re:sublimation pic peeling off

[rossdv8]

Had to laugh at my post. I suppose it was a thinly veiled suggestion not to be tempted to charge too little for a mug. Check what it costs to take your pics to Harvey Norman and BigW to have a mug made at their booths, then look at VistaPrint's 'normal' prices (not their super dooper specials). It might surprise you.

I have people here who have paid to have family pictures printed as a collage in those places and compared them to my 'rejects' that I was giving to friends when I was trying to sort out fails. Basically anythign I'm not happy with becomes a birthday present or goes into some tradie's smoko room. But mine have more accurate colours and even the rejects are popular and have people asking.

I suppose I'm saying it is a mistake to sell cheaply and forget how much time you need to charge for to make it worth while. And there is always a use for a mug with a slight blemish. If it is really, really bad, they make good drainage inthe bottom of plant pots!
But usually you can give them away to someone and save a fortune in chrissy and birthday presents.

I walked into one house reccently and saw one of the mugs I had given away. They had in turn, filled it with wax and a wick and made it into a scented candle and given it to someone else!
I found another in an office with an orchid growing in it. So what if it was a plastic orchid in pebbles. It was a giveaway reject mug and someone had it in pride of place in their business.

[lezzels]

was thinking of putting vinyl on mine too but still worried the sub coating may peel of when washed as the vinyl holds up to washing ......... guess will have to try ...
yeah I noticed mugs starting at $19.95 .... though of cheaper might get me on the market guess im too impatient lol

[rossdv8]

The aussie tourist market seems to handle retail prices for general interest mugs at around $15 to $16 on store shelves. I think the extra work invoved in a personal one off or half a dozen off mug is worth $20. I've seen HN and B-W charge $22 per mug if you take your photos in to their booth thingy.

So for our market I'd say you're thinking about right.

Minimums:
$5.00 paterials allowing for electricity (it might surprise you) and odd mistakes. ( have printed a mug upside down on more than one occasion).
$5.00 per mug labour. (That is still only $30/hour - a little more than 50% above the minimum wage)

At $10 a mug you can wholesale and if the reseller adds 50% margin plus GST they will sell at $16.50. If you set your bottom retail at $16 you are not cutting their throat if they find you selling in the market place.

At $16 retail, you would be getting $11 per mug, or $66/hour after cost. BUT !!! You still have to take into account what it costs to deliver mugs to retailers, or set up a stall at your local market, or however you want to sell.

Hope that's some use lezzels.

Cheers,

[lezzels]

thanks so much .. great help

[rossdv8]

You're welcome. When i have a business I write down the cost of absolutely evrything it cost me to start up. So for mugs, you have the mug press, paper, ink, mugs that were no good, printer, what your computer would cost to replace and so on.

Then I work on roughly what I outlined in the last post.

Then I deduct the profit from every mug sold from the total cost of startup. I know exactly how many mugs it took until the profit paid for my press. So I know exactly how many I need to prnt to have the reserve to buy a new one. And when my press dies, I will know how many it printed, and that goes ahead to plan for the next budget.

You don't need to worry about this stuff it is is just a hobby. But is you plan to make money from it, keep a journal and write every item including cost of fuel and so on.

If you aren;t up to date on the business side I have had many years working on the correct side of the tax laws.

[lezzels]

well Im hoping to make a small business out of it for my self ..... so much to learn and remember ....

[rossdv8]

Ok, so my suggestion is to treat it like a business from day one and learn all the things you need to know. Like, you can pick a good sized room to work out of. Because the amount you can claim for household cost is proportional to the floor area. You can claim a percentage of all expenses directly related to earnign assessable income including rent or interest on mortgage payments etc.

BUT !!!

Don't claim for any home office/workshop expense for a home you own, if you plan to sell it later, unless you do the sums. Because in Australia, as soon as you claim home office deductions - even only for part of one year - you are assessed for capital gains tax if you ever sell the house.

Been there - had to sell a house unexpectedly - fell for the tax!

And don't ever act on the suggestions of someone like me without first checking it out with a qualified financial advisor. The tax laws change daily - literally.

[lezzels]

oh I didnt know that ............ about capital gains ... geez have to be careful

[rossdv8]

Again, the warning - check with someone who is qualified, but I don't think they changed it.

There are loits of other tips. Like if you are running as a proper business, as well as keeping a ledger with expenses on one side and sales on the other, keep every single receipt. For everything. You'll need it for ATO. And if you are going to run it as a business, keep an ACCURATE vehicle log. If you go to the shops to buy a birthday present for your wife, go and buy somethng for the business and get a receipt. Even just a biro or a roll of sticky tape. Write it in your vehicle log (not the present though).

You should run that past someone who 'knows' too. But as long as it is in a diary (a line in your vehicle log) and backed up by a receipt, it shoudl be ok. Your tax agent should know. Monday Newsagent, Tuesday Office supply store, wednesday post office, thursday freight shipper and get them to give you a print oout of their latest rates to somewhere. You'll get a routine going. You can usually find time to call at coles or woollies or something in the way home.

[lezzels]

yes will have a chat to accountant .....going shopping now so will get a journel for my expenses ...... my car is already worked out as I do part time in home caring so will add more for the accountant to play with ... have had an abn for a long time so im almost there (hehe dont think my hubby would like me havin a wife)