DSF

I sometimes feel like i am banging my head against a brick wall.
I took a trip to Ilfracombe the other week to take some of my work to a friend who lives there. 400+ mile round trip
I did some really nice stuff (well i considered it nice) photo of a couple attached.
My friend is a keen amatuer photographer and approached a few local tourist attractions about taking some photographs.
He set to work after permission and took some beautiful photos that he hoped to sell.
He sold a few that were added to postcards and he got pennies.
He approached me and asked me to do some more upmarket substrates for his work to adorn other than a bit of 3X5 card.
I did a few of the large Mahogony plaques. I added a brass name plate and brass fittings for it to be hung. If I say myself they looked very nice. i also did some brass prints and framed them with handmade frames and mounts. I have added pictures for you to see.
We took them to the Mill and although they liked them they felt they were not for them as they just have a little gift shop and these were not suitable.
All they had was tat. plasic bic type pens for £1.99 you could get at the bookies for free. plastic keyrings and other junk.
What chance have we got when to me everything and everyone seems to have the poundland mentality nowadays.
I was offered to do cheap cork coasters and flimsy mousemats. But TBH I would make next to nothing and the first time I hit a problem it would eat into any profit.
I DO want to work at this, but it has to be right for me.
I got into this because I love beautiful things and I enjoy exercising my creative side.
I think i am learning I am being naive.
Unlike many on here this is a hobby for me and I work full time with an employer.
I do have quite a lot of equipment though and I have a purpose built workshop in my Garden.
I would so love to go full time but I just dont see how it is possible? No-one wants to pay the right money for anything.
I feel it is better to do more quality work and charge the right price than a lot of inferior work and charge too little. It may sound good to say i sold x ammount this week but if if there is hardly any profit it is just working for nothing.
Turnover equals Vanity
Profit equals Sanity.
Whinge over.

Tony

Tony


The secret is finding the right product with the right image that people want.

What you produced is very very niche - it would only appeal to a few people. Plastic pens, rubbers pencils - parents buy for the children - cost hardly anything to produce - everybody in the chain makes a profit.

Hi Tony M

I understand your frustration and shops like that you just have to walk away from. What you are selling is a high quality product and you need to find the shops that sell similar items. The "kiss me quick" places are simply not worth even venturing into.

As an example I recently purchased a couple of the picutre slates from BMS. Not my kind of thing or business but a long story short is that I need to provide some bespoke items for a clients mum who has dementia and wants a small business to keep her occupied. Must admit when I printed the slates I was stunned at how good they were and thought quality product. However I would never take them into general gift shops for them to sell. They are better suited to art gallery style shops (the sort you see at places like Southwold where a beach hut costs 250k). My clients mum did a wedding fayre and had a lot of interest in the photo slate and she reckons there will be quite a few orders for them (beware Martin and Scott!). But then it was in a 5 star hotel/country mansion where the clientele are spending 40k just on the reception. I suspect that if she were to showcase them at a cheaper wedding fayre venue she may not get the same response.

In my opinion stick to the quality items you are selling, perhaps think of other channels where they might be of interest (ie sport club team plaques perhaps), its a long slog but worth it.

Its finding that niche market that would applies to your area, tapping into a market that not heavily flooded, I would try something in the Asian market, Birmingham, is very cultured with a huge market that's not being used, graffiti religious the list goes on, you have some areas that are not been done. Find what you like, research it and find outlets. Think out the box, build up your customer base when you know what area you are going to do. It cost nothing to think and use the internet the idea is out there but you have to find it

The word 'quality' is soooo subjective.
If you are proud of your 'Mill' work - why not offer it to them sale or return ?
Stick it on the wall of their cafe priced at, .... what is the right price ? - sign the back, £30 ? - see if it goes ! - If it does, - £5 to the owner, - £25 to you
You have already made it!
Profit is a combination of a multitude of micro payments, - and a few mega payments - keep working on the mix !