Unpaper Towels and my business dilemma
I've been getting quite a few requests for unpaper towels lately... which is AWESOME! The only problem is... I don't know what to charge for them! This is why I'm not *officially* selling them yet, lol.
Anyway, here's the rundown:
I sell unpaper towels in either a set of 12 ("regular") or a set of 18 ("large"). They are 11"x11" each. One side flannel, the other side terry cloth. Each towel has four snaps on it (two female snaps, two male). There is also a center tube made out of the same fabric that slides onto most paper towel holders (It's about 3" in diameter and has two snaps on it, as well as a NivyNaps tag).
A set of 18 requires 4 yards of fabric (two flannel, two terry). The fabric, depending on the print, brand, etc... is anywhere between $5-9 PER yard. Most of the time it's about $8 or $9 per yard. That means, to make a set of 18, I spend just under $40 of my own money. That's not including the snaps and thread (and time to make them).
A set of 12 is 2/3rds of the set of 18, so it costs me just under $27 to make a set of 12 (again, not including snaps, thread, and time).
The point of a business is to make profit. Yes, it's also nice that I'm helping to provide people with more stylish ways of going green, and that's TOTALLY awesome! But plain and simple... the point of a business is to make money... not lose it. That said, charging $35-50 seems so high to me! And I'm afraid that people won't buy the product if it's that high. My husband suggested $35 for a set of 12 and $50 for a set of 18. Taking out the cost of the fabric, the remaining balance is that I'd be getting paid just under $3 an hour for making them (it takes me about 4-5 hours of straight work to make a set of 18). I guess when you look at it this way, the costs seem reasonable.
But still... it just feels high to me. Would I pay $50 for a set of unpaper towels?
I have to really sit here and think about it. I mean, people pay $30+ for FITTED diapers (Goodmamas and the like)... but I would personally *never* pay that much for a diaper, but other people do. I can make at least 4 diapers out of two yards of fabric (not including the absorbent material if it's a fitted or AIO). I don't charge anywhere near $30 for my fitteds, but I charge enough to cover the costs of making the diaper, with a little left over for profit. My fitteds are $12.95 each (sized, not one-size). So when I compare it to diapers, $35 for twelve 11"x11" double-sided towels WITH snaps doesn't seem so unreasonable. Nor does it seem all that unreasonable to charge $50 for a set of 18.
I look at other unpaper towels around, and MOST of them are around that price (most of the ones I've seen for cheaper use cheaper fabric options... so less quality). So I'm asking for your guys' opinions... how much would YOU be willing to pay for a set of either 12 or 18 *reusable* stylish unpaper towels that you can snap together and have neatly on a roll? They can be used for table napkins (which is what we usually use ours for), cleaning up food and kitchen messes, and other uses that you would normally use paper towels for. Depending on how often you use paper towels (for us, it used to be for almost EVERYTHING), you'd probably make your money back from the savings on paper towels. So what do you think??
Issue #2: Shipping.
This has been my big downfall in my business. I never know what to charge! I can't stand businesses that JACK UP the shipping costs, so I've always tried to remain fair with how much I charge for shipping. Problem is, several times, I've ended up paying more for shipping than I charged. :-/ The last set of unpaper towels I sent out, cost me $10 in shipping (I charged $5). And it never seems to be the same. I weighed a set of 12 unpaper towels, with a box, and it came out to 1 lbs. 8 oz. I have to send them via box and not envelope (which is how I send diapers usually). Now, I received a box from a friend, that was just under the weight of unpaper towels, and she was able to ship it for $5.70. *sigh* This is what I mean here... shipping seems to be all over the place! :-/
I don't really have a question for you guys in regards to shipping... mostly just venting. :-/
Anyway, here's the rundown:
I sell unpaper towels in either a set of 12 ("regular") or a set of 18 ("large"). They are 11"x11" each. One side flannel, the other side terry cloth. Each towel has four snaps on it (two female snaps, two male). There is also a center tube made out of the same fabric that slides onto most paper towel holders (It's about 3" in diameter and has two snaps on it, as well as a NivyNaps tag).
A set of 18 requires 4 yards of fabric (two flannel, two terry). The fabric, depending on the print, brand, etc... is anywhere between $5-9 PER yard. Most of the time it's about $8 or $9 per yard. That means, to make a set of 18, I spend just under $40 of my own money. That's not including the snaps and thread (and time to make them).
A set of 12 is 2/3rds of the set of 18, so it costs me just under $27 to make a set of 12 (again, not including snaps, thread, and time).
The point of a business is to make profit. Yes, it's also nice that I'm helping to provide people with more stylish ways of going green, and that's TOTALLY awesome! But plain and simple... the point of a business is to make money... not lose it. That said, charging $35-50 seems so high to me! And I'm afraid that people won't buy the product if it's that high. My husband suggested $35 for a set of 12 and $50 for a set of 18. Taking out the cost of the fabric, the remaining balance is that I'd be getting paid just under $3 an hour for making them (it takes me about 4-5 hours of straight work to make a set of 18). I guess when you look at it this way, the costs seem reasonable.
But still... it just feels high to me. Would I pay $50 for a set of unpaper towels?
I have to really sit here and think about it. I mean, people pay $30+ for FITTED diapers (Goodmamas and the like)... but I would personally *never* pay that much for a diaper, but other people do. I can make at least 4 diapers out of two yards of fabric (not including the absorbent material if it's a fitted or AIO). I don't charge anywhere near $30 for my fitteds, but I charge enough to cover the costs of making the diaper, with a little left over for profit. My fitteds are $12.95 each (sized, not one-size). So when I compare it to diapers, $35 for twelve 11"x11" double-sided towels WITH snaps doesn't seem so unreasonable. Nor does it seem all that unreasonable to charge $50 for a set of 18.
I look at other unpaper towels around, and MOST of them are around that price (most of the ones I've seen for cheaper use cheaper fabric options... so less quality). So I'm asking for your guys' opinions... how much would YOU be willing to pay for a set of either 12 or 18 *reusable* stylish unpaper towels that you can snap together and have neatly on a roll? They can be used for table napkins (which is what we usually use ours for), cleaning up food and kitchen messes, and other uses that you would normally use paper towels for. Depending on how often you use paper towels (for us, it used to be for almost EVERYTHING), you'd probably make your money back from the savings on paper towels. So what do you think??
Issue #2: Shipping.
This has been my big downfall in my business. I never know what to charge! I can't stand businesses that JACK UP the shipping costs, so I've always tried to remain fair with how much I charge for shipping. Problem is, several times, I've ended up paying more for shipping than I charged. :-/ The last set of unpaper towels I sent out, cost me $10 in shipping (I charged $5). And it never seems to be the same. I weighed a set of 12 unpaper towels, with a box, and it came out to 1 lbs. 8 oz. I have to send them via box and not envelope (which is how I send diapers usually). Now, I received a box from a friend, that was just under the weight of unpaper towels, and she was able to ship it for $5.70. *sigh* This is what I mean here... shipping seems to be all over the place! :-/
I don't really have a question for you guys in regards to shipping... mostly just venting. :-/