Clutch-Me.Com

Learn. Make. Sell. All about clutches.

Urgent Matter: Shop to CLOSE temporarily Oct. 26th!

I want you all to know first that the shop will close from Oct. 26th and will re-open November 17th.  This is the first time I’ve ever closed the shop but the reason is dire and I want to let you all know why.

LAST day for orders will be Oct. 25th.

Here’s why:

For those of you who’ve been with me these many years, you all have heard that “I come from a long line of great women.”  And none so great as my maternal Grandmother.  You may also know that I relocated to Viet Nam earlier this year due to my husband’s job.  My sisters, Thy and Y, have done all the operational aspects of the shops, WhileBabyNaps for fine purse frames and PurseFramesOutlet for upcycled purse frames.

Since our relocation in July, I’ve also spent this time to visit my Gram who is in very ill health and has remarkably worsened in the last 3 weeks.  She has lived a great life and we are trying to make her comfortable in her last days.  In this coming week, I have family coming from the US to visit her one final time.  Thy, who has been inspecting and shipping out your orders and doing all the convos and custom listings, will leave her own family to come here to see our Gram.  There’s been a lot of scurrying to get passports, plane ticket$, and visas.  We expect this to be the final goodbye and eventual funeral as our Gram’s condition continues to deteriorate.

I’ve been visiting her every day that I can and bringing my kids to see their Great Gram.  Here’s a pic of my oldest, 9 year old Ethan taking a little snooze next to his 98 year old Great Gram.

My friend said "It's like he's passing his young energy to her to sustain her."

Our Grandmother was the best.  She raised 6 kids and survived both my Grandfather and one child, our mother.  As is in Vietnamese tradition, she also raised all of the grandkids, including my sisters and I.  All 3 of us used to sleep with her on the same bed.   She was the one who fed us, clothed us, spanked us, hugged us, raised us, and loved us.  Since we lost our mother while we were still little, she really was our own mother for many years.  So it’s with much sadness that this amazing woman will have to leave us, but we are all comforted in knowing that she will be going to a better place.

It’s through her and stories of our paternal Grandmother as well, that we all are such strong women ourselves.   As per my previous posts, there is a reason why my business motto for WhileBabyNaps is not “The Finest Purse Frames Ever” or something to do with the products, it’s “Putting Women in Business”.  And I am sure I get that from being borne to an amazing line of women on both sides.

So in order for us to fulfill your orders in time and not over-promise, we will close the shop and our expected re-open date is November 17th.  If Thy gets back sooner then we will let you know and will re-open the shop at that time.

As far as those with Custom Orders and still unshipped orders for the nickel-free frames that I just had produced, they will be shipped out to you as soon as they come in and we expect them to come in late this week or early next week.  My other sister Y, who does the PurseFramesOutlet business is flying from FL to OH to help take care of Thy’s 2 boys and inspect and ship those outstanding orders immediately upon inspection.  All orders submitted by Oct. 25th will be shipped out to you prior to Thy’s departure.

During this time, you can still send me convos and emails.  I will work every evening to answer any questions you may have.

For those of you wanting to place an order during shop closure knowing that it will not be shipped until Nov. 17th, please email me or convo me.  We can accommodate customers who have ordered with us before since you know we will fulfill what we promise and there’s an established level of trust. 

I hope that closing the shop will allow us to focus on family at this critical time.  I also hope that the decision in closing the shop and losing out on more than half of our monthly sales shows you our commitment to fulfill only what we know we can deliver.

I do apologize if this shop closure is in any way an inconvenience to any of you.  I know – fully – that you depend on our shop for your own businesses, and this decision was not done lightly.

Please stay tuned and I will keep you in the loop on the latest production, inventory restocking, and any updates.

Thank you all,

Winn

October 24, 2011 Posted by | WhileBabyNaps General Updates | 2 Comments

New Twitter promotions and 20% OFF Joann’s!

Hey guys!

Another promotion on Twitter featuring some amazing clutches for sale by various sellers who use my fine purse frames.

Check these out before they are sold out!  Of course, the sellers will be happy to custom-make one for you!

Another group of amazing clutches!

Also, if you haven’t already signed up at Joann.com, you should really do it because:

*It’s free.

*You get coupons sent to your inbox.

*You can print the coupons out from your desktop printer.

There is currently a 20% OFF TOTAL PURCHASE (!).  I save these to stock up on supplies and materials.

Email subscription for coupons!

