The REAL Story Behind HANDMADE Pricing

As we handmade business owners are gearing up for the holiday season, let me take a moment to address one of the most inconspicuous critiques I receive at nearly every pop up shop, craft fair & probably behind many computer screens:

A wide eyed stare at the price tag followed by a snicker/snide comment.

Let me preface these next few paragraphs by saying that this in no way is intended to be a rant, cause belittlement or make you feel less than {just in case you are one of the many who have reacted this way- towards me or any other maker}.

This is solely meant to inform. I repeat- ‘tis to inform.

Photo by Kellie Rae Studio

It’s quite possible that the product you pick up & touch houses some blood, sweat & tears. I’m sort of speaking figuratively here even though I’ve pricked my finger on many a pin & solemnly swear to remove any products containing aforementioned bodily fluids from my stash of salable goods.

HOWEVER- the product you are physically holding in your hands {something shopping local can give you that Amazon can’t} didn’t look that polished fresh from the womb.

Chances are it took a crap ton of trial and error before it looked anything like the beautifully packaged version you see before you today. That takes time {in some cases, lots of time} + probably lots of wasted materials. All which cost money.

It’s also likely that product you’re still holding gave someone an immense amount of joy to create. You know what gives us even more joy?

Seeing someone so excited about it that they are willing to fork up their hard earned cash (can I get a holla for no credit card transaction fees?) just to own it.

If that joy could pay the bills, you better believe we’d be giving away every single product for free. And some makers nearly do. I can't emphasize this enough:

PRICING IS HARD.

Especially for us right brainers. I can venture to guess that nearly every maker has struggled with pricing their products to be profitable. And while nearly every craftsperson found their way to their craft because they whole heartedly love it, we’re also here to pay ourselves a decent wage* & support our families.

*Again, something most mass produced products can’t claim to be true.

Want to know a secret? Something no one likes to talk about?

It’s a thing called wholesale. I’ll give you the Reader’s Digest version: A portion of my business (& lots of creative businesses) consists of selling products to retailers (AKA shops, boutiques, websites, etc.) at a 50% “discount” so that the local retailer can sell it to YOU & ALSO make a profit, pay themselves a living wage & continue the circle of awesomeness.

I didn’t invent the system, it’s just the way it is.

The point of this story is that my products need to make a profit when sold at the wholesale level, yet keep my pricing consistent so that you can buy the same thing directly from me or from your favorite brick & mortar store at the same cost. It’s kind of confusing, and kind of boring & I won’t dive any deeper into that here.

A note on recycled materials: Sometimes re-purposing means that the quality of supplies is slightly compromised compared to a leather hide from a tannery, & it definitely means that my cost of goods is less. However, my passion for up-cycling fits with the goals and ethos of my business, so the method stays.

With that method comes the labor of love which is de-constructing each garment by hand in order to turn that eyesore into something more exciting. It takes extra time, but it also keeps more crap out of a landfill.

LASTLY if these facts & figures don’t phase you and you prefer to scour your local craft-y watering hole for new ideas to pin to your DIY board in attempts to try at home… best of luck.

When you finally get the time to create for yourself you may find the materials cost nearly as much as our finished product. You see, as a business we also reap the benefits of wholesale pricing when it comes to our equipment, etc. And as mentioned before, we’ve already given it our blood, sweat, tears, trial, error, kinks worked out & all.

In other words, if your version doesn’t turn out as planned (which is probably won’t)- we’ll still be here. Selling the original. Beautifully packaged and ready for you to take home in exchange for cash {the least you could do after copying our ideas is not leave us with a dang credit card fee}.

Photo by Kellie Rae Studio

Disclosure: the thoughts outlined above are my own and though I reference makers as a whole, it is true that ALL creatives may not share the same beliefs. HOWEVER if you ARE a maker who happens to be on the same page, and feel so inclined to share this post- please do ;)

May I also add that despite my choice words towards credit cards, the pros of paying with plastic sometimes outweigh the cons. AKA I suck at counting back change. Again, it’s a right brain & hate for numbers sorta thang.

