Cropping out the CRUD….

Photography has been a huge part of my life! From the time I was a child, I was always taking photos of my dog, cat, pet mouse…. My dad’s horse….  Etc…..

That eventually grew in to a love of photography as an adult. I honed my passion into a talent and learned to ‘see’ things totally different than other did. 

As I learned more about photography and the ART of creating what you want to see, I quickly learned that you can make something beautiful out of something you see every day!   This is what I call “cropping out the crud’   It is something that we can all learn to do in life in general! 

AHHH… Time for the real thing! The CATALOG!

Talk about time consuming! I don’t have a major in graphic arts, I don’t have a program on my computer that can handle a large volume of photos and text and do all the work for me. IF I’m going to do it, it’s going to be ALL ME… it’s going to be work!  As far as things with Moon Talk go (to this point) I’ve done the actual work myself. I like it that way! The logo design, the photos, the tag line, the product research… etc…. I am a very independent person. If you know me… you will agree! I DID NOT say stubborn! I said INDEPENDENT!  There is a difference! ;-) 

My computer was bogging down and giving me ‘issues’ as I was working on my poor attempt of a catalog.  I was rather proud of my ‘poor attempt’ but I was getting no where with it and my laptop was threatening to crash! NOOOO!!!!!

Models …. And the catalog shoot!

I LOVE FACEBOOK! What can I say!??  It has been such a boost for Moon Talk! I have used it for every step of  growth for MT!  When it came time to start thinking about putting a catalog together, I just put it ‘out there’ that I was going to have a ‘shoot’ at out local library on a certain Saturday and needed ALL AGES of models… Everyone showed up; Mom’s and Aunts with infants from 2 months old up, toddlers, school age kids, teens & adults!  I piled clothes on a table, they chose what they wanted to wear. We walked around the library and shot away! Some models lasted longer than others, some took longer than others… I DID make sure we got a model release from EVERY one that was there!  SO if you think of doing something like this yourself, make sure you cover your behind… put together a simple model release, have them sign it!  Then KEEP IT!

FaceBook …Twitter.….LinkedIn…. and may God bless…. !

Many decisions have been made with the help of FaceBook. I will put words out there and ask for ideas…. thoughts… preferences….  I’ve put product out there and asked what people think of it,  would they buy it…. Would they rather see something else?  A LOT of things have been tabled because of lack of interest!  I have told my ‘friends’ that they are the ‘foundation’ of Moon Talk and together we are building a strong foundation for a strong future!  I hope they DO realize how important their opinions are to me!  They are my buyers… I can like… LOVE something, BUT IF they DON’T, it isn’t going to sell!  It’s as clear as that! You have to please your customers !   They will let you know what makes them happy!  It may be a simple ‘like’ on your page  or a page full of comments! 

Pricing and profit margins…

That was a toughie! I have dealt with selling to the general public before and made a decent profit with a minimal mark-up. BUT this is a different ball game all together!   It’s even in a whole different ballpark!  Here is how it’s SUPPOSED to be done!  Take the cost of the item that YOU PAY… PLUS ANY packaging, printing and incidentals…multiply that total  cost by 2 – 2 .5 times…  THAT is your WHOLESALE PRICE… Then the retailer is going to take THAT price and mark it up at least  100% if not 150%!  OUCH!  Is the end price going to be a price point that the consumer will laugh at??  It’s a fine, fine line that you are walking here. IF you have a sales rep that you have to pay… in the gift market, the real reps charge 15% of sales…  you HAVE to have that margin built in! IF YOU DON’T…. the fees are going to eat your profit and you will go under real quick! That is where I am stuck!  My product is high quality and Made in the USA. You pay for that!  I won’t lower my standards. I believe in sticking with what you believe in. I believe in 100% cotton and organic whenever you can…. As well as Made in the USA. I KNOW I can get cheaper products buying from China, but what is that doing for our own country? ....