glenolam's madness - April passed away

[Javamama]

I almost always go for special promotions like $4/each or 6/$20 as a conusmer

 

[glenolam]

Thanks for the ideas!!!

I'm liking the "coupon" idea....10% off your next order. I'm sure I could make that work - what do you think if I made a sign that said "10% off your next order when you buy $20 worth of soap!" Or something along those lines? Do you think that would push people away?

I don't really want to price higher than I actually sell them for; I don't want people to buy my soaps at the show then go to the website and see they could've just bought it cheaper that way. I feel my prices are competitive, yet just under the 'competition' if you know what I mean. I figured once I had a fan base and more stock I could raise prices in a year or so.

I think I'm going to make up little gift baskets to sell as a set, then offer the bars at the normal price and the 6/$20 group (to entice those repeat customers with the %off coupon!).

Heck...I'm even gonna eat the sales tax for cash payers since I do not want to bring loose change with me!

I'm so excited but nervous - even though it's just a small town thing!

Now to go home and ruin my excitement by disbudding baby goats :/

 

[savingdogs]

If you are "eating" the sales tax, then why don't you sell at your normal price and call it a "show discount". Then offer then a percentage off any size order....who is only going to buy one bar? I'm a cheapskate and even I wouldn't do that.

 

[Henrietta23]

I'm so excited!

I just signed up for my first craft show! I got a flyer in little g's folder that asked us to donate a puzzle or book to a basket for the annual Spring Basket Craft Show and on the flyer there was a spot that asked if you wanted to be a vendor at the show. I immediately checked yes, included a business card and wrote I'd love to bring my soaps.

Yesterday I got a call from the person in charge and viola! I have a spot right near the stage where all the raffle baskets are going to be, so basically I'm in prime traffic area. It cost $25 to go, but I didn't really care, just the exposure is worth it to me (not to mention I can just write the $25 off). I have to bring my own table, which isn't a problem, and the wheels have started turning as to what I want to do. I've got a bunch of nice spring themed molds so I'm going to do a few batches this weekend so they'll be ready for the show in 4 weeks. I also opted to donate a basket to the raffle, so I was just going to toss in a couple of bars into a nice Easter basket for that. Exposure, exposure!

On the soap forum I once belonged to they had a section filled with info on craft shows so I have an idea of how I want to set stuff up, but I have a question for you all:

Should I do some type of promotion with my bars, meaning should I decrease the price a little or keep the price the same as I usually sell them for and then do a special promotion like $4/each or 6/$20? Or should I just sell them as I have them listed on the website/mail order forms, which is $4 each for regular, $2.50 for guest? What do you think people would prefer?

Tell when and where I'll be there!! I can spend $25 on soap easy peasy. Spring theme is awesome. I need non-candy Easter basket things and DS is a soap addict. I'm not kidding you!

 

[glenolam]

SD - the sales tax is only $0.24 per bar (6%), so it's not much of a discount. The last few fairs I went to a lot of people only wanted to buy a bar or two; that, of course, was near the holidays and I think people were picking up stocking stuffers and the like. I didn't make the people who bought soap from me over the holidays pay the sales tax either - they sorta bought on the spur of the moment so I just rounded the amounts to avoid dealing with change. Credit cards and checks are easy - it's the cash part that's a pain IMO.

Hen - it's Sat March 19th from 9am - 3pm at the Canterbury Elementary School. Stop by and say hello!!

 

[glenolam]

Holy Moly - Didn't even realize I didn't write what I wanted to in the first place!

Opi's been moved to the 'kidding section' of the goat barn. Her vajayjay is red, swollen and she's restless. I had the monitor on all night and she was nice and quiet, but man she breathes heavy when she relaxes. Assuming the breeding on 9/25 took day 145 was yesterday, 150 is Tuesday so she could go at any moment. Before I went in for the night I sat with her a while (she's so lovey when it's just us) and as she was laying down I saw something push out of her side. So I put my hand there and it was like the baby(ies) were playing the piano inside against my hand! It was awesome.

She still has a tiny udder, but it's getting bigger. I decided to come into work today. I knew if I stayed home in this 60* beautiful sunny weather we're having she'd just laugh in my face and wait until next week when it snows. So, I came into work to dred working the entire day (my first REAL 40 hour week!) and figured she's either going to kid during the day ( ) or wait until I get home and go during the night.

We shall see!

 

[Javamama]

 

[glenolam]

AND I FORGOT ANOTHER THING (I'm going home.....)

I disbudded the doelings last night. I ended up doing it myself, but I think that was my fault. Either that or Big G just doesn't get it.

It went like this:

Got home around 5:05pm. Big G's on the tractor with little g giving the cows silage and trying to remove some of the snow drifts along the driveway that have been there for weeks (and are now like boulders instead of fluffy snow). I set up the disbudding iron outside on the grill, plug it in, go feed/water the goats, get towels ready to 'papoose' the doelings, and wait.

Big G comes back down the driveway on the tractor and looks at me as I waive him over.

Big G: What?

Me: I told you I wanted to disbud the girls today...I'd like to do it before daylight ends so we don't have to do it inside the house.

