Seeking advice (re: shows and online sales, some other things)

Just some quick, simple advice.
1. Raise your prices about 30%
2. Cut your shop hours to 8 hours
3. Dedicate 2 hours a day to the computer. Updating your website, posting photos and answering emails.
4. Set up email marketing with constant contact or other. Use this to send an email when a knife is complete and available.
5. When you feel burned out take a day and go fishing or something where you are away from the shop and computer.

You do good clean work and make nice knives.
If people know what you have available they will buy them without you having to cheap sell them.
But don't count on just one venue for sales.
Website, email, forums and do a show at least once a year so people can meet you and see your knives in person.

Just my 2 cents.
 
Ian, if you have ADD or ADHD, see a specialist and get it treated. Untreated ADHD is highly associated with bankruptcy. Its also associated with creativity and performing well under stress. Treatment allows the benefits to stay and helps with the deficits.

I have ADHD and I can tell you first hand that life is about 400% easier with treatment. :thumbup:
 
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Lots of good advice going on here in this thread. Most craftsmen have some form of mental deficit but I think that is what makes us who we are. Making knives as a sole source of income ( I know your wife makes bank) but has to be a tough way to make a living . I make knives because I like to making things with my hands . Although I do make a decent yet modest income my personal tastes just cant be met by making knives alone. I don't really think knife making is even a good career choice. It's dirty and a health hazard ... It is also mentally draining at times. It is very performance driven or result driven . When making a knife you are constantly on the edge of disaster. There are so many things that can go wrong with just a slip of the hand. I can fully understand why we can get a little snippy with certain emails we get from time to time.

Ian .. As you know you do good solid work. Take some time to budget your time and stick to it. Mark has some good points above, Remember the things you did before knife making. The things that you enjoyed before you started working for yourself. Take it from me. I have been self employed my whole adult life. I make a schedule and stick to it. I used to get consumed by my work. I have spent countless hours in my shop. It becomes an obsession .. You know trying to get one more thing done. Myself I have come to the conclusion that I am not taking many orders and get back to what I enjoy about making knives. You will get it sorted out. But I will have to give one piece of advise . If your planning on making a career you either have to up you volume with some helpers or your going to have to make ABS style knives and your going to have to make them well.. Because holly shit there are some really great makers to compete with.
 
There have been many great suggestions.

Getting treatment for any issue is very important in life. It generally helps out very much.
Keeping folks updated of what's going on is important and the recommendations about updating the website and sending info to subscribed individuals should be helpful.
Limit your time in the shop since it seems it's going to do you in.
Have fun outside the shop.
Exercise regularly. It should help you be more productive, clear your mind and allow you to reflect on the current day or past day.
Getting you name out to buyers is super important. We have many arts shows in the Denver area and you get a chance to see what is available from local craftsmen.

I wish you the best.
 
I love reading threads like this, but not at the expense of the author. I'm sorry to hear about your struggles, but thank you for posting it. It will fit in perfectly if the Business Forum ever gets made.

A couple of thoughts...

Have you considered getting an apprentice? Some of the very productive guys here have them, and I don't believe they are paid. I know I would help you out if I lived near just for the education. Obviously taking the time to teach is its own time sink, however, I do think it pays off if they stay with you.

Do your customers require a sheath? Some make them, some don't. I don't know how much of a deciding factor it is for a purchase.

I don't have a sewing machine yet, but I do think it'll increase your productivity. I think I extended an offer to you once before, but if you ever need anything that I can help you with, just ask. I think there are a lot of folks that want to see you succeed, me included. Honestly, the HM market would lose a great talent if you ever decided to hang up your belts.
 
HallHandmade said:
Don,

I think I got the sampler platter. :)
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I ask because the only guys I've known to work all night & more than 60 hours a week had one of those things with big initials.:)

I've been full time since 1991 and have never worked after super or later than 6pm. Sometimes 7 days a week, but never more than 50 hours, usually less than 40 hours.

And while we're on the subject, the makers fixed blade for sale forum here seems dead, unless the price is very low! I've posted a few of my sons knives here and this summer has been very slow, and still is...

Knife shows, pics in Blade Mag & a good dealer or two all help...
 
By the way... I just meant that it looks like you are doing things right, sometimes it just takes time for things to happen. Get plenty of rest and keep up the great work!
 
Regarding paypal, all things considered is not a bad option IMHO, going the merchant route to process credit cards (CC) payments its a tricky business for many reasons:

1) customers will need to send you all of their CC details and you will need to keep that info safe from prying eyes
2) processing company will ask you to sign a waiver for online sales that put most of the burden if a probem arises on your side
3) is not the same to have the CC at hand and swipe it than do it over the phone or with the CC details, the CC processor will side with the CC owner most of the time if you are not swiping.

Im not suggesting a method over another, just clarifying some points so you can make a better and informed decision.

Now regarding knifes, as someone said, if you make a knife the way the customer likes, it will be always be more expensive and partially paid in advance than one that you do for general sales.