I’ll conclude by saying that I’m not perfect, nor am I against using Amazon’s (or other big box retailer’s) services in some circumstances. Also, please note that not all “handmade” sellers have the best of intentions. Do your research, beware of knockoffs & know that paying a little extra for something made with love goes a really long way. Thank you.

#handmade #pricing #entrepreneurship

BIZ CRUSH: Simply Gypsy Events

I met Brittany on the very first installment of Tuesdays Together Duluth. I showed up alone & was incredibly nervous to be in a room full of fellow creatives + afraid I wouldn't know anyone else there. I pulled up a seat next to a cheerful brunette, she stuck out her hand and said, "Hi. I'm Brittany." We've been in touch ever since.

Her passion for traveling & collecting life experiences is apparent through her work & also the way she convinced me that a solo flight to London was totally in the cards. Her eye for detail is crazy spot on & overall this girl just knows how to get shit done.

Our first collab together was a menagerie of local vendors that included a barn, leather bow ties & tassel boutonnieres. I mean, COME ON.

Photo by Mad Chicken Studio

What kind of kid were you growing up?

I think I was always adventuring. I remember walking through ditches to pick cattails (to “sell” them) or wandering in the pasture, just imagining I was water and could go anywhere. I started writing when I was in middle school and using more of my creativity. When I got to high school, I was involved in EVERYTHING and loved doing all the planning/designing.

How did that affect your path towards event planning?

I just gravitated toward the organizing and planning. I always liked when parties had themes, too. I found excuses to have pretty banners and matching cupcakes.

If your story could fit into a 30 second commercial, how would it go down?

That’s overwhelming to think about – I’d probably have to take a whole year to write it. Such is the life of a perfectionist and introvert.

What ultimately made you decide to do the lovely thing you do?

I had passed “Wedding Planner” a couple times in my search for my special place. It was something I knew I’d be good at, but I wasn’t ready to stay in one place. It took a couple years and I finally felt it was time I use all my skills and have my dream job.

Photo by Ivy Christina Photography

Who’s positively influenced your path the most?

Growing up, my parents really gave me the freedom to try new things which let me take all these different paths to where I am. Since the beginning of my business, my husband has been my number one supporter and I am so grateful to have him cheering me on, and even giving me some great ideas and input too!

Favorite part about working for yourself?

Doing things MY way.

Most challenging thing about working for yourself?

Doing the things I don’t like, like math.

How do you get your creative juices flowing?

It's different every day. Sometimes I’m in the mood and just get right to it, sometimes its music or a movie that inspires me, sometimes just going outside and getting away from technology gives me a boost.

If you could be a fly on the wall to anyone’s creative space {dead or alive} who would it be?

Ugh, this is even more heartbreaking to think about now, but Chris Cornell is my creative idol. His music has been such an influence on my life (yes, even though I started at least 12 years behind). I think the whole 90s grunge era is really where I get a lot of my vibes from and that’s when/where I wish I could have grown up. So, the influencers from that time like Chris, Eddie, Kurt.. I would love to have been around their creation processes.

Photo by Brittany Eitsert Photography

Talk about a failure you’ve learned from.

Every failure, big or small, had something for me to learn. Which isn’t always fun, but it really makes you be better at it next time.

What’s one of your proudest accomplishments in business?

Just getting started. Sometimes – okay, all the time - it can be scary to put yourself out there and take a leap without knowing if you’ll succeed or fail. Just allowing myself to be that sense of vulnerable was something I am very proud of, and a little surprised.

What do you wish you knew when you first started that you know now?

That it all takes time. Which, I did know, and I do know, but I don’t like waiting.

Did you have help planning your own wedding or tackle it head on yourself?

It's pretty hard to convince your fiancé that as a wedding planner, you need a wedding planner.

*insert eye-roll emoji*

Our engagement was 21 months, so we did have a lot more time to plan than most couples. In that time, we bought and sold houses, moved, one of us graduated college, and we planned a wedding. I don't think anyone is incapable of planning their own wedding, it just comes down to the amount of time they have -- adding wedding planning onto your already busy lives adds a ton more work and a ton of stress.

Photo by Brittany Eitsert Photography

How was the process different planning your own "event" as opposed to someone else's?

