Postponed indefinitely and thoughts on production

The addition of paper-covered boxes to my online store has been postponed indefinitely. Mod Podge and I are having some issues. I'm getting lots of bubbling and creasing of the paper and the end result doesn't look retail-ready. These photos don't show the flaws, but they're there.

So sorry. I probably shouldn't have posted pics until I perfected the technique. If you'd like to purchase a blank box that you can try covering on your own, just send me an Etsy convo or email.

I think in general I need to move away from products like this that are more "crafty." Or in other words, I need to be more hands-off when it comes to production. I still want to screenprint and mix colors, but this means taking steps like outsourcing the cutting and folding of cards, collaborating with other small vendors (like Button Arcade for the pocket mirrors), not feeling the need to print fabric and then sew the bags too. I would like to put more emphasis on my design, color choice and pattern mixing skills.  I feel a little self imposed pressure to be hands-on in every aspect of production but I know if I want my business to be financially sustainable, in addition to letting me do a variety of projects, that's just not possible. 

Sometimes I think it would be alot easier to just outsource the printing of cards and have a box of 5,000 cards sitting in my living room and all I'd have to do is stuff envelopes and fill orders. But, when it comes down to it, I know that's not for me. Frankly I think there's too much stuff in our lives. And what would separate my digitally printed stuff from the digitally printed stuff at Wal-Mart or the greeting card section of the grocery store? I feel like if I'm going to put more stuff in the world, it needs to be meaningful and it needs to have a story. I shouldn't have 20,000 cards sitting in a fulfillment center because it was cheaper to get them printed in bulk overseas. I think alot about this subject and how to make this business model work for me. I'm not sure that the traditional wholesale model (selling my products to stores for 50% of the retail price) works for handmade items. This is why I have such a high regard for people like Port2Port and The Black Apple who have really circumvented this problem by succesfully selling to customers directly.

I'm thinking about changing up how I do things with my business. I'm chalking up this first year to a learning experience. I did alot of things wrong, but I don't know that I could learn any other way. And that's one of the reasons I started this blog. I hate hate hate when I read an artisan's about me page and they say, "I created my first collection, sold to some stores and the rest is history." I know in my case, the story on my about me page of how I built my business will be significantly more substantial. The move to Ann Arbor has really been the catalyst for alot of soul searching about what I'm doing, what I like to do and what I want to be doing because I need to step out of my comfort zone and start all over in a new city. It's not all fun and games but part of the reason for starting your own business is to be able to orient your work life around activities that make you happy. I don't think I've been really succesful in that sense because I didn't really think it through beforehand. But now I'm thinking alot and slowly uncovering where I want to go in the future. I hope you will stay tuned to see the results.

Comments

[Emily]

This is probably the most honest and thoughtful post I've read regarding the actual running of a craft business. It's a really tough balancing act between the hands-on making of things and economic viability. I'm so glad that you're addressing this issue because this is the reality that I think a lot of folks are struggling with. Heck, I'm going through it right now. Thanks for a really insightful post.

[Julie]

Thank you for that post. You have no idea how valuable your blog is, too. A number of my favorite crafts people are closing their blogs. I hope you are not considering that in any way!

I read every word and it has helped me so much as I begin to start up my little art business. You are so amazingly generous to share your experiences, your lessons, the mistakes that you are learning from, and your discoveries and joys.

I am really cheering for you and know you will be hugely successful! Thank you a million times!

[susy]

You'll make it. Just remember not to worry about what other people are doing. You don't have to mass-produce to make it to the stationery show or anything like that. If your product is good, many buyers will wait...some up to 90 days (that seems like forever) to actually receive your items after placing an order.

Keep doing what you like to do, and what you WANT to do, and do it every day, work at it and be true to it. You will find an audience of retailers and fans who won't make or expect you to sell your soul, or your talent, or your integrity to create what is especially yours.

hang in there and don't worry about mass-production...remember, if you produce a ton of it, you have to *unload* a ton of it...that is hard. Especially if you are small. So, start with a pace you can handle. Produce a smaller quantity, and see how that goes...like...say 50 of each. Then, get out there and market them and see where that takes you.

And it will take you somewhere. Promise! Your stuff is gorgeous.

[edessedesigns]

This post really struck a chord in me. I totally feel what you are saying 100%. There are so many times I feel like "what the hell am I doing WRONG?" It seems as if everyone around me is making it and I'm left struggling to find purpose, vision, originality, and passion when you feel like no one likes what you do.

Susy is very correct and it makes me realize that I started out doing this because I just liked doing it. I kind of had a business plan, but I really enjoyed the utility I received from just dreaming up and making stuff and I need to remember that that is where the beauty of it all rests.

