Current mood:

stressed

ranting

I hope you don't mind my venting/free streaming a bit...  because I am really stressed,  and I feel like I need to vent.. and I also guess I should let my friends to know what is going on.... which is not always easy for me...  so I am dumping here.


>> Snip<<   If you don't want to hear a bunch of gripping and whining...  stop reading here .. :)

Todays rant started because I came to the realization that I have to raise my prices.  This scares the S**t out of me, because frankly, the economy really really sucks right now...  and doing anything that can adversary effect sales is scary...  but  ...  with all of my costs going up, like materials, rent, GAS...   and having not had a price increase in 8 years...  I need to.

the financial stresses are driving my nuts right now...  the economy ...  price of gas...  airlines no longer allowing baggage,  vending booth spaces increasing in price...   I am not sure how (or if) to keep things going.   In the past, most of the events that I would vend at would  at least break even....   and by that I mean brake even NET.  Basically, my retail sales at shows kept LBD going.  In the past year,  I have had a large number of shows not even gross the expenses...      and at this point, it is getting difficult to pull together the money to get to shows... and of course, if you skip a year, you run the risk of losing your slot....  <sigh>  I just figured out yesterday that if the price of gas does not go up, gas alone for traveling to thunder in the mountains will be around $1200

...add this to the fact that the parties are not doing all that well with offsetting the rent....  and wholesale sales are difficult as well,  as more  retail stores are buying more and more products from overseas...and taking longer to pay...

Ok...   enough ranting and whining...  trying to think on positive side...   and there are good things happening... we may have found a new home (which will cut expenses considerably)...   and I am looking forward to Leather Retreat...

Ok... this part feels like a sales pitch.. but it is not meant that way...   if you know anyone who is thinking about LBD gear, they should probably to order it by the end of the month...  because I expect my prices will change starting in July...