Rates

[carmen]

If you find out that, 2/3 of the winning quilts at the local show

where quilt by you. Would you increased your rates?

I'm not sure if I should. So please help.

Thank You,

Carmen

[Dave-Jane]

Carmen, Do you need more and what will the market bear?? I keep building the customer base and keep the prices the same and advertise the winners and have them talk to their guilds/friends etc.. One thing we did do is small increases such as for the batting that is going up now and then we offer a multiple quilt discount for the 2nd. 3rd quilt top and only on the labor part. This is kind of a wash, but it keeps you busy. Your bigger customers will bring you more work and the others will follow at the new prices.

If you explain yourself well and its reasonable I would see no problems. Maybe even ask your clients what would they do , prior to raising it, and get their support which could do nothing but help.

Take Care---Dave B.

[LinneaMarie]

You say 2/3 of a show!!:o Wow. I say h-e-double-hockey-sticks YES!

That is an impressive number of quilts, but as Dave pointed out, it depends on what your area will pay. I know a teacher and nationally recognized award winning quilter who is charging .015/psi. She is somewhere out west, but not the coast. In my area, and there are quite a few longarmers, I am charging .02/psi. And I'm not that great. But they keep coming back. I did raise my binding prices recently to.25/pli (per linear inch). I was at .22 and it doesn't sound like much of a jump but if the quilt is 320 inches around it is a difference of about $10.00. I also raised my thread charge from $8.00 to $12.00.

Good luck. I hope you can make more $$$. :P

[JoAnnHoffman]

If you want to slim down your customer list you raise prices. I would only raise on custom and not pantograph. I start at $.03 per square inch for custom and work my way up depending on the quilt.

Sometimes you have to work backwards. When you see a quilt with tons of work and figure out how many days it will take you then you set a price in your head that will make you happy.

You take that price say $450.00 and divide by the square inches (80 x 80=6,400) equals $.07 per square inch.

You quote $450.00 and either they say yes or they say no. I still cringe when I give someone a bill for over $250.00 (that's just me) , but it never fails the customer always says, (Oh, I thought it would be more)

You can't raise prices too way beyond what everyone else is charging. You have to know your competitors prices.

[newmillie2010]

finding out what other LAs are charging can be a challlenge. and don't believe everything you hear. i found out recently that my LA (before I bought my own machine) was charging me a higher rate than she charged other people. quilters talk, you know. i guess she was charging me the PITA and i didn't know it! she did great work and i was willing to pay but it was dismaying to find out later that she was reworking her prices and i was paying the premium price when my friend was getting the lower price. a life lesson learned. i love that I'm now doing this LA stuff myself.

[Quilting Heidi]

JoAnn gives very sound advice. Custom work definitely takes longer. I'm learning to charge enough for my time.

[carmen]

Thank You!

I personally believe that I am charging enough.

I was concern, when another longarmer approached me at the show

And said that, the reason for having so many quilts at the show must of

been because I was not charging much. I do give a quote before I start

The range goes from, basic overall, large meandering, simple pantos, advance

overall pantos, freehand, combining 2 or more pantos, panto and freehand borders, custom and heirloom. Sense I started I have had only one person

not happy. The reason she wasn’t happy was she forgot to mention to me

That she wanted ecru instead of cream. Before I started quilting for others

I did send friends and relatives to take some of my tops to the quilters in this area.

I wanted to know what they did and for how much. Some only do pantos, some do freehand only another one computerized quilting (she is great) so I do send people to her that want total perfection. I charge by the yard

for for simple quilting. I start at $25.00 if they bring batting if not, $25.00 +

what ever the going prize for batting at the quilt shop + 20% for me getting it.

Then it does go higher depending on the intencity of work. For custom I start at $38.00 if they bring the batting. I do give my regulars, 30% off coupon

on their next quilt after 3 tween to king quilts, not to be use on, freehand or custon quilting. I do donate quilting to my guild for charities and fundraising.

I think this brings good will and clients when they see what I do. I love quilting. You guys and gals are the best. I know we usually end up doing more than we should. I take pride on what I do. I keep learning from all of you.

