of paper for an art show last year, and she's going to let us put it in our shop window.  You must come out, if only just to see this thing.   It's incredible.