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 30th, 2005 at 9:40 am
The ringers are out. unless you’re playing baseball, which i wouldn’t do in this shirt anyway. I love the shirt, i would totally buy it. it is fantastic, MINUS THE RINGERS. STOP WITH THE RINGS. I even like that the logo on the back is that big. And I love orange.
I also think your photos are great–depending on what you did with them, I might buy some. The set you linked to, all eerie, is wonderful.
September 30th, 2005 at 9:43 am
I don’t “get” the front of the shirt, but I like the design. It is definitely something I would buy and wear.
And I would Love Love Love to buy some of your prints! Specifically I love the Haunted Beaufort one with the hydrant in the front.
Good luck!!
September 30th, 2005 at 9:46 am
Why would anyone buy a shirt that said dingbat on the front? Just because you made it? Pompous.. You have real skills and intellect try using to do something of substance, not to capitalize on your “internet fame” to get sheep to fork over $15 to buy some crap t-shirt. I know you’ll delete this, but I thought you were better than this.
September 30th, 2005 at 9:50 am
AAP, are you Jon’s former boss?
September 30th, 2005 at 10:01 am
Jill: Haha, not I’m not. I’m a sometimes frequenter of dooce and b-mat. I’ve quit jobs in the past before, but always had something lined up. It’s brave what Blurb is contemplating, but shilling wacky t-shirts and selling road trip pics isn’t gonna put Leta through college. I’m afraid the internet has made “businessman” out of people who have or should have no business doing business. Stick with something brick/mortar Jon, trust me. All people claiming to love the shirt, won’t fork over $10-15 for a novelty t-shirt, just because you’re selling it! I dont know how myopic you are, but your talents lie elsewhere. I can help you with a business plan. You have my email.
September 30th, 2005 at 10:08 am
As an artist and photographer, i say GO FOR IT. But don’t expect any stability. That’s just the way it works. One month you’ll do fantastic and make assloads of money. The next month you’ll wonder where everyone went. The next month will be so-so. The month after that will be FANTASTIC again. The next month you’ll sell nothing and you’ll be eating out of dumpsters, etc etc. The shirt is great and your photos are lovely, you should do well. I’ll probably buy something.
September 30th, 2005 at 10:10 am
I think the ringer and retro look is pretty played (and I’m so non-trendy that it means it was over a long time ago!). But, I also agree that they would sell more in a great flattering women’s cut, lower neckline.
Photos - that would be great - you’d sell a ton of those for sure. That’s the route to take.
Good luck!
September 30th, 2005 at 10:10 am
I’ve not read through all 130 comments, but one of them caught my eye - the one right before me from AAP. He/she has a point. I’m sure every one of us would buy your t-shirt, but then how many t-shirts do we need? Same thing with your pictures. Once we buy them, will we continue to come back time and time again to buy more? Maybe one more… maybe. Doubtful. It won’t be good enough to support Leta for long. Keep thinking. You’re on the right track, but just need to keep thinking. Good luck, you brave man, you.
September 30th, 2005 at 10:10 am
Like it, would buy it. Would prefer another colour shirt though, anything but white, the darker the better.
At risk of feeding the trolls: I would buy it because it made me laugh. Some people just don’t understand subjectivity.
I’m afraid the Dooce part of your team has skewed your view of your readership numbers. I’m lucky to get 2 hits a day, let alone 131 comments.
September 30th, 2005 at 10:12 am
Love the t-shirt, and the orange, but you should do a woman’s version — men’s shirts just fit us funny!
also, kudos on your recent, for lack of a better word, life choice. Have been kicking the idea around myself, but haven’t mustered the courage thus far
September 30th, 2005 at 10:13 am
I don’t think I “get” it, but I’d definitely wear it. Like the orange.
September 30th, 2005 at 10:23 am
I like the idea of the signed limited edition photos.
September 30th, 2005 at 10:33 am
I would definately buy a Tee, especially in a woman’s baby tee. Keep up the great ideas/work!!
September 30th, 2005 at 10:38 am
There are so many people selling shirts out there today (check out cafe press and you’ll see what I mean) that I wonder if it is something that can have 1) a viable profit and 2) sustainable in the long term.
As for the pictures, I think they are fantastic, but has also been said it is a difficult step from “cool” to “here’s my visa”. Although I do have one of Heather’s pictures on my computer desktop.
I think my main worry would be how to keep whatever it is you decide going. You and Heather have tons of readers and I imagine that there would be a inital rush at whatever you guys decide. But what about 6 months from now? This is the lawyer in me talking, but I would suggest sitting down and coming up with some kind of tentative business plan. Like start with this product, move on to this, create that. So there is a constant progression upwards and onwards and it gives you peace of mind to see how you are progessing forward.
That said, if you made a doggie sweater, my husband and I would be on that like cheese on chips.
September 30th, 2005 at 10:39 am
I would buy a t-shirt from you guys no matter what it looked like, just to support such great people who make me smile so much. I applaud you for making the choice to live life and pursue your passions.
September 30th, 2005 at 10:40 am
Wouldn’t buy this t-shirt. I don’t think it’s that funny, plus–before the font there was Edith Bunker. Enough said. Plus it’s white. How about Chuck t-shirts?
