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According to the Christmas carol, the Twelve Days of
Christmas end with 12 drummers drumming.
But actually, in my church tradition, the twelve days of Christmas end
with the Feast of Epiphany on January 6, also known as Three Kings Day. The feast celebrates the arrival of the three
kings or wise men or magi, Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar, at the birthplace of
the Christ Child. These three kings saw a bright star in the East and followed it to
Bethlehem. When they found the Baby Jesus they offered gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
I generally wait until Epiphany to take down our little
Christmas tree. It’s partly out of
religious observance, but mostly because I like to see the brightly colored lights twinkling
on the darkest days of mid-Winter.
But this Epiphany, I’ve also had another kind of
“epiphany.” The kind that is Webster’s
third definition of that term:
3a (1) : a usually sudden
manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something (2)
: an intuitive grasp of reality through something (as an event) usually simple
and striking (3) : an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure
3b : a revealing scene or moment.
I made an “illuminating realization” as I was reviewing
my Etsy shop as part of the Blogging Business Artisans December Challenge. Shipping costs and sales tax are severely
cutting into my profit margin. SO---I
will no longer offer free shipping, except as part of special promotions, and I
will begin collecting 7% sales tax up front (5.5% Nebraska state sales tax +
1.5% Lincoln city sales tax) on Etsy orders. I’ve changed my policies and sales tax rates
to reflect these changes, and I am in the process of editing all 107 of my Etsy
listings, shop section by shop section.
I am also exploring the option of opening a shop on
Handmadeology / Meylah’s new Handmade Marketplace (free listings) which would
market only oven mitts. My Etsy shop
would remain an eclectic mix of fun and functional handmade items – including
oven mitts.
I’m struggling with whether
to keep the same name, Pasque Flower Creations (brand identity) if I open a Meylah shop, or create a new
name for the oven mitts shop—maybe something like:
Mod Mitts or
I Mitts You or
Oven Mitts4You or
Not Your Granny's Oven Mitts
Your"votes" and suggestions are welcome!
TTFN
LeAnn aka pasqueflower
LeAnn aka pasqueflower
It's good that you evaluated your costs. I have to check the new postage rates myself.
ReplyDeleteI like all the names, but Mod Mitts - is short and easy to remember.
All the best
I need to review my shipping costs as well....good reminder.
ReplyDeleteI like the Mod Mitts name if you do decide to change it :)
I love all the names but branding is important. Sometimes it bugs me that my shop and blog have different names. I like for people to recognize me as one brand. Either way you will be successful because your mitts rock!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Traci, I think branding is important. People know you as Pasque Flowers, and if you use the same name they will recognize you even when you open a new shop.
ReplyDeleteValerie
Everyday Inspired
I think branding is important. Opening a shop on another venue would be like opening a second store in another town. The name would most likely stay the same. I wish you luck if you do open a second shop!
ReplyDeleteYou definitely should be charging shipping. People who buy online expect to pay it. I have tried opening other shops in different names, but have found that it is better to remain consistent across venues, once you are established.
ReplyDeleteGood luck,
Laura