Biz Dev
September 29th, 2005In my experiment of trying to make this blog have a business, I figure I could be all secretive and then launch something, but I want to perform a kind of due diligence and get feedback. The main reason for the openness is that we don’t have the liquidity for me to order up a bunch of stuff and carry stock and do a mega launch. I’m also trying to be very Web 2.0 and develop organically. Kind of like a shampoo.
I’ve had a few comments and emails about selling merchandise (t-shirts) and photos. These are two of the things that we’re working on at the blurbodoocery. And it was before I quit the day job that I wanted to pursue making some art and making some money. A sort of variation on:
- Make stuff.
- ??
- Make money!
Because the web will be the step 2, the question marks kind of go away. To this end, I did a t-shirt mockup and liked the results a couple of months ago, but felt my readership is so small, that it’s kind of pointless to do shirts. Look at these and tell me what you think:
The logo on the back would be much smaller (the vendor I used to build these comps only allows it to shrink to an inch tall, and I’d like the logo to be about a half-inch in height. Part of me wonders about the ringer, if that’s played already and I should go with a solid color. I have a soft spot for orange. My main question with this design is: do you get the front? Do you care if you don’t? Would you buy/wear this? I’m not necessarily looking for design critique, although if you don’t like something, you don’t like it and I can take that kind of feedback. I’m more interested in “Yeah, I’d buy it” or “Nah, not interested.”
The other, larger, more involved idea I’ve had is to sell prints of our photos. The photos wouldn’t just be the raw source, but I would do work to transform the photo into something larger, maybe have a theme and sell them as fine-ish art. Don’t know if people are into that idea, but I’d love it if that could generate some income.
I don’t know if I want to do the printing myself; buy a sweet printer and papers and inks then make the print myself, or outsource it to a high end shop that uses a photographic process to take a file and output it. I like the high end idea, as I wouldn’t sell everything, just a select group of photos for a limited time and even then, I’d probably only want to sell a limited run to increase value. If it got crazy, I’d sign some of the first ones as well. While I think there are excellent solutions for someone to print their own stuff, I don’t know if I have the patience or the bank account to fund the printer and supplies it would take to do what I want. Plus, no printer headaches. The only issue with using a higher end shop is that the fees are going to go up substantially and I’d have to charge a lot more per print. But that might be the best way to go to sell museum quality prints.
Your thoughts?
September 29th, 2005 at 4:02 pm
I’m sure you would no problem selling your photographs. You do some pretty great stuff.
Like the t-shirt. Not sure I’d buy one though, simply NOT enough room in the closet and I have t-shirts I don’t wear as it is - even though I really like them… Though, depending upon price point, I would likely consider buying one to help support you and your family efforts. I don’t know you guys personally, but I certainly have developed a soft spot for the Armstrong family - I am so sure you guys would be great to party with!!
TK
September 29th, 2005 at 4:02 pm
I don’t “get” the front, I also like orange even though it looks like crap on me, but, yeah, I’d buy the t-shirt.
And, AND, I’d DEFINITELY buy your photos. I just went through the daily ones on Dooce — yeah, ALL of them! — and they are fabu! Love ‘em, love ‘em, yeah, I really dig them!
As Nike once (once?) said — just do it. Or as someone else once said, build it and they will come. Yeah, the t-shirt’s good. Yeah, the photos are fantastic. Do it.
September 29th, 2005 at 4:10 pm
I like the shirt design; it appeals to the fontophile in me (which I presume was the aim of the “dingbat” label). But I wouldn’t buy a white t-shirt, ringer or no. How about an orange background?
Which photos in particular are you thinking of offering? I ask because while think both of you have some gorgeous, fantastic photos, I haven’t seen anything that has made me think, “I want that on my wall.” For *me*, there’s a big leap between really liking a photo and committing to buying and displaying it.
Of course, this is just me, and I’m trying to be semi-brutally honest because I want whatever you do to be a smashing success!
September 29th, 2005 at 4:12 pm
Phase One: Collect Underpants
Phase Two:
Phase Three: Profit!