You would think planning my own wedding would be like planning other wedding, but it was not. It was like the phrase "The cobbler's children have no shoes" -- I would work on other weddings and after my work day, I was not into working on my own wedding. Wedding planning is my career and my passion, but when I come home from work, I cook, clean, and spend time with my family.. Staying on the computer confirming vendors, looking at swatches, that is not my ideal evening.

However, as a wedding planner, I knew a lot more about what was happening than someone who is not in the industry. I knew my vendors, I knew who I wanted to work with, what colors and designs I loved, I knew my wedding style before I was engaged. I knew what to expect and that did make it easier on both of us.

So, my unsolicited advice for couples planning (or soon to be planning): Take an HONEST assessment of your current schedule and figure in another 10-15 hours per week for the next 9 months. Can you handle that? It may not be 10 hours every week, but some weeks it can be more like 20, and when you get into the last 2-3 months of planning, it gets crazy busy. This is why wedding planners and coordinators have jobs: You are a busy person! Always include a planner in your budget; If you get down to the last couple months and you feel like you don't need a coordinator - put that money toward your honeymoon. But, if you don't budget for it and comes down to the last 3 months and you NEED a coordinator, that could be difficult to afford.

How did you land on the name “Simply Gypsy”?

Simply Gypsy started as a blog name for my adventures in India. I didn’t know how long I would be gone and it was a way to share my experiences with my family and friends.

What’s next / What are you most excited about?

From the very beginning of Simply Gypsy, I knew my goal was destination and intimate weddings, so now we are officially offering a Destination Elopement Package that includes everything you need to run away and get married to your number one.

Photo by Mad Chicken Studio

Time of the day you are most productive:

4-6PM, and like, the hour before my husband comes home – that’s when I get all my non-work things done. LOL

The app you couldn’t live without:

Banking Apps and my calendar

Social media outlet you love most:

Insta

Favorite account to follow on this outlet:

@cravebycrv :) Seriously.

Favorite Pandora station at the moment:

Always some sort of 90s, lately its been Grunge

Go to piece in your wardrobe:

Right now, is a twist front sweater, it’s perfect over all my tshirts

Who would you like to see featured on a postage stamp?

Non Profits

Favorite Netflix binge:

Friends. Twice a year, at least.

Next travel destination:

Sept. - 10 days to Hamburg, Germany and an elopement in Italy

​See more from Brittany: Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter

Photo by Narrowleaf Photography

#wordsofwisdom #bizcrush #entrepreneurship

DESIGN DIARY

Here lies my brain in paper form. Often open and rarely shared with the world {rarely shared with anyone for that matter}

Eager to share my established, developed and completed work with the world but over-protective of my computer screen or chicken scratch when working in public; apparently I’m afraid someone might catch of glimpse of my raw thoughts or early scribbles and laugh in my face. #irrationalfear

A self-proclaimed perfectionist and so damn determined to turn the ugly into something beautiful, I seldom bother to share these ultra-beginning stages. But really, it’s part of the process that I love the most- seeing the whole thing unfold before my eyes.

It’s a diary of sorts and much like my actual diary it gets more and more embarrassing the farther you look back. But also like that dreaded book, it shows the journey of where I came from and how I got here.

This is the basis of what makes a product a product and decides if an idea comes to life or not. It’s the reference I constantly look to when making decisions and trying to make something physical look every bit like what’s happening in my imagination.

Just like my brain, everything is scattered. Nothing is quite in order, not even the pages. The last sheets were the first to be filled, and with each new idea I find a random empty opening rather than the next chronological option. There are leather samples and magazine tear outs taped in + a random tuft of moss that I’m hoping one day will lend itself as the perfect color swatch.

In a sense it’s my pride & joy, but also me at my most vulnerable. This is me inviting you in past the curated feed of wonderfulness where even the mistakes I share are well lit and photographed on a perfectly white background {& yes, I see the irony here… there are just some things I can’t let go}, beyond the live stories with funny filters and perfectly aligned text. This is my brain high on creativity, unscathed by silly ideas, and excited to embark on something new.

It’s a tiny glimpse at reality, a small sampling of the turd that needs a shit ton {pun intended} of shining before it turns into anything worth sharing in my mind.

#behindthescenes #studiospace #inthestudio