The Quandry of Pricing in Your Quilting Business
June 25, 2007 by Mary Emma Allen
Filed under Home & Living
The question of what to charge for our quilting services and products often is a quandry for quilt business owners, whether they sell items they’ve made, resell those purchased wholesale, or perform a service. There are various formulas based on cost of materials plus operating expenses plus an income, yet there is no absolutely fixed one. Much depends on supply and demand and your reputation as a quilter or fabric artist.
Yvonne at Grow Your Writing Business offers some insights in a post, Price vs Value – How Much Should Writers Charge? Although Yvonne provides the viewpoint of a writer addressing writers, you can apply much of what she discusses to most any home business.
When you can’t compete because of price, offer value that’s unrivaled. Develop a reputation for great service and quality products…and a pleasing manner with your customers/clients whether you operate a traditional business or one online.
How have you handled pricing in your business? Perhaps you’d like to share with us.
Do you have a particular book, web site, or other resource you’ve found particularly helpful in determining price?
Hi Mary Emma
Quilt makers I speak to say that the price vs value dilemma is a major factor because of the huge time element.
Do you find that buyers are any more aware of the value of time and uniqueness involved in a product than they used to be? Does this equate to them being prepared to pay a fair price for that?
Thanks, Yvonne, for stopping by Quilting and Patchwork and giving us some ideas.
Yes, the majority of quilters never get paid what their time is worth, until they become VERY well-known. Very few buyers realize the time involved. That’s why I made quilts with simple designs and tied them instead of quilting when I made quilts for sale. Even then my per hour wage probably was below minimum.