Please excuse my rambling.Did not like the comment this woman made and wanted to make sure she is not right.

My DH said just to let it go.

But you all know more than I do. You guys and gals are the best.

Thanks,

Carmen

[ffq-lar]

The comment from the competitor needs to be taken as it was meant--"sour grapes". How rude of her to "assume" you weren't charging standard rates. (Where's the smilie with it's tongue sticking out?)

After the fact it's always easy to come up with a zinger in these situations. Next time you are faced with this comment, smile sweetly and say "I am so lucky to have such a HUGE customer base (bat your eyelashes at this point:D) who are willing to pay a little more to have the best." Mean, huh?!

Back to the first question--should you raise your rates? Do whatever your heart/gut tells you. Start charging a bit more if you like--keeping the same per yard charge is good, but you can add a consultation/set-up fee, a thread charge, whatever. If you are busy and happy, don't change anything. Listen to that DH--sometimes they are right!

I am adding-- you had so many winning quilts at the show, your customers will be swarming all over you and fighting for spots on your calendar! Congratulations!

[seakitten]

Excuse me Carmen -- ecru instead of cream? You need to charge THAT customer more, for sure.

[Bonnie]

What Linda Rech and JoAnn said in spades....never raise your rates because of someone else's jealousy or sour grapes....and never listen to the rumor mill, you will never get the whole truth it seems. Only you can tell if your rates are to low. As long as your happy with them, and you have a steady flow I would never jump them.

NewMillie....your situation shouldn't have happened that way either, I have never charged one person more than another, the quilting world is WAY to small, and its stupid for us LA quilters to think our customers don't talk to each other.

If I have a PITA charge, my customer knows thats what it is before I even start, or before they even leave the intake interview....Never have I just charged someone and they not know why or what was needed to be done so that charge would go away.

[quiltjunkie]

Ditto to what JoAnn, Linda and Bonnie said, but the PITA charge for me is for the wavy borders I have to shrink/rip out and re sew,etc. I take a digital picture and it is printed out and stapled to the final invoice..they can't say too much except "Thank You for fixing my quilt".. I have returned 2 quilts to have the borders removed and re sewn..I lost one of the customers because I didn't have a picture to back it up, and the other listened and learned, thank goodness for digital cameras:D

[quiltmonkey]

Originally posted by carmen

....I have had only one person not happy. The reason she wasn’t happy was she forgot to mention to me that she wanted ecru instead of cream. Carmen

that's too funny! Seriously she said that? Ecru or Cream? Haaa! That's like saying Tan or Beige; off white or eggshell or ivory or..... OMG She was mad about this? Sheesh some people are so weird they find the oddest things to be nit picky about!!!

Next time she says something stupid like this, ask her if she'd like to be schwacked upside the left side of her pointy little head, or upside the right side of her pointy little head.

[LFQuilts]

Carmen,

Not only are you a good quilter - you are a good person. No one can take that away from you, especially Miss Sour Grapes. Congrats on all of the ribbons and on having a loyal customer base. As always, I love Linda's suggestions on how to handle difficult customers.

Lynn

[cblevins]

Originally posted by carmen

If you find out that, 2/3 of the winning quilts at the local show

where quilt by you. Would you increased your rates?

I'm not sure if I should. So please help.

Thank You,

Carmen

Carmen, if I found out that 2/3 of the winning quilts were quilted by me , my head would be so big I wouldn't ever be able to quilt again!! Way to go!!!!

[Primitive1]

Yep, enjoy your success! They will continue to want you to quilt for them!

[Judi]

Originally posted by quiltmonkey -

Next time she says something stupid like this, ask her if she'd like to be schwacked upside the left side of her pointy little head, or upside the right side of her pointy little head.

Love this~!!! Excellent coments by the others too - JoAnn, Bonnie and Linda and such, I agree. You just keep having fun, enjoying your work & what you do - keep loving it!

It must show in your work!! :cool::cool:

[jeanmezera]

I only do pantograph and my friends that quilt tell me I need to raise my price, I tell them it is my business and I am not going to raise my price. If I do then they will go elsewhere. If they want custom or freehand they go to them anyway.