Sorry to just pop out of lurkdom like that, but I couldn’t resist quoting South Park.
September 29th, 2005 at 4:15 pm
The shirt is very cool, and I’d buy one as long as a)you did a more flattering colour (love orange, but I think you have to be very tanned and goodlooking to pull it off) and b) you’d ship to New Zealand.
You’ve got a small blogging community who are fans over here, so I’m sure you’d sell some. People like to support each other. Also I think it would be a good recognition thing, and point of contact.
And I like Dingbat. Not only is it a nice wee techy thing, but lots of people are dingbats too.
I too am constantly scheming and trying to come up with ideas that will never see me in an office again. I await your developments with interest.
September 29th, 2005 at 4:17 pm
Ariel,
I think they would be along the lines of the link I posted that said, “have a theme”. In case you can’t see that, I’ll include it here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/blurb/sets/747736/
These are a starting point for where I’d like to go. Thanks for your honesty.
September 29th, 2005 at 4:22 pm
If you have boobs bigger than B & 1/4, ain’t nobody getting the front without hunching and a perverted comment. And maybe I’m liking that idea.
The ringer is not necessarily played, but the mock turtleneck design you’re displaying here is. Why is it called a mock? Because people are mocking you when you wear it.
I’d buy photos and a less-mock tshirt.
September 29th, 2005 at 4:45 pm
I’d vote for an all-white shirt (i.e., no color bands) or would second Ariel’s comment about an orange background. Can’t wait to see what’s in store for a dooce design.
Re the photos, in addition to selling prints you might also investigate whether gettyimages or a similar organization could reach a broader audience (and generate license income). Just a thought: more info at http://contributors.gettyimages.com/. (BTW, I’m not affiliated with gettyimages, just someone who’s occasionally found what they’re looking for in their image banks.)
September 29th, 2005 at 4:47 pm
like d said, i don’t “get” the front either, but i have always loved your little design that’s on the front. i don’t really care about color or ringer…i’d buy it whichever way you designed it. and i’d buy photos too.
the primary thing i’d suggest (and this is coming from somebody who spent 2 years in college designing/ordering tshirts for her sorority): make ALL sizes available - from childs L (for the petite people and/or people who want to buy one for their kid) to XXL (for those who need it or those who like to sleep in large shirts)
you got a lot of support…so i say go for it!
September 29th, 2005 at 4:52 pm
I’m loving that shirt. I would buy it; I would wear it. I don’t know if the ringer is played or not but my husband has 8 million of them (a very slight exaggeration) so he’d probably wear it too.
September 29th, 2005 at 4:55 pm
Oh, you meant THAT link. unnnnnh. sorry. Actually, I was just flicking through your photos and particularly enjoyed the 24 Gothic photo on many levels. (maybe not print quality, tho.) I might be more into the Beaufort or Vancouver images if I had ever been to those places. How about more Utah images since that’s a recurring theme in your and dooce’s writing?
September 29th, 2005 at 4:56 pm
Like the t-shirt. I’d buy a woman’s version with a lower necklineópreferably one that said, with an arrow pointing, “I’m with Dingbat.”
J/K. I like it.
September 29th, 2005 at 4:58 pm
I would buy the shirt - simply because it’s designed by an Armstrong and you guys are cool.
However; I don’t know how popular the white/orange/green color combination would go and I don’t particularly ‘get’ the front. I think if you offered a couple color combinations (Grey shirt with orange/green logo?) and had women’s and men’s fittings (if that wasn’t too much to worry about)
As far as the photos. Heck YES! My newspaper goes through shutterfly for out weekly photos and we love them. But, I think it would be cool if you signed and did a theme with the first 50 and then charged a little more for the set or something to make it more ‘fine art.’
September 29th, 2005 at 5:07 pm
I really like the idea of a “ladies cut” version of the shirt as well. I’d probably buy it then.
