Good news! After ten years of service, my husband will be hanging up his sailor hat and transistioning out of the Navy. The upcoming months will be filled with anticipation, excitement, and a little anxiety. Our plans are to pull up stakes and move to sunny Jacksonville, Florida! We lived there once and loved it. When we moved to New York, we left behind friends and family, but relocating to Jacksonville will put us within a comfortable proximity to both. Not to mention, we'll be close to the beach, which is one place I've really missed since our exodus to the North.
So, what does this mean for my shop? Well, I'll definitely be going into Vacation Mode during the actual move, but I'm not sure just how long it will take for me to get back up and running. That will all depend on how long it takes for me to procure my FL business license, how much disposable income I will have to buy supplies to make new items, and how long it takes us to get settled in as a family. I'm also considering taking a little while off to build up my inventory, take some great pictures, and work on my product descriptions. I also may need to go into Vacation Mode prior to the move so we can take care of all the move preparations. I'll be sure to keep everyone updated.
Now, I've been doing some serious thinking, and I have a change that I have to make to my shop that will be tough for me. I've been doing some research and adding it all up, and I'm not making a profit. After Etsy fees, PayPal fees, shipping and handling, and all the other miscellaneous expenses, I'm only just managing to break even. For now I'm fine with that, but if I ever want to use my shop to help supplement our income (mainly by paying for Christmas and birthday gifts, small expenses we don't normally budget for), I will have to raise my prices. There is no question. I hate to do it, because I like a deal as much as the next person, but I will not be able to continue doing business if I maintain my current price point. I just can't. That said, I think my buyers will understand.
Another change I will be making to the shop once we get settled into our new home is offering international shipping. Right now, I only ship within the US, and I realized what a great disservice I was doing myself, because several items in my shop have hearts from people in Canada, Australia, etc. So, come 2011 at the latest, I will gladly ship internationally!
Well guys, that's all for now. I'm off to get some housework done. See ya later!
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