Design, Make, Sell

 

It should be this simple. I’ve spent quite a lot of time trying to plan my business, well three weeks which is a lot of time in which not to produce new work. Then I’ve spent time saying yes to customers and then worrying about them. I haven’t even tweeted, facebooked, instagrammed since Thursday. That’s just plain dumb.

Again the problem is bespoke. That work comes first and if it’s not in keeping with the brand there’s no way I can share it. Another reason why bespoke must pay more or not at all.

So I haven’t produced any new work. In order to be successful I need to be consistent.

Research and design. Make the products*. Share them with people = Sell

*Make them really amazing.

Simple business plan.

Etsy – Selling your wares is harder than it used to be.

These ruffle bottom pants are on Etsy. Twenty people a day hand over their cash for these very ruffle bottom pants. Am I missing something here? Twenty people a day wear these and not one wants to wear a cocktail dress? Seriously? Why do I bother trying to make beautiful things?

Once upon a time Etsy was a wonderful online marketplace where designers, makers and curators would sell their beautiful wares. You would fill your shop with your pretty things and click ‘renew’ and kerrching! you had a sale.

For the first time people had access to independent designer makers all over the world and they wanted to buy something unique of great quality.

Occasionally you would stumble upon a sightly bizarre item made by someone on acid or by George Bush. And this would be funny and end up on Regretsy which would make you laugh allbeit with slight nervousness hoping in the back of your head you weren’t a conservative desperately trying to be creative with potatoes.

And then some homemakers came along and they made some stuff for their kids. It was nice, but because their banker husbands were paying for this hobby they thought is was fun to make $10 on their little project that took 10 hours. How sweet.

And then the recession hit and those bankers needed their homemakers to make. Along with everyone else who knew what a pencil was.

And then along came the rest of the world, the factories and the exploiters selling sweatshop goods under the guise of craft. I even found one of my £1500 wedding gowns up for £150 made in China on Etsy. A dress that took me £70 hours to make in £40 a metre silk. I nearly bought one but didn’t have heart to know someone was slaving to make it.

So Etsy blew up into a mega monster where trying to find something by a real designer maker or curator replicated the search for a pearl in the ocean.

Listing my vintage collection on Etsy may not prove so easy as it once was. Not without some additional marketing. Work time.

Lesson To Learn: Competition is good, the best get better and you’ve got to keep up.

And don’t begrudge people wanting to be creative, whoever they may be.