Go get yours!

September 16, 2011 Posted by | SALES and PROMOTIONS | , , , , | Leave a comment

Arts and Crafts Fairs info for Fall 2011.

I know many of you have heeded my advice and have registered to show and sell your clutches at local/regional arts and crafts fairs.  I wanted to update you on some good information that my sister Y, who helps run PurseFramesOutlet.Etsy.com, has provided.  As you know, PurseFramesOutlet is literally our sister shop where we sell upcycled purse frames that did not meet our QC process.

Here is a great article on the pro’s and con’s between juried and non-juried arts and crafts show.  This author does a superb job explaining the difference and  offering you great tips to get your clutches ready for a juried show.  Personally, I prefer juried shows because:

*It’s a good bang for your buck!  In addition to selling some merchandise there, you can advertise and promote your clutches as having been accepted to show at XY juried show.  That is a great plus!

*The quality is built in.  Juries have screened all vendors and have a good mix there.  As a jeweler as well, I’ve been to shows where I would be up against 25 other jewelers!  Juried shows balance out the type of vendors showing providing the right mix.

*Juried shows typically have higher-priced goods sold.  (Their entry/table fees are typically higher so that weeds out many.)  This allows you to sell your clutches at very competitive prices.  You will also see that you are often the only 1 of 2 handmade clutch makers there.  This is still in its infancy.

“Juried” shows just means that a jury of people (2 or more judges comprised of other artists or people who know about the crafts) pick out who they let in to be a seller/vendor at their show.  They have to balance the types of vendors at their venue, pick out the best vendors, and weed out any suppliers who do not meet their criteria.  ALL shows that I’ve been to have had a plethora of jewelry vendors.  Seeing a clutch handbag maker at a show is like seeing a panda:  there’s just not that many of them and you have to be at the right place.  So your chances of being accepted into a juried show is great!

Here is a list of the Editor’s Picks on the best Juried Crafts Fairs in the country.  Click on the hyperlink or pic to see if there is one near you.  Dates are also listed.

Is there one near you?

This is also another good source.  The Art Fair Calendar and the Artist Galleries do not require a paid subscription to view.

The following are links to the top 3 places to find an art/craft festival near you.

1.  http://festivalnet.com/ – We like this because it also lists Puerto Rico, Canada, and the Virgin Islands.  Who’s going???  🙂

2. http://www.artfaircalendar.com/

3. http://www.fairsandfestivals.net/ – Click on the map to find one in your state.  This also has awesome resources and articles such as “What Makes a Crafts Show Successful?”

There are also many of you who sell specifically to the bridal market.  Here are two resources for bridal shows!

1. http://afwpi.com/shows/index.html – This is the big kahuna.  You can find bridal shows all over the world!  Asia, Australia, Europe, Africa …  (I’m name-dropping for my international customers!)  🙂

2. http://www.herecomestheguide.com/fair/ – This is limited to California, Chicago, and Washington DC.  California is HUGE for the bridal market!

I always love a good arts and crafts fair.  Nothing like wearing a pair of comfy shoes, cold iced coffee in hand, and walking from booth to booth.  I LOVE talking to the vendors and artists.  Love hearing their vision, passion, and knowledge of their craft.  Here is one of my favorite purchases, bought 8 years+ ago at an arts fair in New Jersey.

Handmade by 2 great ladies. Made from scraps of upholstery fabric. The fringe is luscious. This thing weighs a ton and keeps me toasty!

I hope the links provided are helpful to you.  Have some fun on a Sunday afternoon by going to your local crafts fair!  Bring cash  🙂

September 14, 2011 Posted by | Helpful Tips | , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

I remember … September 11.

“11” has been my favorite number since I was eight.

My first born, Ethan, was born on May 11, 2002 at 11:11 am.

I opened my Etsy shop on 11/11/09.

“11” is still my favorite number.

On September 11, 2001, I had a scheduled mid-morning flight out of O’Hare back to Newark.  I had been in Chicago staying at my brother-in-law’s house.

My niece, Lauren, had just been born a couple days earlier and I was in the hospital holding her in my arms.  She was a big baby:  she tired my inexperienced arms out quickly!

The night before on the 10th, I had just found out I was pregnant with my first child.  I was excited to go back home to New Jersey to share this exciting time with my husband.

What amazing news and time for us.

Then it happened.

*******************

Then all flights were grounded and cancelled.

