I am so excited about so many of your responses to yesterday’s post.
First, the money, at this time, will go to a feeding program in Africa that we have personally worked at. It is a feeding program in the slums of Kampala, Uganda.
Here is a picture of the slum that I took when I was there working with the feeding program
It is run by Americans, working with Ugandans, all whom deeply love Christ. Before they eat they have a ministry time and the Bible is opened and the gospel of Jesus Christ is shared. They also give medical attention to kids needing it. These are street kids. They live on the streets. They are orphans.
We will eventually expand who we donate to {as there are many wonderful feeding programs around the world!}, but for now, these are the most desperate kids we know of and have personally worked with {and this is where I saw the little girl I mentioned in yesterday’s post – who completely broke my heart – again!}. The Go Team that Dw and Emma are leading to Africa in January will {Lord willing} serve these orphans/street kids.
As I see it, there are three possibilities at this point, of how to do the web site
for selling crafts for the orphan.
One possibility is for people to ship stuff here and me list it and process it and ship it out.
The other possibility is for those selling stuff to send photos {maybe to a point person who sees that as their ministry part} and let us or the point person put them on the site. Then the person with the craft would receive the money, ship it and send the money to the ministry, who in turn would send it to the feeding program.
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Or the other possibility is to send the photos of your items, have them listed on the site, once purchased the money would be deposited in the ministry paypal account, the seller ships the item and the ministry reimburses for shipping.
The upside to people shipping it here is that those who make multiple purchases would be able to save shipping. The downside is that I have no clue where I would put most of these items….
What do you think?
Seriously.
I, personally, need it to be streamlined as much as possible. Our ministry we are dreaming into being is going to take lots of time. We need to streamline it all so we can do more!!
If you are a crafter {like those who commented or wrote separately}
how do you feel about it?
I need some input.
We may have to completely tweak things once we get going, so please be open to that….
Be in prayer that we will be wise how to exactly do it.
As for those who desired to buy a candle log from my kids, you are welcome to do that. I will try to do a post tomorrow with each listed separately. Multiple purchased can go in a flat rate box and save shipping, as long as it is to one address. My kids would be thrilled to sell some {besides the two they sold at the Cowboy Christmas} so they can send some immediate money to feed the orphans. We have been bursting with excitement to begin selling the things we have prayed and worked on!!
Yippee Jesus!!
Yesterday at Costco I was going to buy a magazine I like to read, and the Holy Spirit whispered to me "remember Linny's blog about the orphans" – and I knew that money could go for a better use than that magazine! A little later in another aisle, I reached for a jar of chocolate (yummy) candy – and again the same thing happened!! I can't do much because of physical limitations but I can go without magazines and chocolate so that orphans can be fed. Thank you for the challenge!
I am just so thrilled with this idea! Just a few thoughts/ideas (I made my computer geek/business owner husband read through these 2 posts and give his input too)- I think it would be best for you to have the stuff shipped to you and then you post it and ship it to customers mainly for quality control purposes. You want to be putting out the best quality stuff and also the best/most consistent service possible so people will be thrilled with the product/service and want to buy more to help more. I know storage could become an issue but I think you will save yourself some stress in the long haul. In a perfect world, you could trust that people will do a good job making a product, posting it correctly, and shipping it in a timely manner and then getting you the $ also in a timely manner, but the reality is we are human. 🙂 Do you have someone who will be doing the website design end of it for you?? (I might have some help in that area if you need it…)
I've given this a bit of thought..(I know this may be thinking big, but I do think it would work).
I think it would work to set it up kinda like an etsy or artfire site. Individuals can create an account, list their stuff with description, pictures and shipping information. Once purchased, the paypal account is automatically the orphan one for the price of the item and um, maybe the shipping expenses could be done with the seller's paypal account??!? I know, two separate transactions, but otherwise someone has to do the transferring of funds, so may as well have the buyer do the work. hee hee.
And the item is shipped from seller to buyer directly.
It would save you from having to ship out all these items (again, I'm thinking big here.)
am I crazy…or what? 🙂
Linny,
Over the past 2-3 years, the Lord has completely broken my heart for the orphan. I've prayed like crazy that He would soften my husband's heart toward adoption. Such is not the case as of YET (still praying!!).
So, recently I began praying that the Lord would reveal to me a very specific way in which I can use the talents He has given me to help the orphan. In addition, after attending a missions meeting at our church a couple of months ago I felt the Lord asking me to give ALL of my profits from my sewing and embroidery endeavors to missions for the next year.
After reading your post, I now know where I'll be sending those profits!! Everything I have done thus far have been custom orders. However, I am more than happy to make up some things and send them (or pictures…whichever you decide to do) so that more orphans can be helped!
Thank you for sharing your heart and the vision the Lord has given you for the orphan! I CANNOT WAIT to see how he uses this ministry!!!
Because of Him,
Piper
I am just so excited for you. I dont really have any ideas but I make a commitment to pray for you as you start this.
I have to agree with the quality control and timely shipping that Kelly shared above. It seems most reasonable for all the products to be in one place as it will streamline things and it also prevents someone having to transfer funds for shipping each time something sells. However, maybe you don't have to be the one to store and ship the products? Perhaps there is someone out there who wants to be involved, but crafting isn't for them. Maybe someone who feels called to provide the space and time to devote to the project. Just my thoughts!
