ARRRGHHH!!!!!!

[Carolyn]

Sometimes, a ploy by a potential customer is to tell you that 'so-and-so' can do it for less. Do you know for certain that this other person can/will do a queen size quilt for $25?

If not, find out for yourself what is being offered for $25. By most accounts, you've underpriced your estimate, and you know the amount of time you would spend doing just a simple pattern on the quilt. Now do the same pricing as if you were going to do it on a domestic machine: you wouldn't do it for the amount of time it would take and, quite possibly, the 'other' quilter wouldn't either. You might just be surprised.

Good luck.

Carolyn

[Judi]

Teresa - Girl - hang in there! I so agree with everyone else - you do NOT

want or need this lady! My charge came to $97.50 and I would have round-

ed that up to $100 probably - - I wish I could get some work sent your way.

You are too good to be-little yourself or make yourself feel so cheap...

I do hope it all comes your way soon. I know that it is very hard to wait, I

had that year too, and should have spent the time making my own things

instead of being so worried and upset, but I didn't.... should've - could've -

would've!!!

My husband tells me too that I do not charge enough.....

trying to stay within the local rates can be tough.

[ffq-lar]

I have worked in retail/service industry jobs my whole life. I have spent years perfecting the non-commital "hmm". Gather 'round and let me share this with you----

A customer/teenager/ in-law makes some outrageous statement:

"I can't believe you charge THAT much!!"

"I'm getting a tattoo as soon as I am old enough!"

"I would never let my dirty dishes sit in the kitchen after dinner like that."

DO NOT EXPLAIN, DO NOT QUALIFY, DO NOT DEFEND!!

Simply raise one eyebrow and say "hmmm" with a little question sound at the end. As if you understand what they are saying but you will withold comment because you are so polite! Then the ball is in their court and usually they start defending or explaining their side and then you say "ah" with a little nod and a half-frown. It's great--drove my dear MIL crazy and worked on my son for a while too!! Then, after they flub around for a while, you can say thanks for dropping by! You have retained your dignity and can be proud! Makes you feel great!

Hope this cheered somebody up!!

Linda Rech

Still learnin' at 50-plus

[Pickettfence]

Teresa:

Several years ago I started a small quilt group in my area. I knew how to quilt and these ladies did not, so I offered to teach them. We started out with small projects, table runners, wall hangings, etc., and then we graduated to larger projects like lap quilts. They felt confident they could quilt their smaller projects on their own but anything bigger than a wall hanging, they had me quilt for them (for $ of course). 7 years later we still get together once a month and these girls are still some of my best customers. I think you just need a catalyst to get you going. I've been quilting for customers for over 7 years and I can't keep up with the demand. I wish you the same!

Linda

[Mary Beth]

That is a great idea Linda. Teresa, start a group, wouldn't have to be an official guild, at least not until it started growing and needed to be a guild.

[BethDurand]

Linda,

I learn some of the best things from you! Working in mental health, I get some weird comments, but I'll have to try your response sometime.

Thanks for sharing.

Beth

[JuliaDay]

I love what Linda said above. DO NOT Engage! That is what they are looking for. Your time and expeirence are worth the price you set. My favorite words to not engage are Cool WoW and Bummer (or insert your snynonmy here). I can have a full conversation, not agree or disagree and keep my sanity. And my abolute favorite closer to a conversation . . . "well, good luck with that"!

I am beginning as well. Not many customers at all yet, but slowly growing. I made myself an excel sheet that calculates the yardage (wid & Lenth) and then estimates out what each would be. I share this with people so they can get comfortable that this is a for hire service. I also started making sample books off of my practice frabrics. THis is great because it shows the difference between a small, medium & large stipple, etc.

Educating people on why you are worth this is the best. If they are duds and cheap, move on. Your instinct will tell you whether or not you want to actually work with that person. I met someone at a quilt class. Made me really uncomfortable. When she asked, I said I was pretty choosy about my clients because I do this part time.

SHOW THAT YOU ARE VALUABLE & PEOPLE WILL SEE YOUR WORTH.

Have a fantastic Thursday!! Julia

[stitchinsally]

chickenscratch, been there and still there. It is soooo frustrating and we just have to suffer thru it. I saw my first quilt job displayed at a show last weekend and my husband and I were looking at and still think that the quilting is so much better than most of the others at the show. It was a custom quilt that I only charged her $95 (should have been double that for my area) because I figured it would be a good way to advertize. NOT! So, I've just learned that even though I may go weeks before anyone calls me, I try to just tell myself that it's not worth the time or expense to do a cheap job simply for the job. Quilting is now just my part time job on weekends and my weekends are valuable because I don't even live the same city with my husband during the weekdays so, when I accept a quilting job it better be someone that pays for my time because otherwise, they are taking away my time from my husband. It's so hard to do but, try to keep a good outlook and respect yourself and your work and let the cheap payers go somewhere else.