Wednesday, September 18, 2013

These are part of the whole...

No matter how small the business....it's always a learning curve.
I've been in corporate, manufacturing, retail (not in that order).... Done sales (internal and external), been a bookkeeper, PA and operations co-coordinator.
But an entrepreneur? Ha!

And that is where I am the lucky one to have a father with a logic second to none. As a production consultant and a man of processes, he's always there with advice, process, lists, costing and sensibility.
He doesn't avoid asking "why?" For the sake of my feelings.

As things run smoother and become better, from heeding the advice of my old man, I think Wonder Struck Inc won't just be more and more of a pleasure to deal with...but also a helluva lot easier to run ;)

And on the running side?

To our bunch of Facebook likers... Not JUST the ones ordering, but those that have hit the Like button. You guys make my day. You really do. As I see more people joining the page, the more I want to fight on for what I want Wonder Struck Inc to become.

To the Twitter followers. You guys too! Absent or not as I may be from Twitter updates....thank you for letting us on your timeline!

And after horrible market days and horrible sales days, knowing you guys are there peeking in, keeps Wonder Struck Inc on the positive side.

I know that businesses just starting out take perseverance, take fight...and that it's NOT easy being an entrepreneur.... If I didn't know it before this started.... I know it now.
I've been fighting for 4 years. Developing and changing and learning for this specifically....for 4 years.
And I'm not about to jump ship!

And on that note ... We'll be having our 3rd last Wyetti Market on 28 September.
Jenny, who has worked tirelessly and at great self expense (physically and financially) to create a GREAT venue for us...is calling it quits.
We have been with Jenny at Wyetti since 2010 and a lot of our market experience has come from our time and our stall space there. The last Wyetti market will be at the end of November.

My heart is sad to have that news, but we understand why Jenny has come to that.
We will be looking for another fixed market stall space for 2014.
I would love to say "we'll be looking for store space" ...but that may still be a ways off ;)

If you find yourself in Henley-on-Klip over the next three months. Come say hi while you still have the opportunity to visit a great market space with the most amazing atmosphere.

And... Until the next update.
~CJ~

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

The dreaded I word...

Working in an industry (day job) where the words "price increase" strikes loathing into every customer.... I never thought Wonder Struck Inc, at its size right now, would have to even consider this a problem.

Unfortunately, after walking in to buy resin at my supplier and being slapped with just over 10% increase on my resin, silicone and catalysts.... I am going to have to use the dreaded phrase "price increase".

But don't fear. Current stock items, orders already placed and anything ordered, requested up until 14 September, will not see the increase.
This will only be on my resin items, as I'm still able to cover for my increases on all my other components.
There's also no postal/shipping increase.
Just on resin, as from 15 September.
I do wish I could wait till October for this, but it just cannot be helped :(

And on a brighter note...
Spring seems to have officially arrived in Gauteng!
I'll be posting a market calender for the rest of the year as soon as I've confirmed all my bookings.

Also...there's something in the works that I'm tightly holding thumbs for. More will be revealed if/when it starts happening.

Please remember that we also have a "money raising campaign" on Starme to raise dosh to buy loads of new molds. Spread the word and support please!

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Sometimes...we can only move forward

Well, yesterday I felt really productive and the positivity I saturated myself in has seemingly seeped through to today.

How great is that feeling?

First of all... I have been itching, planning, enquiring about getting a whole stack of new molds in. But with this step comes a huge cost... Unfortunately.
So we'll need help on this step and have created a crowd funding campaign on Startme for this.
Please go join the site / spread the word for support of our campaign.
Our goal is to get AT LEAST 30 new molds in (in multiples) so that we can give you guys more to choose from.
But getting in as many as possible at once will be rather more practical that doing this in pieces and stretching over months and months.
So guys, readers, likers... Help us reach our target in the next 29 days! Please.

Then. To support this aswell. I'm planning flash sales. A chance to get non-online listed stock for VERY low prices. This will be going to our "mold fund" as well. Yay!

But instead of doing a whole wack of stuff over one 24 hour stretch. I'm doing 5 hour stretches of limited stock.
This will be the LAST sale for 2013.
Get your Christmas pressies early while we're at it ;)

Keep your eyes on the Facebook to claim.
When you spot what you want. Comment with the number of the picture and YOUR email. First comment on that item will get an email with payment details.
Proof must be received by the end of the day or the item goes back into stock.
I'll be doing something similar on Instagram for the PayPal peeps.

Have fun with it and for today....have an awesome one!

CJ

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Hello Spring...

Oh yea the whole "Spring" thing can get old, but I don't care.
It's Spring! Unfortunately the end of Winter means packing away my warmer scarves and all my gloves :( .....but it's the season of rain and flowers and gardening and night markets! Etc etc.

But on to shop updates ;)

Geek Fest was good. Very good! The number of people that came was awesome!
To everyone who dressed up, you guys rocked!
To other stall holders (Plushie Heaven, Reigning Red, amongst others) it was GREAT meeting you guys and I hope you all did really well.
We did.... To my assistants for the day Maruchka and Wes, love you both so hard. And I wouldn't have survived the day without either of you.

We're back at HQ now, carrying on with the cleanup/out and making a few pieces for stock and finishing some carry over orders.

I really do need to update what's still in stock so I can open the Etsy store again. I'll be updating the MyStall as well. Patience please!

I am considering ....to maybe have a *flash* sale 24 hours for whatever stock ISN'T loaded on the online stores as yet.
Once off prices that I will not repeat again.
But guys please, I will not hold this stock. Payments will need to be done and proofs sent on the day. If you're with FNB I'll even accept ewallet payments.
If everyone is game on getting stuff for as much as 50% off, we'll need to see what day would suit everyone that's interested.
So... DETAILS TO FOLLOW.

I'm hoping to get another market in before the end of this month, probably at Walkerville. This market happens EVERY Saturday and is quite cool. There's home brewed beers, fresh bread, homemade goats cheeses.... And, it's out in the farms.
I'll post their details once I've confirmed a stall.
Heatherlynn from the Journeyman and I will most probably be sharing a stall under the name Wander Land. Yup...dead serious.

Otherwise..... Our next Market to date will be:

28 September, Saturday ~ Wyetti Craft Market. 11 Wargrave rd, Henley-on-Klip.

Any submissions for this blog about your store, you as a model/photographer, must please be emailed by the 28th September so I can do the blog post on 29 September.

If you need stats of my blog, email me before then so I can send them to you.

Email: wonderstruckincza@gmail.com

And.... Have a great Wednesday peeps.

~CJ~