Today so far has been a pretty unproductive day, I'm hoping to change that around. I still have one bag to finish for a friend. I had two orders for bags for friends but it seems like I tend to undercharge my friends soo much like I'll charge them $25 for something that is like $50 worth of work but I do it because:
1. I feel guilty charging them full price.
2.I think they won't buy from me because I'm charging too much.
3. I always hope that they'll market me.
But it never works. I mean I don't blame them at all I just feel stiffed sometimes and I do it to myself. I'm Charging $25 for a messenger bag!!! It's like $8 a yard for the duck cloth I need 2 yards the rings for the straps are $2 the adjuster thing for the strap is $2 the lining is $2 a yard I need two yards the interfacing $2 a yard need two yards of that, now lets add all of that up.
8+8+2+2+2+2+2+2= $28
Which means not only am I not charging for my work but I'm paying out of pocket. DOH!
I should've waited to give her a price. :(
9 comments:
Pricing items for what they are really worth is a BIG BIG problem for me too...the same reasons you listed! Can't tell you how many things I make for people and then don't charge...
worst ever was a custom order for 8 sock monkeys....5 other shops were hired to do the same thing and charged twice what I did! No one to blame but myself...I thought it was a fantastic opportunity and even after I knew how much I got ripped off, I still went overboard on them...I could have just sent naked ones!!
Anywho, I have no advice but to say..join the club:(
This has happened to me!! It's awful. But it is a learning experience...try to look at it that way.
PS: I use the same blog format, lol.
Perhaps if this is your friend, maybe she will understand if you tell her now that you over looked the material cost and that you need to revise the price. If they don't want to pay you what it's worth, then take it as a learning lesson and going forward charge what it is actually worth. Believe me, I know it's hard. I have a hard time charging my friends what a piece is "actually" worth. It's very frustrating.
I so understand what you mean... On a positive note, you can treat this as early Christmas presents for them.
Yea I'll think of it as a gift, that hopefully I'll get some marketing out of
You know what? I bet if your friends went to a department store, they'd pay full price. Charge them whatever you would charge in your shop! It's not written in stone ANYWHERE that you sales are supposed to come from them. It takes time to build up your clientele. Hang in there!
You also want their respect as a businesswoman...keep that in mind. :)
This is true. :)
Difinitely a fine line however try not giving a price until you know what the material will cost. Atleast you will not have to come out of your pocket for materials. Maybe this will keep your frustration to a minimun.
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