I ended keeping the rental car and I was allowed to drive it back to New Jersey.

I made my way from Chicago to my dad’s in Indiana.  To my sister’s in Ohio.  Back to my husband in New Jersey.

I remember.

The joyous news of my pregnancy now juxtaposed by what we were seeing and hearing on the News.

But the creation of life in my belly gave us hope in the days and weeks ahead.

I had been at the restaurant at the top of the World Trade Centers the previous October to ‘September 11’ having great desserts with my besties Lisa and David, who would later pass of bone cancer.

This is how I remember.

“11” is still my favorite number.

I remember. Photo courtesy of History.com

Blessings to all those who died on that day, September 11, 2001.

Blessings to all those who died in the days following September 11 as a result of their heroic efforts.

Blessings to all who remember.

~Winn

September 11, 2011 Posted by | WhileBabyNaps General Updates | | 1 Comment

The importance of plating in metal purse frames.

As many of you have noticed and inquired, we are currently SOLD OUT of most of our nickel-free purse frames.  I wanted to take time to let you all know why and when we will have them back in stock.

What happened?

A:  We sold out many sizes due to our massive growth this year.  We have put all our profits back into every production but we are having to produce every 4-6 weeks to keep up with the demand.  With over 3000+customers on Etsy plus big orders from our webstore, we have continually surpassed our projected needs.  Thy is doing just enough to keep up with orders with 98%+ of orders sent within 24 hours of payment.  THANK YOU for your continued loyalty and support.  We do not take that for granted, whether you order a set of 3 or a set of 100.  Every order is taken with the same care and appreciation.  🙂

Why is it that only the nickel-free purse frames are sold out?

A:  WhileBabyNaps is known for our nickel-free finish and antique brass finishes.  We finally found a good antique brass finish earlier mid-year and got enough in stock to last until the Fall.  However, the nickel-free products encountered some issues with our plating company, which did not meet our manufacturing specifications.

What were these issues?

A:  In each production, our specs must be followed, e.g. the trademarked Perfect Fit 6(TM) u-channel size must meet the design, the rectangular shape, the size of kisslock balls.  Other specs must be met as well, and one of the most important ones is the plating that goes on last.  In the last production, the plating uniformity did not meet our specs and the entire batch had to be thrown out.  We had to go back to square one!  This set us back leaving us unable to restock our inventory.  Coupled with an outstanding August, we quickly ran out of purse frames to sell.  I would rather have nothing to sell you, and have you buy from a competitor, than having less than optimal frames to sell to try to “pass” it by you.  You may never know the difference but I cannot risk WhileBabyNaps’s reputation and more importantly, your trust in us and our products.  And that means not having any to sell and disappointing many of you in the short-term.

What is the importance of plating?

A:  I’ve long shown you what to look in your purse frames such as the amount of lead, stray fibers, a grey coat.  Plating is one where it’s my job to ensure that you never have to worry about it.  Plating is the process that gives my purse frames their finish.  And I use a nickel-free coating that’s good for many reasons, such as, nickel-allergy is a rising allergy amongst women.  On top of this nickel-free coating is a clear protective coating that allows the frame to last the lifetime of the clutch.  The frame will last as long or longer than the fabric portion of your clutch.  In a nutshell, the way that the metals get applied to the frame is like a chemical bath using electricity.  It is not painted on.  It’s the same process used for doorknobs, drawer pulls and handles … all products that are handled daily.  Those products use a much thicker plating process (more industrial) due to their functionality, but all will wear out as well!

Why didn’t the last production meet your specs?

A:  In metallurgy, I see where and if I can make changes in the manufacturing process to lengthen the life of the frames. But so far, the thickness of the plating in my fine purse frames is already thicker than all other manufactured frames out there. I originated and am the only one to use a nickel-free plating process on purse frames which meets our Environmental Protection standards.  I continually investigate if there are changes that I can make that will allow me to improve on the wear and tear without compromising anything else (Env. Protection, lead levels, etc…).

In plating:

*I use 10μm for the thickness.
*The lower range for plating of 2-5μm is good to prevent mild corrosion, and higher thicknesses of 5-10μm is ideal for mild wear and tear.
*Anything higher requires a much higher cost as the process requires careful attention to prevent pitting on the surface and roughness.

