I STOPPED TAKING CUSTOM ORDERS…(Temporarily)

I recently stopped accepting new custom orders for the second or third time since starting my business, and this video will hopefully give you a better understanding of why I did that, and explain how I operate my small business. Being a one man operated shop can be extremely overwhelming in itself, but that gets amplified due to most of my life revolving around being a stay at home dad to three children. Since starting leatherwork, I have always tried to run all of my operations to be viewed more as a business (or a brand) rather than being viewed just as a maker or sole proprietor. From building a website, my marketing strategy through social media, actually building products by hand, and all the other minutiae that come with owning a business, I have been handling every aspect of this business completely alone behind the scenes, for the most part. Not until recently have I started taking more of an open approach and started showing more of myself and who I am. My goals with this business are continuing to grow, but are also starting to shift away from some of the ways I have previously operated. I have been extremely blessed with more custom orders than I can handle. My Instagram page is where I have primarily marketed my business, and with that profile reaching in on 50,000 followers I have had way more interest in my work than I ever imagined. But just as I mentioned earlier, being a one man shop limits me to what I am able to accomplish with the time I have available to actually work. Once my order list starts to get back logged multiple months out, I become very hesitant to continue taking orders, because we all know that life can change in an instance and schedules rarely stay on course as time passes. The last thing I want to do is make promises I can't keep, and not deliver on the products that my customers have entrusted me to complete. Custom work is not cheap, and it definitely isn't quickly produced. Most of the time when people place custom orders it is for a special occasion such as a birthday, anniversary, etc. If I give someone my word that something will be completed by a certain time then I will do everything that I can to over deliver on that promise. My word means a lot to me, and it is everything that I have built this brand, or business on. As much as I also hate to tell people no to projects, I would rather not take an order than give out my word and then fail to deliver on that. At this moment in time I feel as though I need to put as much focus and attention as I can on the orders I do have instead of trying to keep getting future work. I genuinely want to build the best products that I am capable of producing with my hands for my customers, which often means not worrying so much about the future, but more on what I have right in front of me. Even in the short amount of time I have stopped taking new orders and have been trying to work on my current list, I have unfortunately slipped behind on my intended or estimated schedule way more than I would like to admit. It can start to get very stressful and add a lot of anxiety when deadlines are passing by and products are not arriving on time. I don't see myself getting caught up in time to reopen my orders again in 2023, which is really disheartening to not only me but people who are interested in working with me. This time last year I was considering changing my approach on this business, but with the way this year has started out I think I will undoubtedly have to switch some things up when I get somewhat caught up. I don't exactly know what that means just yet, or what I am going to do. I love this craft and I love working with people on awesome products; however, this business is how I provide for my family and it needs to be operated in a profitable way in order to do so. I am not an expert in business and I honestly have no clue what I am doing half of the time, but I do know that this is what my passion is and it is what I want to continue to pursue. I just have to figure out the best way to do that going forward...

If you read this entire thread then I really appreciate it! All of you who have supported me along the way and are continuing to support me are the only reason I am able to keeping chasing this dream.

Видео I STOPPED TAKING CUSTOM ORDERS…(Temporarily) канала Girty Leather Co.