Holiday Boot-camp- Week 3

So, this is week…3, or something, of my holiday boot-camp extravaganza and already I’ve shown myself to be a pitiful soldier.  My deadlines are becoming optional instead of mandatory.  I’ve even started posting my blog later and later in the week.  But don’t worry.  The boot-camp has punitive torture for that, like the ‘empty wallet with nothing to show for it’ torture and the ‘Jabba, the Hutt sized piles of supplies strategically placed to trip and injure you’ torture.  Believe you, me, these are tortures you never get used to.  I mean, every almost-blind person needs to have a certain chaotic order in their sleeping space so that they can navigate it in the dark, right?  Right?  Helloooooooo… Well, I suppose you’re all busy with your boot-camp duties too.  At least, I hope that’s the reason why I haven’t gotten any comments. 

Anyway, I’m not going to go into agonizing detail about the horrible setbacks.  But, for the sake of sating your curiosity, let’s just say that my haphazard plans and schedules bit me in the butt.  Tests, fashion shows, bumming around on the interwebs instead of watching a butt-load of Attenborough dvds for my ANTH class, and not enough sleep… they were all contributors.

 (Ain’t that a nifty graphic?  Made it in that, there, new version of paint.)

Production Goals:  Each week, I am required to make at least 5 pairs of earrings, 3 bracelets, 3 Joolry Necklaces and 2 ‘Premium’ Necklaces.  If the preceding number of each item cannot be attained or maintained, I am required to spend an approximate time equivalent of 10 hours and 45 minutes (per week, ya’ll) devoted exclusively to the creation of pieces to fill the inventory by and for the holiday buying season.  In the event of a test or a paper (5 pages or more) the production rate will be halved to accommodate necessary study times. 

Planning Goals:  Each week, I will devote, at least, 2 hours to planning designs for production during the following week.  Planning the design not only involves making the design itself, but also determining what materials will be needed, procuring those materials, and determining if the item is something that can be duplicated with relative ease.  The degree to which an item can be duplicated determines its premium, so this is all very important.   As planning may occur anywhere at anytime, I am required to make a note of these plans in a specific notebook before my noodle-strainer of a memory loses the idea.  Once the item is complete, I am required validate its quality and take pictures of it (if it meets my standards).  Once the product has been named, photographed and priced, it is to be catalogued on deviantart and in the portfolio. 

Maintenance Goals:  I am required to conduct maintenance on both my supply inventory and product inventory.  This includes taking stock of supply levels (Monthly) and keeping weekly updates to the product inventory.  I am required to properly polish products upon their completion and package them in a resealable plastic baggy to prevent tarnishing before placing them in the inventory box.  I will develop labels for each item to enable me to tell at a glance what is in which baggy and also keep things organized.  In the near future, I would like to have a better organizing system, but for now, just improve on the one I’ve got.

Supply Goals:  In addition to cataloguing my supplies, I will also keep a tight hold on my purse strings.  It is important that I cease the financially detrimental habit of impulse buying and ‘collecting’ supplies.  Supplies are meant to be used, consumed, or, if they don’t meet my standards, disposed of.  In addition to this, I will acquire and maintain ‘staple supplies’ and keep in my largest supply box and finding bags.  Staple supplies will include beads catalogued by shape and color, chains, and findings.  More distinctive beads and findings will be kept in smaller cases.  Damaged or unusable beads and findings will be thrown away as soon as they are located, no saving.

Pricing Goals (met):  I will develop and use a standardized pricing model for my products.  This model must be able to cover the cost of materials and pay me for my time.  I will not jeopardize my own financial future by being nice and only pricing things at material cost.  This is a hobby, yes, but it also opens options to grow and expand financially in the near future.  I will treat it like a job.   In accordance with this model, I will go back and reconfigure the prices for old items in the inventory to fit this pricing structure- OR begin to recycle them as ‘free gifts’ for people who have spent $200 or more.  I will make my pricing structure public knowledge in an effort to rid myself of guilt when people complain about something being ‘oh so expensive!’.

Normal Wholesale Price Model for Jewelry:  (Materials Costs + Labor Costs + Over Head Costs + Profit mark-up) x 2

My temporary pricing model: Materials Cost + $10.50/work hour + Overhead Costs + 20% profit mark-up

Profits will be used to build the business (getting a tax ID, getting a license, creating checking and savings accounts), hopefully getting to a level where hiring additional help is possible.

Blogging Goals (met):  I will update my blog each week with at least one typed page in the following format: Arial, 12pt font, single spacing.  I will include pictures for emphasis and ‘spice’.