The last production that we received did not meet the 10μm thickness.  Although anything between 5-10μm is ideal for mild wear and tear, I did not feel that these met my updated standards set in 2010.  A thickness of 10μm is ideal and is on the very high end of where I want to go with my frames. The fabric will wear out at the same rate, if not sooner, than the metal frame. The metal purse frames are considered mild use, as opposed to metal on a motorcycle that is exposed to rocks, loose asphalt, road salt, etc… which would require much higher thicknesses.  (In 2009, we used to have thinner plating in the mid-range for this class at 5μm and it was increased to 10μm.)

What are the factors in its wear-and-tear?

A:  The daily use of it will cause it to wear down.  “Occasional” clutches such as bridal bags, bridesmaids clutches, satin, silk or other fine fabric clutches do not get used very often (due to their design aesthetics) and will last a lot longer. Clutches made using quilting cotton and other wearable-type fabrics will be used much more often and will wear down faster due to its frequent use.  However, the frame will last as long as the fabric does.  Air exposure of sun and salt does not contribute to its wear-and-tear like daily touching it with natural oils on your hands, lotions, perfumes and soaps will.  For example, if your customer by the sea used it on occasion and sat it perched on her open window, the fabric will fade from the sun’s rays but the metal frame will NOT have any effect from the sun or salty air.

What can I do to protect my clutch?

A:  Like all fine handbags and purses, you, and your customers, can wipe the clutch after use for storage.  Wipe the frame to remove any oils and residue, and wipe the rest of the bag to remove lint and dirt.  If it’s a leather clutch, use a cleaner made for leather specifically to remove dirt that will not harm the leather.  In my closet, I have my small batch of various handbags, clutches made by me (yours truly) and purses Furla, Kate Spade (I’m totally name-dropping  …) all with tissue inside to retain their shape.  I wipe them all with a soft, lint-free cloth, and some I have them in lint-free bags that they came in.  So when you sell yours – especially in a boutique setting that you have no control of – do include instructions on its care.  This will improve your branding as well as present your hand-made, original clutches in a great light  with this extra customer-care that customers like!  Some clutch makers go a step beyond and include a lint-free bag with the purchase as well as a lint-free cloth.  If you have clutches displayed in a boutique:  have sample clutches that can be handled by customers but have duplicates in their original lint-free bags to fulfill orders.  Tell the shop clerks to wipe the sample clutch’s frame with a cloth after it has been handled so it can be gleaming and shiny.  This is the same level of care that is taken for bags in department stores, so you should present your handmade bags in the same manner.

When will the nickel-free frames be back in stock?

A:  We started a new production about 3 weeks ago and should have them for sale in 4-6 weeks.  With the recent production failing to meet our manufacturing specifications, we will take more time in the plating process to ensure uniformity.  As it’s a big production, more time has been dedicated for the QC process.  I will, as always, let you know first hand here on this blog, when they come in.  In the past, I have taken pre-orders for them on my Etsy shop.  You can convo us to request a custom listing for a pre-order.  There is no discount for pre-orders but it will get you in the queue for order fulfillment.

I hope this post helps to explain our continued commitment in providing you only the best purse frames for you in pursuit of your craft, your goods, your shop.

Thank you for your continued understanding and commitment to our shop, our livelihood.  🙂

Cheers

~Winn

September 9, 2011 Posted by | Uncategorized | 2 Comments

2nd week new Twitter promotion

Just up on Twitter:  the next group of clutches made by clutch makers on the Sellers page.

I’m getting great comments on this exposure.  Will endeavor to keep promoting your work!

All are directed to the Facebook fanpage where they can go directly to your shops!

September 6, 2011 Posted by | SALES and PROMOTIONS | , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

New Twitter promotions

Hey guys!

Check out the Twitter wallpaper that I have up!  I will be rotating these with another set in a week.  All to promote my clutch handbag makers who use my fine metal purse frames in their craft.

I tweet about clutches.  Please follow to get the latest tweets!

All will be directed to the Facebook album that I created, which contains a direct link from the clutch to the clutch-maker’s shop.

If you are interested in becoming listed as a seller and get included in my marketing and promotions, please read this post.

Thanks and have a great week!

~Winn

August 28, 2011 Posted by | SALES and PROMOTIONS | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Get your hands on this: exemplary craftsmanship in clutches.

