:: :: on fairness and lemonade :: ::
you know sometimes i get downright indignant that i work so hard and yet make so little money. here my family is struggling to sell our condo and knowing it’s time to move out of my mom’s house and faced with a strong financial suck if we can’t make something happen SOON. (and p.s. can we please talk about the fact that even if i wanted to go to work to help contribute to the family funds daycare is prohibitively expensive, especially with number two on the way? is that wrong or what?)
i spent all day yesterday looking over our finances and running scenario after scenario. i mean, some way or another we're going to make it work, because we have to, but in the end i just kept thinking how unfair it is that i make so little and that i have so little control over when i will be able to make more.
i’m out there. i’m getting my work seen. i’m doing whatever marketing and networking i can.
and i’m making sales. lots of sales, even. but with overhead and fees and all, the $10 or so i can manage to make in a day soon turns into a profit of so much less.
i feel like shouting “it’s not fa-ir!” in my loudest and whiniest voice so that all the world can hear and cringe at my cry.
but i also feel like running through the streets shouting, “hey! watch out world! one day i’m going to be featured in real simple and you’re all going to be sending me your money in fistfuls. and then i will be able to buy a house. and then maybe life still won’t be fair but iI’ll be able to invite you over for lemonade and some good old fashioned bitching about fairness.”
what would you think if you saw a person running through the streets shouting that? would you think i was crazy? or would you join in? what would you shout if you were into shouting and that kind of thing?
{image from the each penny pretty creative commons group. go on over there and check out all the amazing photography available for many uses.}
5 comments:
i have been pondering the same thought, how to earn more. you have been in this business longer than me so you really should not worry. maybe all you have to do is create some change in your business. like instead of just selling them online, why not get a print press or a publisher so you can put your stuff in bookstore shelves. i don't know, i have been planning the same thing, it should be an adventure to see how that should go. consistency can be one thing, but if it doesn't bring some change as it should then you must induce and stimulate change yourself. ;)
I think everyone gets into these down phases in their business...there's always the up and down. I think it's great to cheer yourself on though, shout as much as you want to keep the fire going. There are many success stories out there, so you know it's definitely possible. I agree with Kathea that you can go out and try different things to see how it can help change the scene of your business - good luck!
you guys are right, and i'm actually working on a few new angles like that right now (although my business is only 7 months old! i know it's too early to complain about it being stagnant or anything, don't worry).
my complaints here are more that one can work so many hours and produce so much and have it count for so little in the numbers game. i mean, i should be able to describe how HARD i work on my mortgage application, too, right?
and how about my job as a childcare provider. how much i SAVE our family in money spent on daycare should count for something, too. it should be a different kind of income. (nontaxable, please, since we're talking about my perfect world.)
: )
Amen, amen, and an even louder AMEN. Your work is so beautiful--and absolutely worthy of Real Simple. You never know what blessings the future may hold...and yes, I know from my own experience (and feeling sick wondering how to pay the bills) that sometimes that's incredibly hard to believe.
You are immensely talented. Hang in there.
Hang in there! It's well-known in my industry (marketing) that 40% of yearly sales occur in the two months before the holidays.
So many people bought printables last year to make their own inexpensive holiday gifts. Judging from customer feedback, that's what many of them are used for. I KNOW you will do well this year.
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