Behind the price of a craftsman, there is a lot to take into account. Not only the work you see, but also the work you don’t see. There are many things I didn’t count, I’ll tell you about them below.
This article is for all my creations, but especially for my new collection of mix & match pouches. It’s a lot of calculations and headaches to find a fair price for everyone, honestly I don’t think I’m there yet, but I’m getting there slowly.
What is hidden behind the price of the rolls and interchangeable parts is: work, material, charges, screen printing but also an association!
Hours of work
There are hours of work behind each of my pencil cases, pouches and brooches. I mainly count the sewing part because it is the easiest to « measure ».
The supplies
I do my best to get the right material at the right price, in Europe.
Most of the fabrics come from the Croix-Rousse market in Lyon.
The zippers are second-hand and come from the Bric-à-Brac solidarity stores. Their sales contribute to help the most vulnerable people in Lyon (France) area.
Taxes
Dues, payment fees (Paypal and credit card in particular) and other additional charges are to be taken into account and I can’t reduce them.
Serigraphy
For screen printing, I pay a fixed price in a workshop in Lyon. This allows me to use their equipment (screens, acetate sheets, inks…) but also their space, much bigger than mine.
The association’s portion
My business does not allow me to deduct expenses, I pay charges on every euro I receive, even if I give them to an association.
I have calculated tightly and I am cutting back on my salary to contribute to a cause that is close to my heart.
What I don’t count
There is a multitude of things I haven’t counted, in fact I’m sure I’m still forgetting some!
But here’s an overview:
🖍 Time for testing, prototyping, sketching.
✏️ Making final designs.
✂️ Washing, ironing and cutting fabrics.
🖌 Screen printing time (I only count the cost of the workshop).
📷 Taking the photos, sorting and retouching.
📋 Writing and communicate for networks and website.
Maybe one day I could incorporate all this invisible work into my prices.
It would be more expensive, of course, but it would allow me :
– to offer promotions more often (a coupon code for the newsletter, sales for the holidays…).
– To consider the depot-sale: currently, I would have to increase my prices by the amount of the commission taken by the stores to be able to do this. The problem in this case is that there is no point in buying in a store if it is more expensive than on my website!
– To pay for more materials, to test a new fabric or a special ink for example. As I get paid according to the quantity of material used, it doesn’t allow me to restock or to have the funds to test something else.
These are things I wasn’t aware about first. I’m thinking about it now, after months and months of activity. A little late, of course, but at least I’m thinking about it!
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