Big G: Why can't this wait until Saturday

Me: I don't WANT to wait until Saturday. You might be working, little g has a bday party to go to and I have stuff I want to get done this weekend. I WANT to do it NOW. If you don't help me I'll just do it myself (classic me move there)

Big G: Just wait a freaking minute then.

finishes up, gets off the tractor and goes inside. Now I'm tapping my foot wondering where the heck he is

Big G: Did you even start the oven for dinner?

I get baby #1 and bringing her over

Me: No, I figured we'd have leftovers. Now, get a towel and hold her down.

Big G: Why don't you just do this inside the basement? There's not that much light outside anymore.

Me: NO CRAP. If we'd done this when I wanted to it would still be light outside. If you don't mind the smell of burning hair inside fine. We'll do it your way.

We go inside. I fold up doeling #1 in the towel, give her to Big G and put another towel under her chin so she's facing me

Me: OK, now just hold her ears back and her head down. He tries, but she gets wiggly and even more ticked as I move the iron close to her head. C'Mon G, hold her still!

Big G: Well, what the H___. I'm trying to and you're just yelling at me.

Me: FINE. I'LL JUST DO IT MYSELF. GO AWAY.

We finish the story by Big G going upstairs, slamming the basement door mumbling something about me putting the goats in front of my family.

I wrap up doeling #1, try to hold her down as best as possible and get the job done. Bring her outside, get #2, bring her inside and finish the job in 10 minutes.

I go back upstairs to where Big G and little g are getting ready to eat their nuggets and french fries (notice it's not leftovers...)

ME: I'm sorry I yelled at you.

Big G: Whatever.

There you have it. My first disbudding experience with my own goats at my own house.

I have pictures, but the computer was acting really funny last night - monitor and keyboard weren't being noticed by the computer, so I'll get them up when I can.

After this is when I realized Opi may kid soon, so now I've got to reconstruct the kidding area and spend time observing her.

I guess he should feel a little pushed to the side.....

 

[freemotion]

We all do that, don't we? And it is always so stupid and avoidable! And it always happens because we are stressed out and overwhelmed. Who wants to cause those precious babies so much pain if only for a few seconds. I can't bring myself to disbud. I should, since it will make my kids more salable, but.....dh and I would have an even bigger tiff over it, I'm sure. I'd want to both hold the kid and use the iron. I'd also want to do neither! Did you know you can make a box to hold the kid, with a hole for their head to stick out of? I've seen pics online somewhere.

 

[glenolam]

I've seen the disbudding boxes, but it wasn't that bad holding her myself. I actually thought it was easier than when I had a helper the very first time I did it. I sat with her body underneath me, my legs were on either side and put a towel under her chin so her head wasn't being held against the floor. I wasn't sitting on them, mind you, I just used my legs as barriers so they couldn't get their legs out. Next time, though, I'd like to find one of those foot pillows or something like that. The towel was too soft so I felt like I was holding her face into the towel as opposed to on the towel at times.

I then remembered the pics SD had of the woman who did her kids and had to try something like that with #2 who was a big wiggle worm. So, with her wrapped in the towel, I sat indian-style and put her body under my left leg with her chin resting on my right calf. I then just held her ears/head with my left hand and finshed up the job with my right.

I did find that I had to do many quick burns as opposed to holding the iron on for a complete 5-8 seconds. These girls were just too jumpy to keep it on for that long. So, I'd get a burn in, give a blow or two to cool the area, give another burn, and so on. I noticed, too, that after the first initial round of little burns, the 2nd round went much more smoothly for both girls. I got the copper circles (actually, on #1 I ended up with a white part since she moved which resulted in me pressing harder for a sec instead of taking the iron off ), but these girl's nubs were small - which makes me scared I did it too soon - and they didn't really come 'off' at all. A little cap came off each side, but nothing like the buckling I did a few weeks ago.

The girls were fine each time I went back and checked on everyone. Time will tell how I did, that's for sure! At least I plan on keeping them, so if I didn't do it right I'm the one who has to live with it.

So...some things I'll remember for next time:

a) Use a round pillow instead of a towel for resting their heads on

b) Definitely shave/cut the hair around the nub. Our clippers didn't stand a chance against their fur so I used regular scissors. I found that I could actually see the copper ring whereas with the buckling I did w/out shaving/cutting only resulted in a big ol area of burnt hair instead of a nice clean burn.

c) depending on the kid, quick burns are much easier than holding their head to do a full 5-8 count. They relaxed much better after the first few second-long burns, which resulted in being able to hold the iron on longer for the 2nd round

d) I saved $96 by doing it myself.

I do know one thing - I should not have had to burn each girl in two rounds. BUT, I let my nerves get the best of me and wussed out a little at first which made the first set of burns on each kid pretty much worthless. Next time I'm going to 'man up', suck it up, and get it done so that I don't have to go back a second time. These girls should have been done in less than 15 seconds each (allowing the iron time to heat up included), instead it was about 30 seconds.

Why do I feel mad at myself! I think I'm subconsciously feeling really guilty.



Whew....OK. End rant.

ETA - jeez....maybe I should mention Aunt Flo is visiting?