Help, please: Pricing your Work?

[Beathard]

My website drives most if my business. Had 7 calls since Monday morning. Not bad for 3 days. It works. Will it work for you? I'm not an apprentice on the Internet.

 

[Thierry Duguet]

Thierry,

It's the FB I am asking about. Not a website. I know those work just fine. And you can leave 'em alone for weeks!

I'm just trying to make a last ditch effort to keep from having a phone welded to my hand for the rest of my life.


I've SEEN what happens to people once they swallow the social media pill. I see it every day. Just watched another kid crash into a tree on a bike while texting...

I do not want to be doomed to spending my private time in the throne room talking/texting to someone on the other side of the planet who has no idea what they want. (and if they did, couldn't afford it anyway)

Or being woken up at 3am by someone who input the wrong number or forgot about the time zone difference.

At a certain point in life, you have to say enough is enough. What I have seen of FB users is worse than heroin addiction. At least you get some sleep if you go down that road.


Brian

Sorry I misconstrue your previous posting. I thought you were dismissing the internet as a whole.

 

[Brian Marshall]

Gerry,


Again, it's not about websites, we all know those work. It's about using FB as a sales tool/platform.

Whether you actually get enough LARGE sales attributable to it to make it worth risking the addiction.

The habits I have observed it causing in people I see on a daily basis.... are something I am trying to avoid.


B.

 

[diandwill]

OK... I am willing to be convinced... if there is money in it


What is the largest sale (engraving or hand fabricated combination) anyone has made - that you would attribute ENTIRELY to as*book or other social media presence?

Answers from anyone will be much appreciated.


If it's an interesting enough figure, I may just put the apprentice in charge of that aspect. I've not got the time or inclination, but if you can convince me - we'll find a way.

We DO need to make some changes around here. Been gettin' stagnant. Might start there?

Though that laser welder is looking better & better every day.... and then there's that bigger press, and the remodeling of the shops, and, and, and....

Also considering an entirely new direction. 40+ years is a long time to be doing anything.


Brian

Biggest direct sale I have ever had, was off of my website, to somebody I had never seen or met (they are Canadian) is $4700.00 US. We sold a 14K white gold Celtic Dragon necklace with a 1ct+ pear shaped genuine emerald.
This is the picture that he saw, in 14KY gold with a .77ct Emerald.
We also get a fair number of sales from people that HAVE seen us at a show, and go to our website or Facebook page to refresh their memory.
Have a few sales from my Etsy store too.
I don't put as much effort into keeping things up as I should, but I do post almost all new items onto Facebook, and do get a good response from that, including custom sales.
Just read some more of the responses...I probably get close to $10,000/year off the internet, all sources combined. Much is the web, much Facebook and have had $2000 in customs this year from Etsy.

 

[Haraga.com]

Don't do it Brian. Don't be weak. Besides you are too old to run a tiny keyboard on a phone.

 

[Beathard]

Oh in severally addicted... But I do a lot of sakes on it.

 

[Brian Marshall]

Yep, sake will do that to you...


B.

 

[Brian Marshall]

Leonard, I ain't gonna do it.

If FB really makes a ton of money, I'll be able to afford to have someone tend to it 24/7, right?

Won't be me... I don't allow cellphones in the shops. Can't be breakin' my own rules...


B.


And I can too run a tiny keyboard! I'd just put it under the Zeiss!

 

[Haraga.com]

Brian, here is a Vic saying. "If you want to make money, just stop spending it".

 

[bronc]

Brian, I had to google TANSTAAFL to see what it meant. I reckon that's right. Fb is free, but at the cost of some of your personal freedom. I don't know that it's making me much extra money. It's added a few orders, but I've got too many orders anyway. It has done a good job of getting my name out there and I think that will pay off down the line. I don't have a smart phone, and I hope I never have a smart phone, I just do it off my computer. Handiest thing about Fb is that early in the morning Leonard and I can visit a little. A little dose of Leonard at 4 AM will get your day off to a good start!

Stewart

 

[Brian Marshall]

Best reason I have ever heard, bar none - NOT to get on facebook!

I cannot even begin to imagine what "facing" Leonard at 4am on a big computer screen would entail.

Be tough enough on a tiny phone screen... where you could just cover him up with your thumb...


But thanks for the idea of using the computer, for some reason I connected FB only with the PITA devices welded to peoples hands.

I'll have the young'uns set up a test run on the computer.

You've probably saved me $500 and perhaps my sanity? I owe ya one.



Brian


(Trying not to think about what it would be like carryin' Leonard around all day)

 

[Haraga.com]

You canteen boys crack me up.

 

[FANCYGUN]

There is really a very simple answer to all ot this as related to me years ago by another engraver.....

"If you have a big backlog you are not charging enough. If you have no backlog then you are charging too much."

Wish it was that easy but it's a good starting off point I think. Pricing your artwork is one of the toughest things you will constantly do.

 

[Brian Marshall]

Back to the subject - actually pricing your work.

Those of you who build and maintain your own websites - do you track the time you invest and add it in with the yearly costs of domain & hosting?

And how would you track the time invested in FB? Since it likely gets used/mixed with social stuff that has nothing really to do with acquiring clients or sales?

There are lots of little time suckers like this that add unnoticed costs to overhead. At the end of the year they can add up to a significant amount.

I know I keep track of reference/technique books, courses and workshops that I take every year. And costs related to them - travel, etc.

All of these things add to your cost of doing business and have to be figured into your hourly, daily or however you figure out what you need to live on.


Brian

 

[Marrinan]

All I can say is forums, phones and friends stopping by who think your time is you own and you take a break anytime you want to visit. Fred

 

[dlilazteca]

Ive spent all this time reading this thread and it has not made me money!

Saludos,

Carlos

 

[bronc]

Brian, I'm afraid if I added up the time I spent on Fb vs. the orders it brought in I might find out that it was costing me money. Ignorance was bliss. Thanks for raining on my bliss! I guess I'll go get on Fb and message Leonard. Maybe he can cheer me back up lol

Stewart

 

[Gemsetterchris]

Don't forget to factor in the time spent figuring out what else to factor in
I think some of you need to relax abit & stop over thinking.

Your probably correct in theory but ...

 

[Haraga.com]

Brian and Stewart get down here so we can have a meeting.

 

[Brian Marshall]

Not too surprised the poles swapped without me knowing about it... used to think you were north of me.

If you're sending the plane to pick me up there's an airport that'll handle a LearJet close by...


B.