It's Friday today.
That means I'm to take a photo and then load it up. hmmmmm. Can we do another of those computer ones?
I'm wearing all red today. Well, mostly sort of. It's red day at my son's Prep room. He went to school in a whole red outfit, with a cute little felt elf hat on (that I made for Mishi's b'day party).
Red dress a hand down from my sister (is it called a hand up, if I'm older than her?). Anyway - I'm older and fatter. The dress is much too big for her, but I fill it out quite nicely, thank you very much.
Today I came across a new blog; Crafting an MBA (which I'm going to spend a while reading through over the next few weeks).
And wrote a really long comment on my google groups (Bris-Style), about costings and mark-ups and that sort of thing.
There's heaps of "it" going around blog land at the moment. The way we all cost our products out; the fact that those of us wanting to make this our business (and hopefully make a speck of money) are having to continue to compete with those who are hobbyists. Being a hobbyist crafter isn't a bad thing at all - it's just well, quite a bit annoying when I have to place my products next to yours at the market stalls or Etsy site.
Michelle from Cicada Daydream wrote an excellent post about it a few weeks back. Read the comments too, lots of interesting points.
I'm working on writing a post, for Selvedge House blog, which will address some of these issues. I've had a fair bit of experience in retail and costings and wholesale aspect of business, and have done a few different business courses. So I do have a few thoughts on it all. If there's something particular you'd like me to talk about, let me know and I'll add it to the post up. (Which will happen after my NZ trip).
So, that's me today. I'm having my afternoon coffee. Before I head over to pick up the school boy (walking) and then (drive) to get the kindy girl. Then do the dinner thing, and the teeth, stories, bed thing. And then, maybe I'll fold the laundry.
Interesting musings. And totally cute pictures!
ReplyDeleteWhat am I called, if I sew for no money at all? I thought I was a hobbyist, but clearly not?! Perhaps I'm just a normal crafter :-)
Hey Ellie, you've given me some stuff to think about! I'm a bit of a two-headed monster and consider some of my stuff to be hobbyish and the other stuff to be what I want to be doing in the future, the stuff I love....the stuff I secretely incorporate :) Sometimes all this talk of business and serious stuff makes me think it's all too hard and maybe I should just get a real job!
ReplyDeleteDear Ellie!
ReplyDeleteYou had me thinking too and Jetta sort of sums it up quite nicely. I think I am a two headed monster too. But I really get your point and think that you are quite right about what you write. It is a problem when you are a professional and have to compete with stuff on etsy sold almost for free. We have to value art work !!!! Don`t have a solution though....
Now I must read Cikada Daydream.
Thanks for charing!
Jeanette
Hey Ellie! I'm a bit worried, being sort of a hobbyist and all (I just don't have the time to push this thing full time right now). I'm curious to know why it would be annoying to have your goods next to a hobbyist's at a stall? I'm always interested in reading business theories and discussions and debates! It seems I can't get enough (must be the inner uni student in me). And thank you for the link to the MBA blog - I'll have to have a deeper read of it later!
ReplyDeletePS: You're looking great!
I love the idea of a colour theme day at school. Why don't grown ups have this? Wouldn't it be great if we all went to work/school in the same colour??
ReplyDelete