Laser Side Gig

05/02/2022

Earlier last week, you saw me post just the back cut of this color guard rifle award plaque. Here is the finished product. It's 4 layers. The base is 1/2" maple, the signature portion is 1/4" maple and so are the 3D elements, which in this product is the text.

I'm going to sell this product for $225.00, the cost of materials is $16.00 and not counting the design portion, the time to complete was 50 minutes.

This week, I'm going to be sharing posts of exactly how I'm going to market this product from step 1 until the first sale.

This is important to understand. I have zero sales for this product. Your going to see every step leading right to the first sale.

https://youtu.be/0yynugvxH1E

04/28/2022

Cold Calling. It sends a shiver down your back doesn't it. Most people don't want to actively sell. It's much more comfortable to post products on your website, Facebook, Etsy etc... But I can tell you from personal experience, that direct 1:1 "soft selling" does work.

Now I was brought up in a time where actual cold calling was encouraged. Yup, I was that guy interrupting you during your day with a call to buy my products. But our culture has changed, laws have been passed and people generally just don't like cold calling anymore.

People don't like SPAM either. But there is a safe and fun way to use email in a 1:1 way to promote your business that is not SPAM and is not offensive to the recipient.

Here is the trick...

SPAM is only SPAM when it's completely irrelevant to the recipient. Think about yourself, you get annoyed when someone is SPAMMING you for something that you don't care about. But when that rare instance occurs that you receive an unsolicited email and it is promoting something that you care about, you don't get upset.
So the trick is be relevant.

Don't SPAM hundreds or thousands of people. Be slow and deliberate and personally email the people that you want to sell to.

Let me explain further ...

Below is a link to a FREE directory of independent gift shops. Their owners make a living by selling unique and crafty items. They will VERY much appreciate knowing about what you can make and offer them because selling your unique and crafty products, puts money in their pocket.

And the free directory gives you a nice snippet about their shop, their address, and the email address of the owner.

All you have to do is send them a personal note, a few photos and a "direct ask" for them to consider your products to be sold in their shop.

Very easy, Not pushy, and it can all be done with email.
I do this every single night from the couch while watching TV. And it works VERY VERY well.

This directory is here to make shopping local easier for you. Here are different ways you can use this tool for all your shopping needs:

04/26/2022

I'm selling this piece for $75.00. It's made on a Mira 7, 60W, it measures about 16" wide. It's a color guard rifle award plaque. 3 Layers of 1/4" Birch. Total cost to produce $7.00(ish). Total time to make, 40 minutes. I love selling this product because there are thousands of color guards in the United States and world wide. Each guard has at minimum 30 people, some have hundreds. This is a direct to buyer sale, I connect with color guard directors 1:1 via email.

04/26/2022

Custom Maple Wood Varsity Letter. 4 layers of 1/4", made on a Mira 7, 60W. Cost $4.85, sell for $80.00. Booster Club Presidents, that's the target. The go nuts for it. Senior gifts are very profitable!

04/25/2022

This is my first "placeholder video". More structured content will follow. But sometimes when you make a commitment to hit a date, you do what you have to! And this is my "side gig" and you work your side gig whenever you can!