Shop Announcement!
The Hive Botanicals is having a small holiday sale - 12% off from now through Sunday at midnight. Just type in veranellies12 at checkout to receive your discount. Spread the word!
I also wanted to take today to respond to yesterdays post. So many of you reached out and wrote such awesome comments that I truly appreciate. Instead of responding to each of you, because it would have been almost the same comment over and over, I figured I'd just write a post about my post!
Normally if I had lost a reader I probably would have looked and been like "ah man that sucks" and been done with it. And pretty much that's still what happened. I think the big toll on me currently is my job. It's making me so unbelievably unhappy that I just simply feel miserable all the time. I know I've talked about it before. There were also a few opportunities that have come and gone that I have some bitterness about and frankly didn't want to bore you all with my work misery. Just know that I am actively trying to change my situation. If finances weren't an issue I would have left long ago.
On that note - I'm asking for some advice. I was actually approached the other day to have my soaps and lip balms be in a local shop. These are my options:
Co-Op members
- pay a monthly rent around 100 (TBD)
- pay a monthly service fee around 20 (TBD) for phone/register/credit card machine/accounting services/etc.
- must commit to 8 hours of work a week (TBD); you may work more
- have access to an entire shelving unit
- have access stockroom storage; your shelves will be restocked for you
- have access to "pick up" storage - customers can come in to pick up special orders, etc.
Commission members
- pay no monthly rent
- pay 20% commission back to the store (TBD)
- pay a monthly service fee around 20 (TBD) for phone/register/credit card machine/accounting services/etc.
- must commit to 2 hours of work a week (TBD); you may work more
- have access to an one or two shelves
- have access stockroom storage; your shelf/shelves will be restocked for you
- have access to "pick up" storage - customers can come in to pick up special orders, etc.
The difficult part with either situation is the committing to be able to work. I already work a full time job and this shop is in the opposite direction of my work and about 30 minutes away from my house. With it being winter in CNY I'm not the most comfortable person driving in bad weather conditions. (I used to be fearless - but after getting into a pretty bad wreck during a snow storm sort of changes the fearlessness into fear and white knuckled driving).
My other concern - will my items sell? Will there be enough foot traffic? Right now their shop is doing well, but it's the holidays. Will sales totally dry up as the shop is in an old mall. Does anyone even go to the mall anymore? The ONLY reason I go is because I'm forced to go once every six months to have my diamonds cleaned and to keep up my insurance policy on my rings. Crap - just remembered I actually have to do that soon! But I literally RUN in and am on a mission. I'm sure people watchers (like myself) see me and think I'm a wack job with how fast I speed in and out.
Has anyone had this situation and how has it worked selling in a shop? Also has anyone ever done whole sale? I was approached about that as well. I'm trying to figure out whats best for me and my products and also trying/hoping that I can get this to support myself so I can leave above said horrible, stress-riddled job.
Thoughts? Advice? Concerns?
This weekend I will be selling at the Farmers Market out in Hamilton and then we have a special treat and are going to see K's tattoo artist at a craft show he's going to be in out in Syracuse! Had I known about that I would have applied to be a vendor, it looks really cool. If you live in the CNY area - check it out.
Hope everyone has a great weekend. Plans?
