Here's the thing about prices

I'm sometimes asked what I charge (for the t-shirts, baby creepers and bibs I make) and why I charge what I charge. As is the case with any business, I'm in business to make money. I make money by charging a price that covers the cost of goods used to produce what I'm selling, such as the t-shirt (creeper, bib, etc), the ink, bags, and tags, plus the cost of actual production and a little bit for my time and effort. Of course I have to be reasonable, but I can't operate at a loss or my business won't stay in business. No business survives much less thrives by "giving it away".

Some prices are negotiable, such as when I buy t-shirts in a large enough volume that my vendor passes along savings to me, which I can then pass on to my customer. But since that's not always the case, some customers have a hard time understanding why they can buy a t-shirt from one printer for $6.00 where I might charge $16.00

To understand the difference in price, you also need to understand the difference in production - was the shirt done by screen printing or digital direct-to-garment printing? What is the content and weight of the shirt? Is it tagged or tagless, mens, women's or unisex? Organic cotton or a cotton/poly blend? And then of course, there's where the shirt is made. If it's made in China, Vietman, India or Bangladash to name a few, it's very likely going carry a significantly lower price from a shirt made in America. And just who is making your shirt? A large print shop that produces banners, signs, packaging, hats, t-shirts, tote bags in volume? Or an independent business owner that's considerably smaller in size and sales than one of the large chain printers.

So many factors go into determining the price tag on the items you buy, that there's not always a simple answer to "why do you charge more than printer XYZ"?

Aside from all the items above, there is also this; QUALITY. To me, quality is about the commitment of care and concern I put into every piece I make. I'm a big believer in autographing my work with excellence. I think this quote by William A. Foster pretty accurately sums it up; “Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives.”

As a small business, I believe that I cannot and should not be all things to all people. I frequently turn business away because of this belief. But that also means that the business I do, is the best business I do, and I'm proud to do it.

When you give or wear an item of decorated apparel from La Petite Pilot or my new line INKRAGEOUS, you have the satisfaction of knowing it was made with my personal commitment to quality and care. And there's nothing cheap about that.

Lori


"There is hardly anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price only are this man's lawful prey." ~ John Ruskin

Back in the saddle again

Okay yes I admit, it's been a long time since I've posted to the blog, I'm either just busy or perhaps it's been a bit of laziness, I can't decide which. I'm going to try and post at least once a week, I'm one of those people who needs a deadline to motivate me.

It's been crazy busy here at La Petite Pilot as we wrap up our year. We've added more designs, more clients, and more outlets where our items are sold this year, (including our first International pilot shop in Madrid Spain). We've also upgraded our printing process thanks to a September purchase of an AnaJet Sprint direct-to-garment printer which you can see in action here; (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltqgLsWHR0s&feature=related). While the AnaJet's a big investment, it's also a BIG improvement in our production process and the amount of time needed to process an order. An order that once took me 6 days to process can now be completed in 6 hours - or less!

Of course with new technology came learning a new computer program; for me that is Adobe Photoshop Elements 9, and while I'm not ready to proclaim myself an expert just yet, I'm comfortable saying I'm headed in the right direction.

Continuing to change with the needs of our clients, we've also decided to make a change in our choice of fabric used for the baby bodysuits or creepers we use. From day one we've been printing to a 65% poly/35% cotton blend using inks specifically for polyester, but that's not without its challenges. Thanks to a last minute client's request for T-shirts in addition to baby creepers, we're pleased to say we're making the move to an all cotton inventory. Starting in 2011, our baby creepers will be 100% pre-shrunk cotton! Not only do these garments have a soft feel to them, but cotton tends to be more breathable.

As the year draws to a close, it's important to recognize and give thanks to those who've contributed to our success;

A very special thank you to the most supportive spouse a woman could ever ask for; my husband Keith. For his long hours of helping set up the new printer, to helping me keep my cool when frustration set in, Keith's not just my partner, he's my biggest cheerleader and we just happen to be celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary later this week. I couldn't have married a better man!

To my National Distributor, Tom Rubin and the team at AeroPhoenix for their continued support of our products; Thank you for believing in La Petite Pilot and for getting the word out.

To our independent clients in Colorado and Arizona; your support makes the long hours worthwhile. We will continue to endeavor to earn your respect and keep your business.

It's been an amazing year for Chez Lamb LLC and La Petite Pilot. We've met some incredible people along our journey, and we've learned a lot. Here's to even greater successes and blessings in the coming year.

From all of us here at La Petite Pilot,

We wish you every blessing and happiness. Merry Christmas!

Lori