Of course, we all want successful businesses, and of course, it takes hard work, careful decisions, and great product. I firmly believe that if you started with passion and maintain that passion without sacrificing your soul you will eventually evolve into that successful business you've always dreamed of. It has to. You may not be sipping champagne with Oprah, but you will be fulfilled. You will have an audience who loves you for who you are and what you do. You will have a meaningful whole.

[deedeen]

I just totally agree with you, and I'm in the same kind of reflexions right now. I'd like to have my small business, but I want it to be as eco-friendly and sustainable as possible. But is this possible, according with the "business logic"? My, that's a BIG question, and it's really difficult to answer. Anyway, keep on with your printings, I love them, and I really love coming here to see the small steps you take on the road to success!

[Stockton]

Thank you so much for this post ... making mistakes (sometimes costly ones!) seems to be part of the process of starting a small business, and I can absolutely relate. I also think that you are so excellent for sharing this - as Emily said above, so thoughtfully and honestly.

[Kate]

Terrific account of small business design/production decisions -- I've said many of those same things to well-wishers re. why I've ruled out this or that re. making and selling things as a business.

Try YES! paste, if you haven't already -- it'll revive your enthusiasm for the paper-covered box projects. No bubbling or wrinkling. Quite marvelous.

[hammocks]

All my product is handmade and I didn't feel at all like I needed to be mass produced when I went to the show. As a matter of fact I used the show as a sounding board to see what products I need to stock a little of and what I could cut back on. My delivery is 2-4 weeks, sometimes longer if I'm backed up, and all my retailers understand that and are supportive of bringing in a quality handmade product to their shop. The only time I have to really speed up production is the holidays and this year I'm prepared enough to stock a few. I think you should keep at it in a way that makes you comfortable and doesn't make your business a burden. That was my major lesson that I'm applying now and I had to do some growing pains to learn that.

P.S also thanks for the spoonflower link, I learned about them from one of your posts a few weeks back. You should also look into zoo-ink in SF when you're ready to outsource fabric, they're in my pile of possibilities.

PPS. I forget her name but there's a small business that makes these great wooden rolodexes and she has at times has had her product backed up for months AND was told to raise the price b/c of the quality and demand. She was in the craft inc book.

phew...sorry for the lengthy post

[Lacy]

Just a suggestion - try PVA instead of Mod Podge. It's available at PaperSource and I've used it with success covering journal covers with paper. If it's too thick you can water it down - 4 parts glue to 1 part water.

[Rowan]

I think hammocks is talking about Lovely Design by Sharilyn Wright? That actually raises a great point about how modern handmade should position itself to stay viable, or more than viable. It's not a case of 'let's replace everything with handmade because mass-made is evil'. It doesn't make sense to do things by hand if it doesn't actually add more to the product. If you have a great design that can be mass-produced easily without loss of quality, then do it. It makes your product accessible to more people. If you're doing handmade, though, you should take full advantage of the fact that you can give individual pieces lots of attention, make them OOAK or in limited edition. And then charge more for each individual piece. People are willing to pay more for things that are special, but I don't know that they're willing to pay for you to do something a machine could do just as well.

I think the thing is to really know what kind of product you like and then choose the production method and price point that serves it best, without getting stuck on the idea that one way is more or less evil. It sounds like you already know what skills and activities you want to focus on, so like hammocks said, it's just a matter of finding a balance that works for you.

I'm very interested to see where you go from here. :) Thanks for your thoughtfulness and candour.

[Stephanie]

When it comes to using Mod Podge I've noticed that the thinner the paper the easier it is to smooth out bubbles. I'm not sure if you have any of your designs printed on a thiner paper (I'm assuming you use a cover weight as opposed to a text weight), then try to make another box using the Mod Podge.

I hope you figure out something because you're designs are beautiful, and who doesn't love boxes. I sure do, and I have tons of boxes, I just keep finding ways to find things to put in them. My mom calls me a pack rat.

[Melanie]

I find that if I dunk the paper in a pan of water and then wipe off the excess water, it makes for fewer bumps when I decoupage. I hope that helps!

[Leah Adams]

I don't have any helpful comments re paper-covered boxes, though they sound like a great product. I painted some plain corrugated boxes ten years ago with acrylic paint, gel medium and a little iridescent pigment. At the time, my partner thought it was a waste of time and money, but these boxes continue to provide a colorful function for storing all sorts of things, including his hard-to-part with momentos and ticket stubs.

Your post really spoke to me as we had a big discussion this weekend about profitability of a small business. I have a lot of money invested in stock, inventory for my etsy shop and consigned inventory that hasn't sold, but not so much coming in the door to pay for additional materials. I started working on my business nine months ago and still feel like this is the beginning of my growth phase, still working on product development and feeling my way around. It is a tough road, but worth continuing. Good luck and thanks for sharing your process with us.

[lisa]

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[rifferaff]

Thanks EVERYONE for your comments!