Hello OLF members;
Thought I'd spill my guts a little here with regards to maintaining a fulltime business in this industry.
Since my website was officially posted last year, I have sold 13 commissioned instruments, 7 on the side and given away 4 as gifts to friends and family.
I have three to build as of today, and two backorders. I didn't get a single commission in the month of July, I have to wonder if this is a normal slow down or if it is just here in my area.
Also, my 14 year old daughter is responsible for my entire website and it's existence, it was a birthday gift from her to me last year in September. I think it is cool and is very basic, but none the less , she made it for me, so I leave it alone. Making a few adjustments here and there, but for the most part, I like it a lot. I would appreciate any in put on it's condition and what I might need to do in order to present a more professional look as well as a pricing consideration. I know what I put in to my guitars, but I wonder if my prices are right on , or if I need to adjust a little for slow downs (and the recent theft that hit me pretty hard). I was thinking of offering a discount for this and the following month, just to offset the loss and book a few more builds. I have 4 kids and have been married for the last 15 years, (yeah, she's a keeper.) but sometimes I need to make more money than the averaged out $29.00 per hour in building. It really takes me about 70 to 90 hours per instrument and that is a good accurate estimate. Ukes I usually have done in 32 to 48 hours.
(My work ethic is harsh even by my own standards).
But I never work if I'm tired or lacking enthusiasm, so most nights and days I am in the shop from sun-up to sun-down. I take Sundays off just for family time. So my question is : How does my site look?
Are my prices in the ballpark? Ad do I have a good base from what I described? My shop is plenty large enough and I have it 100% dedicated to building, too many tools and lots of bench space. I love building guitars and want to succeed more than anything. From all my customers I have heard nothing but high praise and the promise of return business. What is your take on this description??
Nehemiah C.
www.coveysacoustics.com
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I had this image of an old "person" bent over a guitar with a chisel in hand toiling to produce a level of perfection and magic that only a highly skilled artisan could. I would not expect this person to program in swish.......