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I had a friend of mine ask me if I would make 50 baby shower invitations and 50 wedding shower invitations for her. She has bought Stampin Up stuff from me so she knows how much it costs, but I'm not sure she REALLY knows how much stuff like this sells for. So, I made up 2 different card samples and did it the cheapest way I could figure - just card fronts with a tag to pull out and no embellishments. These are really simple easy cards to make.
I figured out how much it would cost me to make each card - supplies only, I haven't added in my time yet (and of course I wouldn't have a clue to add in ink). Anyhow, card 1 would cost me $.30 each to make and card 2 would cost me $.20 per card to make. Knowing that, what do you think would be a fair price to ask? (I've only made samples for the baby shower invites, not the wedding ones.) All 50 cards will be made the same.
To cover your time I would charge $1.25 - $1.50/ea. Of course when she adds that up ($62.50 & $75.00 for 50) she will probably balk. Most people don't understand what it costs to produce nice invitations and cards.
Would she be willing to make them herself? How much would it be for her to buy all the supplies & stamps? Just a suggestion.
__________________ Ashley - Banded 12-13-07 Ask me about it! Start 238 Current 138 Goal 125
First of all, let me say how adorable your cards are. I especially love card #1!
Anyways, I usually sell my cards like this (minimal embellishments) for around $2.00 each. That usually goes in line with what they would pay a stationary website/store to create plain, non-embellished computer printed custom invites. That said, since she is a friend and a good customer, I might offer her more of a deal - say $1 - $1.50 per card. If she bawks (although I doubt she will), just tell her that you usually charge $2/card and she has to consider the value of the time it would take you to cut, stamp, color and assemble each individual card. I don't think she'll have a problem with it at all. Good luck!
To cover your time I would charge $1.25 - $1.50/ea. Of course when she adds that up ($62.50 & $75.00 for 50) she will probably balk. Most people don't understand what it costs to produce nice invitations and cards.
Would she be willing to make them herself? How much would it be for her to buy all the supplies & stamps? Just a suggestion.
Ashley.......I asked her if she wanted to make them herself since they don't have to be made until the end of May. She says she doesn't have the time. But you are right, if I tell her that is how much they will cost, she will probably run to walmart and buy some there. LOL I guess that would give me more time to join more swaps and get things in return for my time!
I like card one the best as well. Be sure to count in the price of envelopes unless she is providing her own.
I would have the raw cost broken down in case she asks
OR PREFERS TO MAKE HER OWN
Paper--two packs of pink and one pack of white
yielding exactly fifty cards with NO extras
add in extra package of each for any extras or mistakes
Ink Two pads, two matching markers (reinkers if she already has both pinks)
vellum one package
ribbon one spool
Remember, friend or not, she doesn't want to make them because of TIME. Yours is just as valuable as hers. So if she doesn't want you to do it at what she thinks is too expensive a price, then I say let her go elsewhere. Your time is valuable. Did I get across that your time is valuable?
Usual rule is that you double your cost for the item then add in for your time. If you charge $1.50 per card for card #1 that gives you $.60 for the card and $.90 for your time. If you make 10 cards in an hour that comes out to about $9 per hour for your time. Least I think the math is right! Sounds reasonable to me. I like both cards but if you are going to make 50 I would pick the one that is easiest to make. k
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kmk504
Usual rule is that you double your cost for the item then add in for your time. If you charge $1.50 per card for card #1 that gives you $.60 for the card and $.90 for your time. If you make 10 cards in an hour that comes out to about $9 per hour for your time. Least I think the math is right! Sounds reasonable to me. I like both cards but if you are going to make 50 I would pick the one that is easiest to make. k
Quote:
Originally Posted by Debra
Remember, friend or not, she doesn't want to make them because of TIME. Yours is just as valuable as hers. So if she doesn't want you to do it at what she thinks is too expensive a price, then I say let her go elsewhere. Your time is valuable. Did I get across that your time is valuable?
Debra
i think that this is a very valid point - your time is worth something; it's probably worth a lot more than you realize. $9/hr to do these cards is not enough! work it out to $12/hr minimum!
i realize that some people will tell you that she's your friend and you should give her a discount; but, she's not willing to do it herself, and cardmaking is time consuming even if you like (love) to do it! for the sake of women everywhere, do NOT underrate your time and talent! we ARE worth the $$$.
thanks for letting me have an opportunity to have a say. and btw - i think your card #1 is great!!!!
