Did shipping go up (again)???

Re: Re: Did shipping go up (again)???

?????¿?????????????????? No. He's just saying be a business person. If your town has 1000 or 500,000, be the one people are talking about in a good way! I have a guy $100 cheaper than me 15 miles away (small town chit), I still take in 40 heads a year (don't care what he does!) , that's a net of 4G on what he's doin for same amount of work! I TELL THEM HOW IT'S GONNA BE BY MY QUALITY AND PRICE!

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Re: Re: Did shipping go up (again)???

I joke..I joke... I know what he's saying! :

 

I live in a town of 200 people with 3 other taxidermists. But I have customers in Washington, New Mexico, Texas, Ohio, just too give you an idea. I can not limit myself to the population in this one horse town and you shouldn't either.

 

Very true..Amen to that!

 

Don't be surprised by what some people in those one horse towns will pay also. I agree, don't limit your self to your small town. But, I picked up quite a bit of business from my town when I started. Most of those clients were driving about an hour away to have their work done before. Why, because they wanted something fancy. My town has a population of under 400 and a per capita income of less than $15K. They don't drive fancy cars, they don't have fancy houses, but when it comes to taxidermy work, they want top notch work. Hunting is what a lot of these people live for and their mounts are a representation of their life's accomplishments. Out of all the clients I have from my own town, maybe a few make over $20-25K. The people making the money in my town seem to be the ones that wouldn't notice if I mounted their antlers on a bear. Those ones that spent all year saving for their mount though, they look at the nose, eyes, ears... and they want it to look like it might grunt at them.

 

Cool Chris, it must be awesome to get that kind of recognition when your putting together their pieces, probably makes going back in the next day really easy.

 

I'm 50 miles from ST. Louis, but I'm not sure what that has to do with anything. I can't recall ever mounting anything from the city. If fact many go to the city because of a little company called Schwatz. One of the biggest and oldest taxidermy shops in the country. They go there because of the name and reputation. Exactly what I'm telling you to build. A name and reputation. Besides, people in St. Louis don't hunt animals. They hunt each other. Yes, I still do some taxidermy work, but not all that much anymore. My niche is in antler reproductions and repair. However, I have promoted that business with shows in PA., Ohio, Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, and Nevada SCI. The point is, you have to promote yourself and you can't let demographics put up any road blocks on that regardless of what business your in. Cake decorating even. Business's stay small because they think small. Think BIG if BIG is what you want to be.

 

Keep hitting it.. He's not dead yet. Those flies mean nothing.

 

Why is it, in these Threads/Debates about mount prices many people use the size of there town as a reason for charging what they do?

I live in very small town. I bet I only get about a 1/2 dozen people from town that bring me work. I'd say 50% of my work comes from over an hour away. Probably 50% of that is 2+ hours away.

I was $495 for a Deer Head in 2011. In 2012 I raised my deer head prices $55. Now I charge $550 for a Deer head. I brought in more deer in 2012 than I did in 2011.

You can have as may awards on your wall as you want. It won't amount to crap if you don't know how to sell yourself.

I'd say 50% of the work I do is Rugs. Not wholesale work. I go through a lot of rugging material. I shop at Jo-Ann's for my Felt, Badding, Backing, Hangers, Thread, Glue Sticks, etc. I went to Jo-Anns on Black Friday. I bought $618.82 worth of supplies. I paid $254.38. I saved $364.44, thats a 59% discount! I don't buy anything at Jo-Ann's unless I am getting 40% off. If it is a big ticket item I won't buy it unless it is 50% off. If I would have had more $$ that day I'd have probably spent double that.

This past week I ordered $1657.15 worth of Supplies from McKenzie. After my 12% discount I saved $198.85! I am not sure what shipping will be but pretty sure $100 will cover it.

People need to be smart about this stuff. There are many ways to save money you just need to figgure out how. You also need to know what is worth it and what isn't. Taking 1/2 a day off work is not worth saving $40. Not if you are running a full time shop.

 

Shipping was $38.15 on the McKenzie order.

 

Saving money is what business is all about. every penny saved is a penny profit. I get that. But there is such a thing as stepping over dollars to pick up nickels. I simply break down the cost of shipping into related expenses. An overall picture of your business profile will tell you the total cost per mount hour. that cost should include, materials, labor, rent, heat, lights, office supplies, phone, insurance, advertising, shipping, snow plowing, grass mowing, and any and every expense related to the taxidermy business, only after accounting for all expenses can one calculate a profit.
The problem with most sole proprietorship's. is the proprioter considers himself (the Business) he/she feels that profit is the labor payment. and takes all profits as payment for his labor. for a business to be healthy the business needs to see a profit. Realizing this offers the Business the financial independents to not be at the mercy of the price oriented shopper. Being able to feel that your product is worth $X regardless of what the local market seems to indicate, and sticking to that standard places the business in a category that attracts individuals willing to pay the price deserving of that quality.
Shipping is a fact of life in the taxidermy industry. pass the cost on. Hunters spend thousands of dollars for guns, tents, scentfree suits, optics, clothing, 4 wheelers. all in the hopes of bagging the buck of a lifetime. Then when they do, they want to have it mounted for next to nothing. let the price shoppers go to the newbie. you would be waisting your talent because they have no idea, or appreciation for real taxidermy. All Taxidermist need to charge what the job is worth and stop cutting their own throats.