September 29th, 2005 at 5:21 pm
Yeah I don’t “get” the shirt either, but I think it would sell. Especially if you changed the ringers to green to match the Blurb logo. Or changed the colors of the logo to orange to match the ringers as they are.
As for the pictures, people are always willing to pay more for quality, which is abounding at the Blurbodoocery. I would say let the pros handle the printing.
Good luck. And you are one lucky man to be able to basically say “I don’t need this job!” and mean it. You’re gonna do great.
September 29th, 2005 at 5:37 pm
I like the t-shirt and I would buy it. I would be much more likely to wear it however, if you offered a ladies cut version. I’d also like to see a few colors to choose from … leave the main logo color the way it is and put it on a solid background. (I’d be all over it if you’d offer a lovely purple color!
As for your amazing photographs!!!! I LOVE them and would buy them and hang them all over my apartment!!!!
Congrats Blurb on making this huge decision. So many people have dreams in their lives, but are too afraid to chase them and really make themselves happy!
September 29th, 2005 at 5:41 pm
Love the shirt, love the dingbat, love the photo idea. Props to you for making a go of your dreams and taking the leap of faith.
September 29th, 2005 at 5:47 pm
Just had a thought — what if you combine the 2 (t-shirt and photos)? Pick your 10 or 12 most (gasp!) commercial photos and have them printed on t-shirts. I know, I know, the quality won’t be great, but it would still make for a rockin’ t-shirt.
Or, or, or (I’m filled with ideas like *I’m* the one about to make a gazillion dollars), a coffee table book. You could put 100s of photos into one book and sell each for fairly large $ through a publisher. The thing is this: someone like me who likes so many of your photos wouldn’t be able to afford to buy all of them (and wouldn’t have the wallspace for them all either), so this is the best of both worlds: tons of pictures all in one book on the coffee table. Done!
September 29th, 2005 at 5:52 pm
The shirt is good! As for money-making methods, have you considered a ‘How To’ book describing creating a profitable blog, co-authored by both of you?
September 29th, 2005 at 5:58 pm
I’m not a t-shirt person but I could see other people buying and wearing the dingbat.
I absolutely LOVE the idea of selling prints of your photographs. While on a trip through the southern gulf states this summer I aspired to take photographs along the lines of the ones you have in your theme grouping. I was NOT nearly as successful as you which would prompt me to consider buying yours.
GOOD LUCK
September 29th, 2005 at 5:59 pm
1. I wouldn’t wear a shirt that said “dingbat.” There’s got to be other clever spin-offs of your domain name. ??
2. But I like the design/general idea.
3. No ringer. How about those baseball jersey tees? Or maybe those are as overdone as the ringer tees.
4. Orange sounds nice. Maybe a muted, toned down orange … more like a pumpkin or terra cotta.
5. Definitely agree a “ladies’ cut” is a must.
6. You’d probably score big points if you could also offer the tees in an “organic cotton.”
September 29th, 2005 at 6:03 pm
I like the t-shirt and I think I get it…but now I am filled with anxiety in case I’m missing the point (just like school)…just joking. In all seriousness, the t-shirt is very nifty but definitely a “ladies cut” would be great for those of us who ain’t flat-chested.
The photos are very good but it may be hard to make a lot of cash out of them - there’s a lot of competition in the market.
I do wish you all the very best - big decision but my (late) Dad left a great job for a much less great one when I was about Leta’s age, so he could spend time with us, and that’s why I don’t know any family who were/are closer than us.
September 29th, 2005 at 6:14 pm
“Nah, not interested”
I don’t like the orange and don’t “get” the front, but what’s new?
I would buy it minus the orange.
September 29th, 2005 at 6:22 pm
Wouldn’t wear the shirt (might wear a dooce shirt, dunno) but would love pictures. Your wife takes simply amazing shots & has quite an eye for framing the shot. Often thought that I’d like some of them as desktop pictures if they were large enough.
September 29th, 2005 at 6:29 pm
I’d buy it in any colour and in a “babydoll” size. Regular t-shirts make me look square and don’t come small enough.