I learned a valuable lesson recently and I thought I’d share it with you.
Although embroidery is a hobby for many of us, I bet every one of you have had the opportunity to charge for doing a bit of embroidery.
Pricing our work correctly is difficult. When you consider the cost of the item sewn on, thread, needles, stabilizer, wear and tear on the machine, choosing a design, cost and set up of the design, and the time it takes from idea to completion even the simplest project can be costly to the end consumer. Many of us have trouble charging what we are worth.
It’s becoming easier for me to determine what I need to break even, and then charge accordingly, but it’s something that comes from careful evaluation of costs and lots of practice. It’s still one of the most difficult aspects of my business.
Recently, I’ve had been very busy filling orders and trying to get my house in order after ignoring it for the past 3 months. I had plans to be away for several days and there is oh so much I wanted to get done.
On a Wednesday I received a call from a woman who was looking for someone to do an infant t-shirt for her. She was desperate to have it by Friday. Okay, I said, the cost will be (insert a rather large number here) for me to make your order a high priority. I thought that would stop her in her tracks and send her on her way. It didn’t. Instead she says great and can you make it two shirts.
Today, she came and picked up her 2 infant t-shirts with lettering and small designs. She handed me a check and said thank you for the rush job, I’ve added a little something extra for your efforts.
Of course among customers she is the exception rather than the rule. But after she left I pondered the idea of the value of what we do and determined that I still am not giving myself enough credit for the value of my time. As the New Year begins I have decided to adjust my pricing strategy a bit and give myself a well deserved raise.
Even if embroidery is not a business for you, the next time your neighbor’s, best friend’s, mother in law wants a name put on a shirt, think about the value of your time, resources, and talents. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you are worth. The worst that can happen is the potential customer says no.
In the long run you are doing yourself a favor. People who respect the value of your time, resources, and talents will appreciate the value the completed project
Bonnie Domeny
Custom Embroidery byThreadlove
2 comments:
Very well stated Bonnie! Absolutely right, you are worth what you feel you are worth, the ones who are afraid to pay for your time, it's because 99% of those person/s have zero talent in whatever craft you are selling, therefore they have no idea what it takes. And in my findings they are the biggest pain in the rear end.
So true Bonnie! So often we price ourselves on the low end, in the hopes to stay competitive! If we just set our prices where we know they are fair, reasonable, and will make US happy, we should be fine!
Post a Comment