Just some updates
I have heard a millions times were are only as good as our last mistake. Most of the time people only remember your mistakes or how things have gone wrong. Mostly I think because anger and disapointment can invoke much stronger emotions than good feelings.
So I thought about this and it has been on my mind a lot because of a current shipping situation we have and have had in the past. (which I will get to later) This is always something that I fear. Some of you know me in real life some of you know me pretty well through the internet and our relations through LJ and some of you don't know me at all. I am an emotional person who doesn't like being emotional. I have a lot of pride in what I do an take it personally and to the heart when I mess something up or don't live up to my full potential. I put massive amounts of stress on myself to do the right thing and in a timely manner and I like making people happy. And in a lot of ways this is a good thing but not always a good way to run a business. So I thought about that as well. I thought about numbers and dates and percentages.. and I looked at it all with a fine tooth comb and put my math skills to work.
Something that most people don't realize is the sheer volume in which we operate between me and Mel who do all of the sewing and Joel and Brian who do most of the cutting. And in fact, I was a bit taken back by it as well. Here are the stats for July 2007
Units produced 405
Packages Shipped 212
Number of lost/damages/messed up shipments
6
Two of those failures are MINE 1 Incorrectly packed parcel 1 Wrong Address
That is a percentage of 2%
That is what brings me back to "You are only as good as your last mistake" Those 6 items are just as important to you as they are too me. It doesn't matter if there is one $2 doubler or $700 worth of diapers in that box. It matters! Am I happy that it is only 2%.. well it is better than 4% or 20%.. it shows improvement from 2006 for sure. But it still isn't good enough for me.
I would like to start adding in insurance costs to any order over $20.. it isn't expensive. I will let you decline insurance if you would like but only under the complete understanding that if something happens it is not my liability. Meaning I will not replace the items. This honeslty makes me feel like (for a lack of better words) a total bitch. But in light of these 6 packages I will need and am willlingly more than happy to do. BUT, in all reality because I have a lower cost diaper that means it cost me even more to remake items. Meaning the small profit I was making in the first place is now ate and I am actually paying to remake items. This is going to end up costing a lot of money and pushing back when other diapers will be able to be finished and sent out.
Oh this is getting long.
We are also (once again) seriously considering stopping mass custom orders and doing mostly premades. There will be slots open for premade at the most 20 at a time which is much smaller than the 200 we ususally let slip by.
Our estimated shipping date on all of the July customs and the special Pocket and AIO was August 17th. I knew in the first place that it was going to be hard to sew that many items in such a short period of time. Secondly my son decided to potty learn two weeks ago and has demanded MUCH of my time but the dead line was still obtainable. Yesterday we got calls that Brian's dad was in the hospital with a 7.5 mm kidney stone and that his grandfather had a heart attack and had to have two stints put into two different valves because of an 80% blockage and a 90% blockage. This morning the call came in that his father was taken into emergency surgery do to mass infection. The kidney stone had "impacted into tissues" and infected. So I will be leaving tonight or tomorrow to go to Houston and help out Brian's family. The diapers are cut. They are in the process of being sewn. And I am taking one sewing machine and one serger with me and those diapers. (much less than my last venture). This still will not be an easy task for me. I will be gone through the weekend ladymarrissa d. if you are willing to drive to where I am I am more than happy to meet up with you. Or I can come out at night once Brian's mom and Grandmother are able to take care of the two men and don't need my help. But I will have my son with me and will not be able to stay late.
I don't really think anyone need to worry or be that concerned. Everything seems under control. As most of you great ladies know, sometimes we have duties that we need to fullfill and my card just got called in. E-mail me. My internet will be sketchy! I will be on dial up and dial up does not like g-mail. If you think you will need me you can e-mail me with in the next 24 hours and I will give you a phone number to use to get into contact with me.
We are looking to have everything done and shipped by the first. Because this is such a large ordeal we may start shipping much much sooner than that in groups based on when you ordered. But I am not making any promises right now because I do not know if I will be able to keep the group shipping one.