I run across thousands of clutches of every shape, size, and style.  I can spot good craftsmanship like an eagle can spot a field mouse.  And as someone who teaches other women the skill to make clutches so that they can make some income, I have always had the newbies start with the larger clutches as that scale is easier for novices.  As many of you know, the smaller the scale, the more precise you have to be.  You don’t have that much room to be off on your measurement, cutting, seam allowance, or sewing.  Sometimes, you are just “all thumbs”!  🙂

Many of you have purchased my 3×1.5 purse frames to make coin purses.  This allowed you to:

*expand your product line offering

*capture potential sales by offering a lower price point in your shop

*use small bits of beloved fabric leftover from bigger clutches to make a complimentary product

And you all know full well how much of a challenge this size and scale can be to make.  This, I believe, really shows where you are in the skill development of your craft.

So can you see how thrilled I was when I ran across one of these amazing coin purses showing what I believe to be one of the best displays of craftsmanship.  In one of our many convos (I sure can talk a lot, can’t I?), I mentioned to her how much I really admired her craftsmanship.  Only after I looked at her purchase history did I realize that she had started earlier this year with my $8 PDF tutorial, some glue, and a few frames!  *beaming*

Let’s take a look at the work done by Wendy at ByMyTouch.Etsy.com:

Wendy also makes bigger clutches and you can also see her fine handwork on these as well!  🙂

What makes Wendy’s work even more impressive is her story.  Wendy does all this meticulous work all the while living with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.  

I was even more amazed by her after being reminded of this.  (I had forgotten her bio as I have lots of customers … and everyone changes their thumbnail pics all the time!)  I was so inspired after our string of convos that I wanted to bring her work, her shop, and her story to you so that you can get that spark you may need.  We all can get in a rut, even doing things that we love.  And sometimes it takes something, or someone, to inspire us to do more, to do better, to move forward with vigor and joy.  Wendy is that person.  If you are not inspired by her, you are dead to me.  1/2 joking here … 😛

Here is our Q&A.  You will find that she is a good writer as well!  Geez- what can’t she do??  🙂

Q: What is fibromyalgia? What is CFS?

I’ve had Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome for 9 years and over time I was unable to work and had to close my Landscape Design business eventually becoming unemployable. It has been a long and often difficult journey towards wellness and I have now seen over 40 specialists which is not unusual for those of us with an ‘invisible illness’, so called because you can’t see what’s wrong just by looking at me – I probably look the picture of health!

Fibromyalgia is different for everyone. For me it has meant a base level of pain all the time, mainly in my neck and head which makes looking down at my sewing or cutting fabric very difficult some days. It causes a lot of severe migraines, light and sound sensitivity which are impossible to push through – if I try to I can end up spending (losing) 2-3 days in bed so I try to pay attention and just accept that I can’t do that today, but tomorrow might be better. During a bad ‘flare up’ where the symptoms get much worse, I will hurt all over – my face, my joints, my whole body except for my nails pretty much! During those times which can last for several weeks, it can be very hard to work and if I try I only make the symptoms worse. The trick to it is to be as productive as possible, without overdoing things to cause flare ups because then I lose so much time that overall I make less than if I went a little slower. It’s a constant juggling act and some days I’m better at it than others.

The CFS is easier to describe – I just feel exhausted. A simple example is having a shower and then drying my hair immediately is beyond me. I need to have a rest in between. So when I’m making a purse, I usually have to do it in several stages with rests in between.

Q: What is your biggest challenge?

Knowing that Fibro dictates everything I do. I am one of life’s ‘doers’. Unfortunately the fibro has meant making accommodations and adaptations continually which often goes against what I want to do.
Energy and concentration are the other biggest challenges because feeling so tired makes it hard to concentrate and I’ve learned that creativity doesn’t mix well with poor attention – mistakes happen, then frustration sets in and if I don’t feel good about what I’ve made, I will not offer it for sale. I’m detail oriented and regardless of what I am making, I want it to be the very best quality design and construction that it can be. Perfection does not exist, but I try very hard!

Q: What do you do to get around these challenges?

I try to pay attention to my symptoms and I know when to stop (I’ve had a lot of practice!). I have a very flexible routine that helps me be as productive as possible – I check my shops first thing each morning, renewing items that have expired, responding to messages etc. Inspiration usually comes the evening before so I am always excited to start making something. Depending on what it is and how I’m feeling I may simply get all the elements together, then after a rest I might cut the pieces out, another step might be to pin everything together. By this point if I’m not feeling well enough to actually start sewing I’m probably feeling frustrated so I get round this by getting everything prepared the night before so that I can get straight on with it in the morning.

