I can't say that I have my own business but I do sell my handmade products recently. I'm dreaming that it will be an additional source of income since I have less Babysitting income and no OT pay nowadays. Currently, I'm not focusing on this and I'm just selling to friends, colleagues and relatives. It's not easy and I've came across a few issues along the way which makes me feel lousy selling my things....
"Your stuff/items is so expensive!"
At times, I get a comment along the lines of this and it does makes me feel bad... And because of this, I honestly just want to get back my cost price for most of the time.. And hence I'm using my precious time and ended up not earning at all. Not many understand and appreciate that when one buy something that is handmade, you are not just paying for the supplies or shopping at a general shop where things are manufactured in bulk overseas by machines. You are also paying for the labour, the time, the cost of the supplies and even the sellers's ideas and artworks (not for my case since so far I had yet to have one which I can call my own). You are buying an item that even though you might see somewhere else, it is
the hardwork of that specific seller and there will never be another just
like that one. Like, Ever.. Even the cost of the supplies arn't cheap, not in Singapore anyway... The beading books are expensive and nicer beaded figurines diagrams are hard to find and too complex to even understand. Most of them are in Japanese and some chinese books are in the form of tables. The design diagrams are not widely available on the internet. The quality of the supplies matters too... Crystals are more expensive and the top of the list is Swarovski crystals. Compromise the quality for cheaper cost makes me feel bad. I want my products to be of high quality too. I love my products. Not to mention that a small product will easily requires alot of beads to make. Just a simple small beaded chick/penguin requires a total of 36 beads.
"If it can be handmade, it is easy to make"
Yes and no for this, it might be easy but making it takes time after all.... Do you know how long it takes for me to bead something? It takes me anywhere along a few mins(to make the chick/penguins) to even a whole day and still ended up with nothing for the more complex ones! That is IF I were to sit there, 100% focus and to do nothing else. Made a mistake somewhere and I have to re-do the whole thing again. At times, I simply cant understand the diagram no matter how hard I tried.... It is not that easy... My body don't allow me to sit there for hours, my back hurts after awhile, my hands and eyes too... My fingers hurts from pulling the wire/fishing line tight in order to produce a tougher product. If I don pull the wire/fishing line tight enough, the end product will be like ''soft and saggy'.
3D beaded figurines are in fact much more difficult
than those 2 string weaving bracelet. You must have a good imagination
on how is the figurine look while inserting every bead onto the thread. I'm not good in visualizing and 'converting' 2D diagrams into 3D figurines.Well, unlike normal weaving bracelet in such that the
strings is heading up and down, left to right, in order to follow the diagrams, I need to flip the book upside down and most of the time, I lost direction which string is to be held by the left hand or the right hand, which string to put the bead in and which to string across. Some beads are to be beaded more than once, it is hard to figure out which bead is supposed to thread through and even if i had, it is at times hard to string the line through the same bead again. 100% focus is required during beading in order not to be lost or make any mistake.
After a few hours, its too painful and tiring and sometimes I just have to stop and rest for the
day.
"Discount or Please Make for me"
Keeping the above two in mind, try to understand the
frustration when I am asked for a "Family/Friends Discount" or ask me to make for them for free. The worse I felt was when my mum "helped" to sell off my things to my aunt and I was given $10/- for my hardwork of making over 20 Xmas Gifts. It is not even enough to cover my cost!!! This year, I was told to give her my extra xmas gift products so that she can give it out as xmas gifts!!!! I love making handmade stuffs for those I love for special occasions, but I don't like being TOLD to make and give them for free just as and when.
Do you even appreciate my handmade products?
Please don't ask for discount, please.... I hate saying 'no' because I love what I do and honestly wish that this will be a form of additional income. Plus, it is kinda of disrespectful when you simply ask for it for free or even discount as it feel like my effort, time and hardwork is not taken into consideration and it feels like my product is just simply not worth it. You do not value my product. It takes
ALOT of efforts, ALOT of trial and error and its not something I can just be like "yeah
you can have it for free or yeah, I can give u a discount". Do you know that before I can make the item and sell it, I will have to make a rough prototype using the plastic beads and since it is something new I was trying to make, it always takes 2-3 times longer time to make.
There is this chart I found online to get an idea of what my items will be priced. Adjustments are to be made depending on each item. I honestly respect handmade seller who are able to turn their hobbies into small business. It is NOT easy at all!