Thank you,
Summer
So I thought about this and it has been on my mind a lot because of a current shipping situation we have and have had in the past. (which I will get to later) This is always something that I fear. Some of you know me in real life some of you know me pretty well through the internet and our relations through LJ and some of you don't know me at all. I am an emotional person who doesn't like being emotional. I have a lot of pride in what I do an take it personally and to the heart when I mess something up or don't live up to my full potential. I put massive amounts of stress on myself to do the right thing and in a timely manner and I like making people happy. And in a lot of ways this is a good thing but not always a good way to run a business. So I thought about that as well. I thought about numbers and dates and percentages.. and I looked at it all with a fine tooth comb and put my math skills to work.
Something that most people don't realize is the sheer volume in which we operate between me and Mel who do all of the sewing and Joel and Brian who do most of the cutting. And in fact, I was a bit taken back by it as well. Here are the stats for July 2007
Units produced 405
Packages Shipped 212
Number of lost/damages/messed up shipments
6
Two of those failures are MINE 1 Incorrectly packed parcel 1 Wrong Address
That is a percentage of 2%
That is what brings me back to "You are only as good as your last mistake" Those 6 items are just as important to you as they are too me. It doesn't matter if there is one $2 doubler or $700 worth of diapers in that box. It matters! Am I happy that it is only 2%.. well it is better than 4% or 20%.. it shows improvement from 2006 for sure. But it still isn't good enough for me.
I would like to start adding in insurance costs to any order over $20.. it isn't expensive. I will let you decline insurance if you would like but only under the complete understanding that if something happens it is not my liability. Meaning I will not replace the items. This honeslty makes me feel like (for a lack of better words) a total bitch. But in light of these 6 packages I will need and am willlingly more than happy to do. BUT, in all reality because I have a lower cost diaper that means it cost me even more to remake items. Meaning the small profit I was making in the first place is now ate and I am actually paying to remake items. This is going to end up costing a lot of money and pushing back when other diapers will be able to be finished and sent out.
Oh this is getting long.
We are also (once again) seriously considering stopping mass custom orders and doing mostly premades. There will be slots open for premade at the most 20 at a time which is much smaller than the 200 we ususally let slip by.
Our estimated shipping date on all of the July customs and the special Pocket and AIO was August 17th. I knew in the first place that it was going to be hard to sew that many items in such a short period of time. Secondly my son decided to potty learn two weeks ago and has demanded MUCH of my time but the dead line was still obtainable. Yesterday we got calls that Brian's dad was in the hospital with a 7.5 mm kidney stone and that his grandfather had a heart attack and had to have two stints put into two different valves because of an 80% blockage and a 90% blockage. This morning the call came in that his father was taken into emergency surgery do to mass infection. The kidney stone had "impacted into tissues" and infected. So I will be leaving tonight or tomorrow to go to Houston and help out Brian's family. The diapers are cut. They are in the process of being sewn. And I am taking one sewing machine and one serger with me and those diapers. (much less than my last venture). This still will not be an easy task for me. I will be gone through the weekend ladymarrissa d. if you are willing to drive to where I am I am more than happy to meet up with you. Or I can come out at night once Brian's mom and Grandmother are able to take care of the two men and don't need my help. But I will have my son with me and will not be able to stay late.
I don't really think anyone need to worry or be that concerned. Everything seems under control. As most of you great ladies know, sometimes we have duties that we need to fullfill and my card just got called in. E-mail me. My internet will be sketchy! I will be on dial up and dial up does not like g-mail. If you think you will need me you can e-mail me with in the next 24 hours and I will give you a phone number to use to get into contact with me.
We are looking to have everything done and shipped by the first. Because this is such a large ordeal we may start shipping much much sooner than that in groups based on when you ordered. But I am not making any promises right now because I do not know if I will be able to keep the group shipping one.
Thank you,
Summer