Hard Choices About Money and Website

Hard Choices

The following is part of an email I wrote to an individual with disabilities about selling their work on my website. It illustrates why "fair trade" is so difficult in the US.  Also, it shows the choices some of us must make.

All identifying info. Is removed.  Frankly, this was a hard letter to write.

New subject:  Pricing your work.  I agree, this is a hard thing for all

of us who are trying to make any money through the internet to do.  The

company called Pay Pal, which will make sure that all money exchanges for

items sold are safe takes ten percent of everyone's profits, mine too.  That

means all of us lose a dime for every dollar of our asking price.

Most stores which will sell the work of an artist ask for half of the

profits, fifty percent, (50%).  I am asking for ten percent, 10% for myself.

This will mean anyone working with me will lose twenty cents for each dollar

an item they have made sells for.  I don't like it either.

My ten percent will help if the State takes away Medicaid this Summer, (we

only kept it by two votes in the Missouri Senate last year) and if I should   need new

hearing aids or to see a Dr.  It will also help me to advertise.  I must

spend time learning how to use Facebook and may take out adds in local

papers.  I will also advertise by using my blog.

I will not be upset if you decide that you want just to keep your own

website.  And I won't be upset if you decide you cannot sell your work at

a reasonable price and lose twenty percent of your profit, twenty cents for

every dollar of profit.

One thing I can tell you is that going into this, I know that none of us,

including me, will be paid for our time.  I spend hours sewing dreadful tiny

doll purses and trying to make them look cute, (as well as matching each doll outfit up with shoes and a color coordinated brush or pick which matches at leas one outfit)  so I can sell a doll for $12

or $13 instead of $10.  Then I know that pay pal will take $1.30, a dollar

and thirty cents from that thirteen dollar doll.  It's depressing, but I

need to make some money, even a little, and I do have time.  No one wants to

hire a totally blind person with a serious  hearing impairment.

So, it is a Very hard decision to realize that you will Not be paid fairly

for your time and neither will I.  My choices are to sit and be mad and sad

or to do what I can.  I do feel angry sometimes, but I  choose to do what I can.

Since people will hire you sometimes  and you can drive, your choices may be less

restricted than mine.  I hope so.

I will be happy to work with you but will understand completely if you

choose not to join my project, no hard feelings on my part.

I hope that all of this makes sense to you.  If not, please do ask more

questions.

Wishing you happiness and choices which will help you most,

Hard Choices

The following is part of an email I wrote to an individual with disabilities about selling their work on my website. It illustrates why "fair trade" is so difficult in the US.  Also, it shows the choices some of us must make.

All identifying info. Is removed.  Frankly, this was a hard letter to write.

New subject:  Pricing your work.  I agree, this is a hard thing for all

of us who are trying to make any money through the internet to do.  The

company called Pay Pal, which will make sure that all money exchanges for

items sold are safe takes ten percent of everyone's profits, mine too.  That

means all of us lose a dime for every dollar of our asking price.

Most stores which will sell the work of an artist ask for half of the

profits, fifty percent, (50%).  I am asking for ten percent, 10% for myself.

This will mean anyone working with me will lose twenty cents for each dollar

an item they have made sells for.  I don't like it either.

My ten percent will help if the State takes away Medicaid this Summer, (we

only kept it by two votes in the Missouri Senate last year) and if I should   need new

hearing aids or to see a Dr.  It will also help me to advertise.  I must

spend time learning how to use Facebook and may take out adds in local

papers.  I will also advertise by using my blog.

I will not be upset if you decide that you want just to keep your own

website.  And I won't be upset if you decide you cannot sell your work at

a reasonable price and lose twenty percent of your profit, twenty cents for

every dollar of profit.

One thing I can tell you is that going into this, I know that none of us,

including me, will be paid for our time.  I spend hours sewing dreadful tiny

doll purses and trying to make them look cute, (as well as matching each doll outfit up with shoes and a color coordinated brush or pick which matches at leas one outfit)  so I can sell a doll for $12

or $13 instead of $10.  Then I know that pay pal will take $1.30, a dollar

and thirty cents from that thirteen dollar doll.  It's depressing, but I

need to make some money, even a little, and I do have time.  No one wants to

hire a totally blind person with a serious  hearing impairment.

So, it is a Very hard decision to realize that you will Not be paid fairly

for your time and neither will I.  My choices are to sit and be mad and sad

or to do what I can.  I do feel angry sometimes, but I  choose to do what I can.

Since people will hire you sometimes  and you can drive, your choices may be less

restricted than mine.  I hope so.

I will be happy to work with you but will understand completely if you

choose not to join my project, no hard feelings on my part.

I hope that all of this makes sense to you.  If not, please do ask more

questions.

Wishing you happiness and choices which will help you most,

Hard Choices

The following is part of an email I wrote to an individual with disabilities about selling their work on my website. It illustrates why "fair trade" is so difficult in the US.  Also, it shows the choices some of us must make.

All identifying info. Is removed.  Frankly, this was a hard letter to write.

New subject:  Pricing your work.  I agree, this is a hard thing for all

of us who are trying to make any money through the internet to do.  The

company called Pay Pal, which will make sure that all money exchanges for

items sold are safe takes ten percent of everyone's profits, mine too.  That

means all of us lose a dime for every dollar of our asking price.

Most stores which will sell the work of an artist ask for half of the

profits, fifty percent, (50%).  I am asking for ten percent, 10% for myself.

This will mean anyone working with me will lose twenty cents for each dollar

an item they have made sells for.  I don't like it either.

My ten percent will help if the State takes away Medicaid this Summer, (we

only kept it by two votes in the Missouri Senate last year) and if I should   need new

hearing aids or to see a Dr.  It will also help me to advertise.  I must

spend time learning how to use Facebook and may take out adds in local

papers.  I will also advertise by using my blog.

I will not be upset if you decide that you want just to keep your own

website.  And I won't be upset if you decide you cannot sell your work at

a reasonable price and lose twenty percent of your profit, twenty cents for

every dollar of profit.

One thing I can tell you is that going into this, I know that none of us,

including me, will be paid for our time.  I spend hours sewing dreadful tiny

doll purses and trying to make them look cute, (as well as matching each doll outfit up with shoes and a color coordinated brush or pick which matches at leas one outfit)  so I can sell a doll for $12

or $13 instead of $10.  Then I know that pay pal will take $1.30, a dollar

and thirty cents from that thirteen dollar doll.  It's depressing, but I

need to make some money, even a little, and I do have time.  No one wants to

hire a totally blind person with a serious  hearing impairment.

So, it is a Very hard decision to realize that you will Not be paid fairly

for your time and neither will I.  My choices are to sit and be mad and sad

or to do what I can.  I do feel angry sometimes, but I  choose to do what I can.

Since people will hire you sometimes  and you can drive, your choices may be less

restricted than mine.  I hope so.

I will be happy to work with you but will understand completely if you

choose not to join my project, no hard feelings on my part.

I hope that all of this makes sense to you.  If not, please do ask more

questions.

Wishing you happiness and choices which will help you most,