Both of your cards are very nice! I know what you mean about asking what to charge, especially if it's a friend. I can understand that she may balk if you ask $1-1.50 each (which is what I would do), but if she's bought supplies before, she knows the time and money that goes into each one. I guess I would explain the cost of materials and the amount of time needed per card if she doesn't like your price. Or maybe you can throw in a small "bonus" if she goes for your price.
I think the cards are sooo cute. I think that you should charge for your time, and since you can't truly figure ink cost, I think $1.50 a card is MORE than reasonable.
I guess I am going to be in the minority here, but I don't think that you necessarily have to charge much beyond costs. I guess what matters to me is what kind of friend you would consider her. Is she the type of person that would help you in a bind, or is she a customer who has become a have-coffee-with friend?
I know I'm busy, but a very good friend of mine recently had a baby and I made 60 announcements for her. All I got her to pay was the cost of the supplies. I knew that she probably couldn't afford the $1-2 a card, and I knew it would mean a lot to her to have her baby announcements hand made. She ended up taking me out for a nice lunch to thank me.
Could you ask for a gift certificate from somewhere in exchange for the cards? Something you'd never spend money on, like a spa or clothing store? If you like making cards and could work on them a little at a time in front of the tv, this might be enough.
When one of my good friends got married, I made all of her wedding invitations and thank-you cards, and bookmarks as favors. She paid for the paper, ink, adhesive, ribbon and stamps, - but my time of doing this was my wedding gift to her. Worked out great as time was something I could afford.
If she is a good friend, perhaps it could be your gift to her in luie if a wedding gift or a baby gift. (just a thought)
If not, give her a breakdown of the costs - materials and your time. $10/hr to produce the invites to me seems reasonable, but from her point of view, she may be expecting your time to be for free as a gift to a friend, so be prepared to deal with that.
I personally love the ideas of gift certificates to compensate you for your time, and the cost of the materials covered up front. She might not like the idea of giving you $50 cash to cover your time, but a $50 spa gift cert. might be more appealing to her.
I was wondering - are you invited to this shower? Is so, you could possible make this your "gift" to the Guest of Honor along with a little something extra!
The baby shower is for her sister-in-law who I do not know and the wedding shower is for her sister - who I do not know. These people asked HER to make the invitations which she said she would do but then tells me that she doesn't have time (mind you she stays at home with her two children and hubby is deployed - however, I stay at home with my child and my husband is also stationed elsewhere).
Last year I made baby announcements for her (took pictures of the newborn, printed out the 4x6 pictures, and made the announcements). I originally started with about 30 and after I finished all of those, she asked me to make 25 more for her (people started getting them in the mail and wanted others to have one too). So I bit my tongue and made more of them for her.
I am just sooooo bad when it comes to money and charging for things. I wish I wasn't like that but I just am! Heck, I'm embarrased when my husband tries to bargain at a garage sale or something. LOL Anyhow, I haven't sent her an email to let her know what it will cost yet. I suppose I should. I don't know why I should be ashamed to charge so much for a card when I really do put time and energy into making them.
Okay, I will write her an email tonight. I'm thinking of telling her oh heck, I don't know what I'm thinking of telling her LOL. I will print off all these replies and read them again so I know I have other's on my side with prices!
Thanks so much ladies. It is just awesome that we have a place to turn to when in need of answers and we know that those answers are coming from someone just like us!
Thanks so much to those of you that already replied!!!!!!
I think $1-$2 is fair. You deserve something for your time. I had a coworker ask me to make 4 x-mas cards with angels for her sisters. I made four different cards and a birthday card because she mentioned one of the sister's had a birthday around Christmas. I charged $3 a card and she happily took all 5 and handed me a $20 bill and asked for no change. I know 50 is a lot more, but I don't work for free. If you knew the person and did it for a gift, as I have done, that is different. You are truly being hired at this point and I would be bored stiff to make that many of the same thing.
I love your invites though and vote for #1.
Good luck. I'm much like you. I was so nervous the first time someone ask me to make something for them.
Samantha
Need opinions please!!!
