GIVING YOUR SMALL BUSINESS THE VALUE IT DESERVES!
By Arianne Plehandzic
Let me tell you about the excitement of growing as an artist!
When you first start out...you feel unsure and nervous about where you fit in as an artist. I have tried doing other things like nursing, hair dressing, computer graphics designer, jewelry making in my life. It was not until I picked up that paint brush that it just FELT RIGHT!! It came easily to me... it relaxed me... it made me very happy! It started as a relaxing hobby and has become a passion. It was tough for me personally to put my work out there. I don't have the greatest self esteem. Once I had the courage to put my work out there, I was so delighted by the response. Everyone loved my art and they said 'You have talent!"...!! So you mean everyone likes something that I love doing?! How wonderful!!!
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| My very first watercolor painting! |
The next natural step for me was to sell my art. My husband works hard as a pipe fitter/construction plumber. He never complains and is always willing to work overtime. We both enjoy the idea of having me home to take care the kids and our home. Call us 'old fashioned'...we don't mind. The idea of making extra income sounded good to me anyway. However, my problem was that I didn't put any real value to my hard work and it showed. Listing products much lower than what they were worth. Selling products at the price that it cost me to make them. I was just thinking about making a quick buck and trying too hard to be 'nice' to my customers.
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| My 'Wild Flowers' painting! |
It has taken me almost a year to learn and accept the true value of my work. Seeing that hard work should be paid just like any other job. Understanding that what I was doing was unique and one-of-a-kind. Only I can paint the way I paint...and no one else! Which is true of any craft or job. Be happy about what you have to offer. When others see this joy, they appreciate your work even more. Your confidence helps a customer feel a sense of trust with you as a business person.
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| A day spent painting a bird is a day well spent! |
Another problem I was having before was trying to please the customer by not taking in account all the extra things I was doing for them. I was trying so hard to please, that I was taking money out of my own pocket to pay for that extra shipping cost, or giving away free products that were worth the same price as the product they paid for. Sometimes being 'too nice' is a good way to go out of business. Remember that the product they paid for is good enough for that price. Adding a couple dollars for shipping so that you aren't losing your profit IS OKAY!
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| My art studio giving off a rainbow effect! :) |
You have to remind yourself that what you do is handmade with love! Yes in this industry we use that term a lot, but IT IS SO TRUE!! We are not a factory popping products out by the minute. We are passionate people who work very hard on a single product. And the silly thing is many of our customers already know this. That concept took me so long understand. I have an Etsy shop and almost everyone shopping on Etsy are looking for handmade items. Keep this in mind when you are pricing and putting together your product. Don't try to compete with Wal-mart or Target. That will just cause you frustration and profit loss. An art print in Target can be bought at $12. An art print in my shop starts at $15 and up. The difference is my art prints are unique and one-of-a-kind. Plus I have put in hours and hours of sketching, painting, scanning, editing, printing and packaging. All those things need to come into account when I list my print.
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| My shop display at a local farm. |
Every small business has to go through a learning process and it involves a lot of hard work. The true joy comes from finding the value and pleasure in your small shop. Knowing that what you have to offer is special and you enjoy sharing it with the rest of the world. So please take a tip from me...don't take your value away to make your customer happy. You will have a more success and be a more profitable business giving yourself the credit you deserve!
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| Here's to you and your success! xoxo, Arianne |
