A Decision

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
Im trying to get tony to build her a canopy bed for her doll. He was supposed to have had it done by xmas but he didnt. Ass.
 

buddy

New Member
Lisa, since sweaters dont have to fit so perfectly like size 4, 6, 8 etc... I would do sm. medication. large x large??? .... maybe a baby size 12 months. then they can buy big and have the kids grow into them.... wearing a sweater big is no big deal.
 

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
I just looked at those pics.

You crochet WAYYYYYYYY better than I do!!! I did hats for the kids this year, green and yellow stripes for Jett and pewter gray for Onyxx. They both "LOVED" them and I've yet to see either one wear them. on the other hand, this will be the first truly cold day since they've gotten them...
 

trinityroyal

Well-Known Member
Lisa, that outfit is just stunning.

Now, putting my "business hat" on for a moment, I have a few thoughts:

1) Prices
For that outfit, you could charge at least $24.99 + tax ($29.99 in some markets). You might want to come up with a rough guide to your prices, for example: 2-easy child outfit = $19.99, 2-easy child with booties = $24.99, 4-easy child outfit = $34.99, etc. People will pay quite a lot for beautifully made doll clothes.
You can also make small items to sell stand-alone, such as hats or booties for $7.99 each.
When you're setting prices, make sure that you factor in the cost of your materials. You don't want to run at a loss or just break even.
(I've suggested that all the prices be $N.99, because for some reason that appeals to people more than round numbers. I'm not sure of the psychology behind it, but many marketing studies have shown this)

2) Inventory
I would stay away from custom orders initially, and instead focus on building up a stock of standard outfits. Come up with 2 or 3 patterns and make multiple sets of each one in a variety of colours. Once you see how well those outfits sell, then you can expand the line slowly. Since you're a One Woman Shop, taking custom orders will slow down your production and you might find yourself running behind on orders. Before you launch your business officially, I would work toward having at least 5 of each type of outfit, plus a few extra hats and booties beyond what you will need for the sets.

When you have your first orders, you can use your existing stock to fill them, and immediately start making a new one for whatever you sell.

Feel free to PM me if you would like further information. I'm just brainstorming, but if you have specific questions I'm happy to answer them.

Trinity
 

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
Trinity is right.

If you do this as a "hobby", you don't have to report it on taxes, so you do not have to charge them. HOWEVER, once you turn a profit... You MUST.

(Used to sell Mary Kay... It was awful.)
 

trinityroyal

Well-Known Member
Step makes a good point as well.

I'm not familiar with your local tax or business laws, but it's something to think about before you really get rolling.

If you will be required to charge and remit taxes once you start making a profit, then it might be worth finding out about the business registration and licensing requirements in your area. If you're a registered business then you might also have access to the wholesale market for yarn and crochet supplies as well as packing and shipping materials, which can save you a lot of money over time. You might also find that it's cost-effective to make an arrangement with a mailbox company such as UPS or FedEx. Having a business address that's separate from your home address can sometimes be a very good thing.
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
LOL I could charge 9.00 for the one I just made and still make at least 4.50 in profit. I use the huge econo size skeins of yarn that are cheaper. I can get at least 4 of these outfits out of one of them.....and maybe some odd and end things like bibs or booties. I only know that from the pattern making part. You make it up, see something needs worked on once you try it on, then make it up again. Unless it's a fairly big set, like I said it doesn't require very much yarn. Bitty baby is a small baby doll. I'm really trying to watch that as it's the profit part I need.

I like your Business Hat Trinity. And I think you're right about the whole n.99 thing. I remember being taught that in school way back in HS or something. Society has been trained to think of it as "cheaper", when in a way it actually isn't. You're idea on inventory is a really good one. And as I've said the prospect of custom orders intimidates me. I'd like to stay away from it if possible. I may be PMing you to death. I know squat about a small business.

