A few words about Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, & Cyber Monday.
My name is Matt Buchholz, and I run a small business, Alternate Histories. I make cards & prints with monsters in them. I sell them online, at some stores around the country, and at craft/art shows. I live and work out of a two bedroom apartment in Pittsburgh that I rent. I pay for my own health insurance and struggle with taxes & all the small business work. I also run all my own social media & marketing, and try to keep up with everything. Itās hard & exhausting but I love it.
In short, Iām a lot like many of my friends here in Pittsburgh and around the country. We made some kind of art, discovered that people like it, and are working to get that work in front of customers so theyāll buy it. Iām fortunate that Alternate Histories is my main source of income; a lot of my friends still have part or full time jobs to support themselves.
The holiday season is incredibly important to us, as thatās when we make most of our money. For instance, my sales in November & December of 2014 accounted for almost 50% of my entire sales for the year!
Which brings us to all the brouhaha around Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, & Cyber Monday. Everything is predicated on incredible deals. Save 30%, 40%, 50%. Free shipping, free overnight, buy one get one free, etc.
This weekend I was thinking about sales and trying to figure out what I could offer; maybe a Cyber Monday deal? Shop Local discounts?
Hereās what I realized: I canāt afford to offer a discount.
Iāve had other online sales during the course of the year, and Iām delighted when you take advantage of them. But the truth is that I canāt afford it right now. There are a lot of factors that contribute to slumping online sales (crowded marketplace, Etsy search algorithims, etc) but itās something that all of my friends are dealing with.
I love that some big retailers like REI are taking a stand and closing on Black Friday. I applaud that. I wish every big store would take this approach. But thatās simply not something that I have the luxury to do.
We want to keep making fun, creative, hand-made and independently produced work for you. And we hope that youāll seek out this type of work. But to be frank; it does cost more. Itās more expensive for me to print & ship work from home than it is for a factory in China to print 10,000 of them and them on Amazon or Alibaba.com. Independently produced work simply costs more.
So what I want to say is this:
1. Thank you. Thank you to everyone who has bought my work over the past five years, and who will continue to buy it. Your support means the world to me. It let me quit my job and start working for myself, which is a miraculous thing. Itās the American Dream, as corny as that sounds.
2. Iām sorry that I canāt offer discounts this holiday season. I wish I could, because you folks deserve it. But charging full prices for items now is what lets me stay in business for the rest of the year. Itās what lets me start working on new Holiday card designs in May, when sales are slow. Itās what lets me work on my next crazy idea, keep going, and try to grow as a business.
3. There are lots of ways for you to support me and other independent artists this holiday season. Buy directly from us online. Go to a store that sells work by local and indie makers. Or come to a holiday craft market - theyāre easy to find! Iāll be at Crafty Supermarket (Cincinnati) on Nov 28, Handmade Arcade (Pittsburgh) on Dec 5, and the SuperFriends Holiday Market (Pittsburgh) on Dec 12. The Etsy Local feature lets you find markets near you - or if you canāt find a place and want a suggestion, email me. Iāll be glad to steer you towards some places where you can meet artists, talk with them, and support their work.
I hope Iāll see you at a show this year, or that youāll check me out online. Or hey, if my stuff isnāt your style, thatās cool. Wherever you live, there are talented artists nearby who want to share their work with you. I hope youāll seek them out this holiday season.