September 30th, 2005 at 10:47 am
For printing, start with a supplier and see what the demand is. If it’s up there, then go for printing the pictures yourself. You can easily rent a Xerox high-end printer for about $300/month. We have a graphic design business and that’s what we do - the quality is super.
Good luck!
September 30th, 2005 at 10:50 am
Wouldn’t buy the t-shirt -don’t get it, I wouldn’t buy something that appears to denigrate myself, it’s white and therefore gets instantly stained the minute I put it on, the trim is orange which I hate in that shade.
Would buy photos, and here’s a suggestion and I’m hoping it’s not too damn commercial for you, but you do want to make money, and sometimes you do art for art’s sake and sometimes you do art for money: think of why people are buying these photos - probably to decorate. Decorate what? An office, their home. One photo looks stupid by itself, unless it’s large and can hold its own (or you’re decorating the bathroom). Myself, I would like several related pictures, somewhat smaller, to decorate my bedroom. The advantage of this for you is that people don’t just buy one picture, they buy a collection. You’re not selling one, you’re selling four.
So maybe you want to keep your arty photos, but also develop your commercial side - who is going to buy this and what are they going to do with it, and what’s the theme, and how can I market it as a package, so they buy the whole package and not just one photo.
Hope this helps!
September 30th, 2005 at 10:53 am
i am at my crap dayjob right now so i can’t really read through all the comments to see if this has been posted already. if it has, please disregard.
i’d totally buy that shirt if it was black. with the orange ringer. i don’t wear white or light colors. but besides that, i like it. and yeah, i get it. very cute.
i would also buy the haunted photos, especially the one of the hydrant. maybe you could make these into postcard size? i tend to collect postcard size prints because they are easy to display in my teeny tiny studio apartment. i make mobiles out of them and people always comment on my floating photos hanging around.
buying a HQ printer isn’t a bad idea. but do the math and find out which is more cost effective in the long run (like you hadn’t thought of that). but whatever you do, DO NOT buy a HP printer. trust me. i have to deal with them all day long. not a good product.
good luck with it all, jon. i’m sure things will all come together for you!
September 30th, 2005 at 11:08 am
No, I don’t get the T-shirt. I’d buy it with blurbomat.com or dooce.com or even blurbodoocery on the back but something else on the front. The orange trim is nice but would prefer plain white.
Please, please give me something to buy because I LOVE dooce.com and the longer posts on blurbomat and I very much want to support your enterprise. It’s a small way for me to give back to you and Heather and Leta and even Chuck for the many hours of free enjoyment. I’ll be a walking advertisement for your websites, esp. to my family and friends. Right now, your blogs are my secret and it’s time I came out of the closet.
I’m a big fan of memoirs. Your blogs are immediate, well-written and very, very funny and I want them to continue indefinitely.
My best to you and your family.
September 30th, 2005 at 11:09 am
i love the beaufort photo set. i would definitely consider buying a photo. i have a friend who is a digital artist and she is ALWAYS having huge trouble with her printer. i would probably outsource the image making but then i’d probably wouldn’t be able to afford one of you photos!
and while i dig t-shirts, i probably wouldn’t pick one up just because i always buy t-shirts with logos/etc. on them and then they just sit in the closet. but that’s just me. i think ringers are on their way out (i work at a distribution center for clothing/organic t-shirts) but t-shirts that are close to the body (for men and women) seem to be quite ‘in’.
i, like ‘honeybunny’ above, am at work so i can’t read through all comments to see if all this has been said. if so, sorry!
September 30th, 2005 at 11:14 am
I love the idea of the signed, limited edition prints. I think you are an extremely talented and witty photographer and if you’re able to make prints available in smaller quantities (150-300), on a consistent basis (the “Charleston” series, the “Early Years” series) and/or on a consistent timeframe (a new coffee table book every four months), I think this could be a solid and exiting start.
There are a number of venues available to artists and the most successful seem to cover all the bases, all at once: website, local retailers and galleries, eBay, artists markets. Each are small on its own, but together they can paint a strong picture of your brand.
It’s very difficult for an artist to make a lucrative living, but if you’re willing and able to leverage your celebrity, I suspect you’d do very well.
Best of luck to you — I’ll be curious to see what you come up with!
September 30th, 2005 at 11:15 am
check out this lady’s photo website: chicagouncommon.org. Maybe get some ideas as to what a “photo-hocking” website might look like.
September 30th, 2005 at 11:19 am
I like the shirt. And of course, if you do dooce shirts your business will explode.
I’m not aure if you and Heather ever shopped at American apparel when you lived in LA, but they make the shirts in downtown LA sweatshop free. They sell wholesale without minimums.
http://tinyurl.com/99hxb
September 30th, 2005 at 11:32 am
I get the “dingbat” reference. Yay me! I probably wouldn;t buy the shirt, but do like the idea. As long as you come up with a low risk way of selling… cafepress to start for example.
Photos are great… a bit of a stupid question maybe, but would you be selling them printed (and then mail them to buyers) or as downloads? If as downloads, how will people use them?