I was also thinking a Specialty set for each season. Like a xmas outfit, easter dress, 4th of july outfit, halloween, autumn, and a birthday set. Other specialty sets (once I see if it sells well) would be like the Diaper bag set which would come with like an afgan, bibs, baby hat and booties, maybe a cardigan (other contents are just too hard to find like bottles ect) , a Bath set with a hooded towel, wash cloth, robe and slippers and Nichole found where I can pick up mini rubber duckies wholesale. Now especially these last two would NOT be cheap as each set would have a lot and the diaper bag one is a lot of work (but fun to make & Aubrey has envious friends lol )

Right now am thinking the Lilac breeze one I posted, maybe a spring cardigan set which could come in a variety of colors, and an easter dress outfit with some of the infant hats, booties, and bibs on the side. So that would be 3 outfits (including the one for the season's holiday) along with the hats, booties, and bibs. I can easily use the pattern I made for Aubrey's doll xmas 2010 for the cardigan set......and I don't think the dress pattern will take long to make, I've already written the pattern for the Mary Janes. Does that sound like a good starting inventory? Or too much?

buddy making matching outfits for the dolls and their girls might have to be something special I do down the road. Not that it isn't possible, cuz it is.....especially with sweaters and such, it's that the child's part takes considerably longer to make. (the bigger it is, the more time consuming it is) And they'd have to be size specific as I've not run into many patterns for sm, medication, and large. But Aubrey is already requesting this, so I'll be doing it eventually, even if it's like a super special item or something.
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
OMG. So do I have to go to business school? Cuz I can make em, I can make em cheap so I can make money. The rest I might as well be the village idiot, because not only do I know nothing about it........with the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) it's likely to only confuse me. Seriously. Remember, I'm the lady who stands confused at the check out counter trying to figure out what money denominations to hand the cashier. :faint:

I didn't even think of the book keeping part. :(
 

trinityroyal

Well-Known Member
LOL I could charge 9.00 for the one I just made and still make at least 4.50 in profit. I use the huge econo size skeins of yarn that are cheaper. I can get at least 4 of these outfits out of one of them.....and maybe some odd and end things like bibs or booties.

When you're calculating your costs, you need to be sure to factor in ALL of them. So:
- 1/4 skein of yarn
- packing, shipping and mailing costs
- gas to get to and from stores to buy supplies (or shipping costs if you're ordering online)
- crochet needles and accessories
- and most important, YOUR TIME. You need to assume an hourly rate for your labour and factor that in to your costs. It's important to do that even if you don't pay yourself because if your business gets big enough you might have to hire someone to help you and pay them. Factor in something like $5 per hour and all of a sudden $29.99 doesn't seem like an outrageous amount of profit anymore...


I was also thinking a Specialty set for each season. Like a xmas outfit, easter dress, 4th of july outfit, halloween, autumn, and a birthday set. Other specialty sets (once I see if it sells well) would be like the Diaper bag set which would come with like an afgan, bibs, baby hat and booties, maybe a cardigan (other contents are just too hard to find like bottles ect) , a Bath set with a hooded towel, wash cloth, robe and slippers and Nichole found where I can pick up mini rubber duckies wholesale. Now especially these last two would NOT be cheap as each set would have a lot and the diaper bag one is a lot of work (but fun to make & Aubrey has envious friends lol )

I think this is a great idea. A few standard sets in a few colours, and then specialty outfits for different seasons and holidays.
I really like the idea of the diaper bag set, etc. Since your specialty is the crocheted items, I would not even bother with the rubber duckies or any other accessories like that to start with. Those can be found easily elsewhere, so they don't add value to your product line. The hand-work is what makes your business unique, so I would stick to that.

Although the matching girl-and-doll outfits sound lovely, they would be very labour intensive and would take time away from developing your main product line. If you do ever start offering custom designs, that could be a premium item for which you charge something fairly outrageous like $139.99 or even higher. People who are willing to special-order handmade crochet clothing for their children or grandchildren would easily pay that much.

PM away. Start-up is my favourite phase of launching a new business and I'm happy to help.

Trinity
 
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Signorina

Guest
This is so exciting!! Are you thinking of an Etsy shop online? Ebay? Craigslist? Forgive me if you posted that part, I may have missed it! I love the outfit!!
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
Well if you ever make that sweater for Aubrey you do know you have to make a matching one for her board cousin right? Along with an outfit for Keyana's doll...lol. I can also show you how to get an easy software program to keep this stuff under control. Here you dont have to charge sales tax on products sold online unless they are sold in your state but some major companies do. Otherwise, people are supposed to declare how much they have bought online every year and pay the sales tax on their 1040 every year. Can you hear me laughing now.
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
This is so exciting!! Are you thinking of an Etsy shop online? Ebay? Craigslist? Forgive me if you posted that part, I may have missed it! I love the outfit!!

