Getting down to business

The last few weeks have been a mix of wonderful and crazy all at once for my business, and I'm super excited to finally share some news with you!

First off, I am making the move to deeper waters of going from a hobby to a business.  No, I am not quitting my day job! But I am making some purposeful changes to actually make a profit with all of my time put into sewing, photographing, listing, etc.   I am making changes to how and where I sell.

Beginning in August I am going to be selling some of my goodies at not one but two local shops!  This is not only a new venture for me but also for both shops! Revelry Gallery will have a preview party July 31, and The Dandy Lion (and Revelry) will have its Grand Opening August 14!

This is a big step for me as I have really focused many of my efforts online, but I think it's time to get real and branch out.  Isn't there a commandment somewhere that says something like, "Thou shall not put all thine eggs in one bucket." ...errr something like that!

I've been lurking around various business and crafty blogs trying to gather as much info as possible.  I love the tips posted on Meylah and was just introduced to Crafting an MBA and CraftyPod. This podcast from the the last two really confirmed what I've been thinking for a while regarding some of my decisions of being a professional rather than a hobbyist.

One of the changes that will affect my customers is that in order to actually make money selling what I make, I need to have fair prices.  This is a tough one for me because I want to be "competitively" priced, and I want you to get a good deal, but I also need to factor into my prices things like supply costs, the amount of time I spend on making an item, shipping and packaging costs, etc.  I do my best to keep those costs down, but the fact is that I am not a factory; I am one woman working in a sewing room with no air conditioning and I absolutely love it.  Love doesn't pay the bills though!  So with that said, I have decided that beginning August 1, I will be raising the prices in the store.  I am letting you in on this now because I would rather you be able to take advantage of the current prices and do me a favor by not needing to re-label the items that are currently in stock.

It's funny because part of me thinks, "Who would pay that much money for a set of napkins or a baby dress?", but then I remember that I would because it isn't just about the napkins or the dress, it's about supporting the person making the item and knowing that I'm not sending my money to an unknown factory but to someone who chooses to work without air conditioning!

In other news, be on the lookout in the next few days for a sneak preview of a brand new line of cloth napkins complete with new labels!  I super excited about these fabrics and think you will be too!