It takes me longer to make anything, and as you can see, I have to break any project down into individual stages. Because the majority of my items are one-of-a-kind, I do not create a production line. I’ve done this a couple of times and without exception the frustration of seeing several purses all laid out ready to be made but not having the energy to make them, not only overwhelms me so I grind to a halt, but I’ve found that I don’t enjoy making them because the creativity isn’t there when I’m simply repeating the same designs one after the other.

I have a wonderful large oak drawing board (3’ x 5’) that I used when I was a landscape designer. I’ve laid it horizontal and it raised up to about 4’ so that I can work standing up – this is a huge help because it means I’m not bending over anything with the weight of my head pulling against very tender muscles. It also means I am constantly moving around which helps keep the muscle moving and the blood and oxygen flowing.

Q: What is the inspiration behind your shop’s name?

I think you’ll laugh at this! I had a series of surgeries in 2009 and they necessitated months of bed rest. After the first really big surgery I was on the strongest pain meds and therefore slightly loopy. I had heard about Etsy and when I visited the site, it invited me to sign in. Every name I chose was taken and after more than ½ an hour continually typing in names, I lost patience and just started typing in anything, then to my horror up popped a welcome message! I had no clue of the name I’d typed but fortunately it turned out to be one I liked and wasn’t rude!

Q: Tell me about your charitable contributions from sales of your goods.

Volunteering and donating to charity has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Like many families during this recession, my husband lost his job and we could no longer afford to sponsor a child in Mozambique which we had been doing for years or make any other donation, so I decided to try to earn the money. I had been making some cards and bags for fun as therapy to recover from my surgeries (there was very little I could do at this point, but I could stand at the sewing machine for a few minutes). By February 2010 I’d got the bug and started designing and making things in earnest with the sole aim of raising money for charity. Originally I donated the profits but that didn’t quantify an amount for my customers and the costs of running a business and all that goes with it meant that with only occasional sales, I didn’t have anything left over to donate, so this Spring I changed that to guaranteeing 10% of every bag/purse sale and $1 per card. I know that in business terms this is not wise as it means the charities get paid first regardless of the supplies, fees, business occupation taxes etc that need to be covered too, but I want my customers to know that every purchase supports a charity.

Q: Do you sell your goods elsewhere other than Etsy?

Yes. I have been lucky enough to be invited to sell my items in two local boutiques. I do occasionally get offered wholesale accounts but I am reluctant to accept because I may not be able to make anything for a few weeks if I’m going through a particularly bad flare up of the fibro symptoms or the fatigue.

Q: What else would you like your customers to know about you and/or your goods? Your creative vision? Your design aesthetics?

About me: that I refuse to let the fibro have me, so try not to focus on it more than necessary, but at the same time, I made a promise to myself to be willing to try just about anything to get well – and I’ve stuck to that!

About my goods: that every item is made with great attention to detail, original designs and unique finishing touches. The love and passion for what I am making and why I’m making it is as much a part of my products as the materials I use. I have spent countless hours since I started the shop researching and sourcing materials that are the finest quality, eco-friendly and vegan. I actively seek out companies that behave with integrity – they might be fair trade for example, or have similar ideals to me. Organic fabrics designed by smaller manufacturers are my main source in recent months as I want to support those that love our planet as much as I do and it also makes my purses unique. Mass produced anything is not for me!

I especially enjoy using an unusual and perhaps unexpected fabric choice, such as organic cotton canvas for a clutch purse, embellished with my hand embroidered buttons for example. I’m a square peg in a round hole, and very happy to be so. I guess my goods reflect that!

**I hope you are as inspired by her as I am.  Please leave your comments and be sure to visit her shop.  She makes amazing bags of all kinds!**

I will feature one shop seller per 3-4 weeks.  I hope you find this to be a great start!  If any you have your own blogs, please SHARE THIS.  You can also SHARE THIS by using any of the buttons below this post.  Let’s spread the word!

~Winn

August 24, 2011 Posted by | WhileBabyNaps General Updates | 1 Comment

“What should I price my clutches at?”

Pricing is one key topic where many new clutch makers ask my opinion about.  The questions and comments that I get include:

*”How much should I price my clutches?

*”Is $XX too much?”

*”I saw other shops with clutches priced at $XX and that’s just too expensive considering how cheap the supplies used to make it are!”

*”Is $XX for YY-sized clutch priced too low?”

So let’s jump right in!