Pablo
 
Hi everyone, been out for a few days.

Thanks again for all of your time. I had a couple makers contact me off-forum, the outpouring of support for what amounts to me feeling sorry for myself has been tremendous, and I appreciate it very much.

I've read all of your replies over several times, and I appreciate the advice and encouragement.

A lot of things happened this week for me, and I am feeling a LOT better since I originally made this thread.


I got an unexpected pity investment, so I now have on the way:

-Cobra stitching machine
-Evenheat oven w/rampmaster
-Cryo Dewar

-I redid my website and brought it fully up to date
-Working on getting my mailing list fully automated and working
-Going to start pursuing my facebook page, instagram
-Made a game plan to attend at least two shows this coming year
-Pursuing some terrific advertising opportunities that came up

-Spent some time at a notable maker's shop this week, and got a lot of excellent advice, and some much needed encouragement
-Will be using at least one half-day per week for design work and creative pursuits outside of the shop
-At least one half-day per week for social networking including web updates
-Heavy consideration of what really interests me, what style I want to pursue, and what areas I want to specialize in

-No more comfort zone knives
-No more selling cheap because I need the money
-No more taking commissions I don't really want
-No more walking on eggshells with customers

I've already been doing quite well with communication, I generally respond within 24 hours to all communications. That said, I have been slow to ship because of the time involved with hand made sheaths. The stitching machine is going to be a godsend.

I'm really looking forward now. I've had too many people tell me I've only got myself to blame for failure. I've got what it takes to do this and there is just no good excuse for failure.
 
Which stitcher? I'm torn between the 4 and flatbed 18. Definitely leaning toward the 4 though. I'd love to know how you find it.

I'd be willing to bet that you'll be too busy, but there's an ABS Hammer In (west coast) happening later this month right here in Tulare. I'd really love to meet you if there's any chance you can make it. From all accounts it's a fantastic time and instructive. They'll have plenty of classes, but I think the heat treat class would be great for you since you are going in-house. Either way, I'm glad to hear things are smoothing out for ya.
 
Here's my advice: If you double your price, and run off half your customers-you will have twice as much time on your hands, and the same income.

You obviously are/were suffering a case of severe burnout. Take time for you, get organized both physically and mentally. Doing other things for income will help, too.
There are a lot of good knifemakers. What are you going to do to differentiate yourself? Shows are good and you should do a few. You might meet 2-300 potential new customers. The Internet will allow you to meet more than that each day.
 
Great thread!!! I'm not on here too much but stumbled across this thread and wow, a lot of great advice from makers who have been there. I put about two to three days a week into my making and was thinking about full time. This thread has shown some light on a few of the questions/problems that I was anticipating, and some I hadn't even though of. Ian, your work looks great to me and I am glad you are backing up and getting a good running start at it. I am on the east coast in Virginia and don't get out west much. Maybe I'll run in to you at the Blade Show one day and can thank you in person for bringing this all up. I think that you have helped more of us than you know with this thread. Thanks!
 
Nathan you hit the nail on the head with your post. I have been at this for a short ten years now and have seen this type of burn out a time or two. In tell customers of mine that talk about going full time to not even think about going full time with in the first five years regardless of there skill set coming into knife making. It takes some time to build up those repeat bread and butter customers that make going full time MUCH easier.
Ian it maybe a good idea to take a part time job for a while. As tough as it will be I would think it would be a big relief for you. You will be able to make knives on a part time basis and actually enjoy yourself while doing so.

Kindly,
Brett
Nathan the Machinist said:
Your problem is you're trying to do too much too fast. This is the problem with jumping in with both feet and going full time so soon.

Nine men and nine women can not make one baby in one month.

There is a sweet spot, and if you're working 80 hour weeks you're over doing it. If you can't make a reasonable income on 50 hours a week then you need to add something different to the mix, not more of the same.

Funny joke:

Two bumpkins decided to open a road side watermelon stand. They bought watermelons from a farmer for $1.00 and sold them on the side of the road for $2. Sales were slow and they didn't make much income. So they dropped their price to $1.50 and sales got better but they weren't making any more money. So they dropped their price to $1.00 and were able to sell an entire truckload in half a day but they made even less money. Not sure what the problem was, they decided to take out a loan and buy a bigger truck...


You're a talented new maker with great quality, but it takes time to become prominent. As you become better known your work will sell better, but making lots of work and selling it too cheap will make your hair fall out.




I like knife shows because you can meet lots of old friends and new people that you won't see on line, but given the time and costs of going to show I prefer to sell online. I can sell just as many knives online in a day as I can at a show and not have to sit behind a table. I recommend you go to a couple shows a year to solidify relationships you form with people face to face, but I wouldn't make them my primary outlet.

No matter where you sell, you're going to have problems occasionally and will sometimes get screwed. It's the cost of doing business, don't internalize it. The few times I've taken it in the shorts hasn't added up to much, and certainly wasn't worth getting worked up about. Take it in stride because at the end of the day it won't put much of a dent in your bottom line, just move on.
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