It is with heavy heart that I have decided to close the Crafting Classes portion of this business. It was a difficult decision, but one that was out of my control. Let me explain.....
When I signed with the coupon company, Living Social, they explained that they only run an ad IF you agree to reduce your fees by at least 50%. I agreed. Then they also explained that THEY get 1/2 of the amount collected. A HUGE fee for a small business like this (so I only received $5.00 for each student) - but I thought "if it brings in customers, and those customers take additional classes or tell friends about this, it would be worth it". EVERYONE loved the classes that they signed up for! EVERYONE!
So my part as an instructor was satisfied. Out of 100 students, maybe ONE couldn't "get it". My success ratio was phenomenal! I couldn't wait to see a lot of the students return..... but no one did. I gave coupons for discounts on second classes, I made "special" schedules according to what everyone told me they wanted, and I even offered some really nice gifts for second time students - still no one signed up for another class. I created a facebook page in hopes of "spreading the word" and even ran contests - still no interest in helping me grow this business.
I had to pay for the room we used on a "per usage" basis, so if I needed the room for one night, I paid the nightly fee. MANY times there was only one or two students for a class so I lost money. Only once did I have enough students in one class to pay for the room. And I continued to lose money waiting for return customers. Many students called and asked if they could bring a friend for the same coupon deal - of course I agreed. I did many favors in hopes of building this business the right way - not realizing that no one is willing to pay full price for a service. I am naive, I guess.
So with this, I have come to the realization that the true crafters of the world, those that appreciate what a talent it is, are far and few between and that those who have shown an interest are not serious enough for me to continue to invest time and money any longer.
Thank you to those who redeemed their coupons in a timely manner - that was the first and most important step in trying to make this business work. For the remainder of you who still have coupons, there's just no way I can continue to rent a room for one or two people at a time so I will be holding a final two classes from my home. You can email me at [email protected] to request a seat.
This has been quite an adventure and learning experience, albeit an eye-opener. I've met some wonderful ladies and the laughter we generated was worth the diminishing bank account. Thanks for the ride, ladies!
When I signed with the coupon company, Living Social, they explained that they only run an ad IF you agree to reduce your fees by at least 50%. I agreed. Then they also explained that THEY get 1/2 of the amount collected. A HUGE fee for a small business like this (so I only received $5.00 for each student) - but I thought "if it brings in customers, and those customers take additional classes or tell friends about this, it would be worth it". EVERYONE loved the classes that they signed up for! EVERYONE!
So my part as an instructor was satisfied. Out of 100 students, maybe ONE couldn't "get it". My success ratio was phenomenal! I couldn't wait to see a lot of the students return..... but no one did. I gave coupons for discounts on second classes, I made "special" schedules according to what everyone told me they wanted, and I even offered some really nice gifts for second time students - still no one signed up for another class. I created a facebook page in hopes of "spreading the word" and even ran contests - still no interest in helping me grow this business.
I had to pay for the room we used on a "per usage" basis, so if I needed the room for one night, I paid the nightly fee. MANY times there was only one or two students for a class so I lost money. Only once did I have enough students in one class to pay for the room. And I continued to lose money waiting for return customers. Many students called and asked if they could bring a friend for the same coupon deal - of course I agreed. I did many favors in hopes of building this business the right way - not realizing that no one is willing to pay full price for a service. I am naive, I guess.
So with this, I have come to the realization that the true crafters of the world, those that appreciate what a talent it is, are far and few between and that those who have shown an interest are not serious enough for me to continue to invest time and money any longer.
Thank you to those who redeemed their coupons in a timely manner - that was the first and most important step in trying to make this business work. For the remainder of you who still have coupons, there's just no way I can continue to rent a room for one or two people at a time so I will be holding a final two classes from my home. You can email me at [email protected] to request a seat.
This has been quite an adventure and learning experience, albeit an eye-opener. I've met some wonderful ladies and the laughter we generated was worth the diminishing bank account. Thanks for the ride, ladies!
