Adventures of an entrpreneur
Discussion
Decided to take a table at a local art/craft fair yesterday.
Sold one mounted and framed photo for £35, ching, thankyou
:
And two greetings cards for £3.50:
Total sales: £38.50
Less cost of sales: £10.73
Less table hire: £60.00
Net takings: -£32.23
I don't think many others managed to make a profit either.
Makes you want to join the public sector doesn't it? Count paperclips for a few hours a week and retire early on a nice pension.
Sold one mounted and framed photo for £35, ching, thankyou
: And two greetings cards for £3.50:
Total sales: £38.50
Less cost of sales: £10.73
Less table hire: £60.00
Net takings: -£32.23
I don't think many others managed to make a profit either.
Makes you want to join the public sector doesn't it? Count paperclips for a few hours a week and retire early on a nice pension.
Is this you most saleable then, to date!?
If so I'm not surprised, it's a cracker
Anyway, you're well ahead of my measley-squirrel-sales!
And yes, even Bill Gates probably had a bad day at a car boot sale once! Keep up the good work!
...and there's an idea for some stock photography, too !
>> Edited by beano500 on Monday 5th December 12:26
If so I'm not surprised, it's a cracker
simpo two said:
Anyway, you're well ahead of my measley-squirrel-sales!
And yes, even Bill Gates probably had a bad day at a car boot sale once! Keep up the good work!
simpo two said:
...paperclips...
...and there's an idea for some stock photography, too ! >> Edited by beano500 on Monday 5th December 12:26
406tm said:
What else would you have done if you had not have gone there, gone out and taken more pics
Been £32 better off, that's what! I'd hoped to get some leads for weddings etc, but not so. But there is a case for 'getting one's name known' so maybe it's a loss one has to bear in the greater interest, or something...
We discovered later than one of the main roads was closed for resurfacing, which explains why for most of the time the exhibitors were reduced to buying things from each other
The man who bought the Harley pic was the organiser; maybe he felt sorry for me! beano500 said:
Is this you most saleable then, to date!? If so I'm not surprised
Read that again Beano
'Wisteria Window' is actually the first image I sold, unknowingly and to a person I'd never met
(You know who you are!) It's impossible to predict what appeals to people. But I did get to meet the little old lady who fell for this when it was in the shop:
She couldn't afford £35 in one go so is paying the shop owner installments each week... £15 to go... which was very touching I thought. Luckily I had the design on a greetings card so gave her a free one as a thank you.
It was an interesting day but I'm not convinced of the sense in paying £60 to do it again - dunno.
What you need to do is to make some home made cakes and jam/chutneys and put them on your table as well - I don't know how many people that go to arts-crafts fairs actually expect photography to be included - more often it is wood-turning and the food stores etc.
However, with the jams/chutneyes etc you'll get a bigger mark-up probably and it will always get people to your table...that might lead to some more sales of the 'real craft' of photography
However, with the jams/chutneyes etc you'll get a bigger mark-up probably and it will always get people to your table...that might lead to some more sales of the 'real craft' of photography
cirks said:
What you need to do is to take some photographs of home made cakes and jam/chutneys and put them on your table. However, with the jams/chutneyes etc you'll get a bigger mark-up probably and it will always get people to your table...that might lead to some more sales of the 'real craft' of photography
Sorted, do I get a percentage of the profits
Trouble with pics is:
You sell 'em. That's it. Apart from the few cents in royalties from post cards/calendars etc. and library pics of course).
I decided about 15 years ago that whatever I sold wasn't going to be sold as a 'one off' or as a commission. I'm nowhere near talented enough to command the fees that my spending habits require, and let's face it - only about 34 people have ever heard of me (and 26 of them are Pistonheads
).
So I became a 'Carpet Bomber' and have remained so ever since.
BTW: I would have bought something Simpo... but you were not in Keswick or Ullapool. Unfortunately, neither was anyone else.
You sell 'em. That's it. Apart from the few cents in royalties from post cards/calendars etc. and library pics of course).
I decided about 15 years ago that whatever I sold wasn't going to be sold as a 'one off' or as a commission. I'm nowhere near talented enough to command the fees that my spending habits require, and let's face it - only about 34 people have ever heard of me (and 26 of them are Pistonheads
). So I became a 'Carpet Bomber' and have remained so ever since.
BTW: I would have bought something Simpo... but you were not in Keswick or Ullapool. Unfortunately, neither was anyone else.
beano500 said:
... a 'Carpet Bomber' .... ???
Sorry - a bit obscure.
I gave up doing anything as a 'one off' (music for TV - framed photos for galleries etc) and when I do anything it has to be 'multi-tasking'
I do stuff that can be used by anyone for anything - as long as they pay!
...so like the very poor tactics of the RAF bomber command in WW2 - most of what I do misses, but I know some of it will hit, so I just get LOADS out there and hope. The difference being, mine will hopefully not kill or mame. Well most of it won't - there's a particularly nasty bit of lift music that has caused some vomiting I believe
>> Edited by GetCarter on Monday 5th December 14:27
simpo two said:
BTW: I would have bought something Simpo... but you were not in Keswick or Ullapool.
'Simpo launches mail order facility especially tailored for clients in the Lake District... and later realises he has missed half the market.'
Still, 50% of SFA is still SFA.
That said I suspect a very high proportion of local events are sabotaged by poorly communicated action on the part of local authorities. That or events beyond anyone's control.
At least you should be able to offset the loss against tax ...
Next time you find yourself in that situation, go and have a chat to other stall-holders and see if you can help them to make sales? Like shots for some of their own marketing stuff and little websites. Doesn't need to be much - just get a small fee and a credit next to your work "Photo by www.beanopix.co.uk" everywhere!
beano500 said:
Next time you find yourself in that situation, go and have a chat to other stall-holders and see if you can help them to make sales? Like shots for some of their own marketing stuff and little websites. Doesn't need to be much - just get a small fee and a credit next to your work "Photo by www.beanopix.co.uk" everywhere!
Unfortunately nobody wants to pay anything for anything; we're all 'w*nking for coins' to quote a phrase. How many times have you heard 'There's no budget but we wondered if you could just...'
The woman next door was selling lovely hand-dyed silk scarves and wanted to publish a book on the subject; I offered to help her with the photos (she can't afford digital) in return for my name and URL in the book.
Another penny lands in the violin-case... maybe.
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