First, I am obligated to tell you that you can, and should, price it any level you wish and that I do not have a suggested price.
Second, Pricing 101 says that as you lower the prices, the quantity sold will increase.  We all know the price elasticity of demand but of course, there are other factors that will effect the relative elasticity of the demand such as brand loyalty and the availability of like clutches, but in general, when you lower your price, you will see an increase in demand.  However, and there’s always a “however”, if you price it too low, consumers will perceive it as poor quality, and your sales will decrease!

Source: Cornell.edu

Let’s look long-term at your shop:
*What is your brand identity?
*What is your creative aesthetics?

*How do you differentiate your shop, your goods, your service from others?

The easy thing to do is to look for clutches similar to what you create and price accordingly.
But before you can price it, you have to find out how much it cost you to buy the materials to make it.

So, let’s do it from the cost of materials* perspective first:
(1) 8×3 nickel-free kisslock frame $5.99
(1/5) tube of glue $2.20
fabric $2.50
interface $.50
Total = $11.19

Etsy listing fee $.20

So if you price it at $30

Other fees based on selling price: Paypal ($0.30 + 2.9%) = $1.17, Etsy commission (3.5%) = $1.05

Other fees to complete the sale that falls under your overall admin costs: tissue, paper, ink, box, tape ….

NOT including your admin fees that you will deduct from the overall profit, you will net around $13.61 on the sale of a clutch priced at $30.00 retail.

Disclaimers: you can lower your cost of the frames by ordering in bulk so a set of (20) 8×3 frames LOWERS your cost of frames to $4.50 each, and a set of 4 tubes of glue LOWERS your cost of the glue to $9.5 per tube (vs. $10.99 for one tube) so the glue portion would cost $1.90. The fabric varies wildly depending on how many cuts you can get per yard, how much a yard costs, and this is the same as with the cost of the interface. The above are just estimates using cotton.

Now, as you get better at making clutches, you will be quicker in getting them done and you may make them in batches. You can realistically expect to make 1 clutch (on average) in 30 minutes. So you are essentially making $27.22 per hour ($13.61 x 2) — that is if you sell 2 per hour.

We know that owning your own handmade goods business is NOT paid this way, but another way to look at that is, you are asking the customer to pay you to make, from scratch, a hand-made, one-of-a-kind clutch for $13.61.

Realize that you will never make more than 2 clutches per hour at the rate of 30 minutes per clutch.

And consumer behavior research has shown that once you offer a lower price, it’s VERY hard to increase that price unless you offer them something dramatically and noticeably better: better quality, better service, better materials, bigger product offering …  Once a price has been set, buyers get used to that price point and perceive that to be a “fair price”.

Remember, you can always LOWER your prices. EVERYONE loves a good deal. Give a coupon discount. Give a VIP treat. If you start at $30, you can only go lower.

Hope that helps!
Winn

August 15, 2011 Posted by | Helpful Tips | , , , , , | Leave a comment

End of Summer Clutches

Clutch fans … I’ve got another collection of beautiful, one-of-a-kind clutches ready for purchase from various clutch makers.  Posted at the Facebook fan page, you can click on the clutches that you like, read the brief description, and each listing has a direct link to that clutch.  Once there, you can shop around that seller’s shop to see her other handmade goods!  🙂  Look for the clutch listings where the frame is noted “Trademarks of WhileBabyNaps.Etsy.com and Khuong LLC”.  You can be sure that you are buying the highest quality frames that are tested for lead.

Check it out!

One of a kind. One for you. One for your bestie!

These are made from clutch makers, all of whom can be found on the Sellers page.  They take custom orders too!

**For those of you who are currently listed as sellers, I will be cleaning up the list to update your banners and check out your shop’s inventory for more marketing, supporting and promoting.  With fall weddings, fall craft shows, and back-to-school time, I will be promoting your clutches so that customers (the end-user) can peruse and buy.  ALL SELLERS:  please be sure to note in new listings, shop announcement, Profiles, or Policies (depends on you and whether or not you buy from me exclusively) those clutches made with my fine purse frames that “this clutch was made with fine purse frames that are “Trademarks of WhileBabyNaps.Etsy.com and Khuong LLC” or something to that effect so that the customers can find them!

Promotions on Twitter are forthcoming.

Advertising starts in September.

If you would like to become a seller, please read this post and convo me with the request.  I’m happy to add you!

August 12, 2011 Posted by | SALES and PROMOTIONS | , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

« Previous Entries     Next Entries »