I'm thinking of etsy, fb, and ebay at the moment. (ebay only because I can use Travis' premium seller acct) And I agree, exciting except the book keeping part. lol

Trinity back last year when I first started considering this.........husband told me I should at least pay myself min wage. I told him he was crazy. If I did that, no one could afford some of the items. (diaper bag especially) But I'm guessing he was saying the same thing as you. Which, if I were to hire someone makes sense, I suppose. I know the woman who has the excellent hand sewn items for dolls charges from 20-25.00 for each set, but sewing doesn't take as long as crocheting does, so I guess that makes sense too. Her crocheted items ( very few) are really expensive, adorable, but expensive.

Hmm. Ok. Once the patterns are complete for the ones I want to start with, I'll start timing myself on how long each takes to make, how many outfits out of how many skeins of yarn, and I have no clue about how to figure shipping but post office sends shipping supplies free (Nichole did it a couple of times and so has travis). Most sets will easily fit into a shipping envelope, so won't cost much to send.
 

buddy

New Member
I dont know, you might want to check.... It could pay off to just hire people as independent contractors than to actually hire them. Check with an accountant or tax person. Depends on the level of income etc. and by the way, I am for hire if you teach me to do it! LOL
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
And Janet, of course Aubrey's board cousin will have matching sets! lol Keyana and Aubrey getting baby sibs is what started this whole thing off in the first place. ;)
 

DDD

Well-Known Member
I'm excited for you. The picture is darling. Regarding pricing...have you looked on line to see what your competition is and what they are charging? Think it might be a good idea. You might also look online to see if you have to be a registered business in your State. I've never done a business from home but I would guess that you are required to register, submit taxes etc. Just remember on pricing that you can come down but going up is sometimes tricky. I wish I had paid more attention to my Mother when she encouraged me to learn how to sew, knit, tat and crochet. Sigh. I so admire talented people. DDD
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
by the way........most sets don't take more than a little over 2 hours to make, if I'm uninterrupted that is. Booties, bibs ect I can pop out in under an hour.

Nichole and I are seriously considering starting a crochet club/circle type deal. Let's her and easy child get out of the house without kids on a weekend day........also lets both of them work on their crochet skills, and we'll be inviting others from very beginner to advanced, so we can all help each other out. Items we make......well, was planning on baby items to donate to our county pregnancy center who gives them to low income new mom's who attend their childbirth/parenting classes.

Method to my madness......if Nichole gets a chance to practice her skills and get good, she can be my helper, which she really wants to do. And we all get to socialize while doing it. (which I need since I avoid leaving the house) easy child is wanting to work on her skills, but I'm not sure if she'd be interested in helping with this due to schedules ect.

(step you can ride with Nichole lol )
 

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
LOL Lisa!!!

Since it took me 3 months about, to finish the afghan that's about 5 feet by 5 feet... OK, so it was about 2 hours per hat. I'm NOT fast. And I'm not terribly creative in that way.

A few years back I made a sweater for a guy friend. It ended up being HUGE on him, and he was a big guy. But I had a heck of a time with it. I can do potholders, scarves, hats and afghans...
 
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Signorina

Guest
You know...if the crochet circle comes to fruition - you could start offering a class here and there. I would love to learn how to knit/crochet. Tried to teach myself with an instruction booklet - MAJOR FAIL. It may even be a good opportunity to offer basic instruction classes to local scout troupes, etc for the cost of materials just to get the word out. Maybe even a retirement home or senior citizen class here or there. I know our park & recreation department also offers 6 week classes as well as occasional "project" classes - a 1 or 2 session class that starts and completes a project - like pot holders or hats or scarves. And check out local craft fairs - I know many have huge "booth costs" but craft fairs affiliated with churches or schools are often low-fee - and would probably be a good market for your doll clothes.

I wouldn't worry about the business license or incorporating etc until you really start making huge profits. You can just claim any profits it on your taxes as income. Unless you are paying people huge amounts of money - you can pay them cash as casual labor and the impetus is on them to claim it on their own taxes. AFAIK, Ohio does not require a sole proprietorship to obtain business licenses. The only thing you may want to look into is a sales tax license if you do a lot of in state sales. But I think you are a ways off from that.

(by the way - a good friend used to attend a knitting circle - they called it "stitch and b!tch"... fwiw)
 
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