I think you need to have all the items being sold in one location. The downside is that the shipping will be double. Shipping to you and then shipping to the customer. So remember to build that into what you charge a customer. As a small craft business owner, that was very hard for me initially. I hate asking people to pay for shipping. But people will understand that you can't go in the red to ship things. And I respect that you want to donate as much as possible but you will be swallowed up if you do not reimburse yourself for shipping fees. It's EXPENSIVE.
As your wood items are heavy, figure out if Priority Mail flat rate boxes are a better deal. For light items, they are not. But for heavy wood items, they will likely become your best friend. I would also buy a scale so that you are able to figure out international shipping rates easily. Don't forget to add in the cost of materials such as box, paper, packing peanuts, etc.
There are several webites that will track how many of each item you have available so that you don't sell more than you have to offer. Please feel free to email me with any questions.
GOOD LUCK!
KK
Sounds like you are on to something and you are getting a great response. Can't wait to see where it goes!!
I agree, have things shipped first to your house and then managed and sold by ya'll. I think it is also the easiest way to make sure the money is getting where it needs to be.
Hi Linny,
ThiS is a wonderful idea! I also use my crafting to care for orphans and even though it is exhausting most of the time I wouldn't trade it for the world.
I just wanted to give you a few things to think about from my past experience.
1. If you have people ship their own items and then be expected to donate the money back to you you can expect maybe 50-75% of what was sold. People go into it with good intentions but get distracted or something.
2. If you don't have the items for you to ship yourself then you can't be sure they will ever be shipped. It's sad but it's reality.
You know God has given you this dream and maybe God has given someone else the gift of being able to store this stuff for you and ship it?
Sent you an e-mail. Hugs and love
By having the crafter ship the item, you are going to save on shipping (shipping to you then to the buyer would be double the shipping.) This will make more work for the crafter, but will save you valuable work & time. It would probably make it a lot easier for the crafter, though, if all the money could be dealt w/ by your end. Just some thoughts…
You have so many good ideas on here!
My personal take? If you are confident that the crafters involved can be reliable for shipping, then possibly just have all of the items listed on a site like Etsy. This would automatically put all the sales into the ministry account, and would save on shipping costs.
Once something was purchased, whomever is coordinating the sales can let the crafter know so the item can be handled directly from there.
As someone who does mostly online shopping (You know the adventures with Itty Bit in the store!), I know shipping can be a deal-breaker for items. If there is any way to keep the shipping from being double, it would help. Plus Etsy has a wide consumer base – anyone searching for candleholders will come across your listings. So easy to advertise it for the orphans!
Much love
I agree with having everything shipped to you, or 'one location' (maybe your church has an empty closet somewhere?)
Emailing you another thought!
~Kathryn
Wow Linny,
I can see either way on the shipping. It's true that not every crafter will get it all sent, but double shipping stinks also. I wish I could be your storage – I have so much basement room and I'm getting ready for another sweep through the house to sell things to prepare for our next adoptions.
I'd love to buy a candle holder; Gabriel can just carry it home on the plane. I can send a check to him; do you have a price for a vertical wood one?
I am still hoping on info. for the June Uganda trip for Alei – she wants to start fund raising for that, but we want to make sure that she can indeed go first.
Thanks, Jenny
Hi Linny,
It sounds like everyone has some good advice. My feeling is have the crafter ship the item and $$ go into a ministry account. I personally dont want to have to get the $$ to you.
I checked my baby quilt stock and I have 4 quilts ready and have fabric for many many more.
Cann't wait to hear more!
Shanna
I am not a crafter, but I would LOVE to help in any way possible. I am too old to adopt an orphan so I am trying to help in any way possible. Please call on me.
Blessings,
Nancy
As a crafter, I don't mind paying shipping to send stuff to you. As one person mentioned, great intentions sometimes fall away. I want to make sure that any money gets to the right place as quickly as possible and if all I did was sell a couple of dollars worth, I would just sit on it and wait and wait, but my couple of dollars worth with everyone elses can really make a difference. So please, if you can, let us send it to you! You can sell it for whatever you want without being emotionally involved in the crafting. My first box is ready to be shipped!
Hi Linny, it seems like option 3 (where crafters ship their own items, and you reimburse them for shipping) might get crazy really quickly, with having to notify every crafter when one of their items sells, have them communicate back to you when it's shipped and how much it cost, then you having to pay them back for shipping. Tracking all that info could be a full-time job in itself! 🙂
I tend to agree with Emily….would it be possible for each crafter to ship their items to you in bulk (however many that might be) and have that shipping cost be considered part of their donation to the ministry? (i.e., it's not reimbursed) And, as you said, that would eliminate the buyer from having to pay shipping for each item individually if from a different crafter.
I'm not much of a crafter, but I soooo want to help! Going to start asking God how I can. Can't wait to see what God does!
I'm not a crafter, but I'm organized!!!! 🙂
Linny, why not develop your business plan? Start with where you are now – no space. No money for storage space. Set your accounts up to meet where you are: crafters ship from their homes/businesses while you do the central ordering. You could set up a "shipping per purchase price, example $5.00 per item" to reimburse crafter expenses. Sometimes shipping will be more. Sometimes it will be less, but it will even out over time.
Then, when you're bigger, you can look at "streamlining" your business. If you advertise that you are "restructuring" to better serve them. They'll love that! Or at least appreciate it.
While this is new to you, there are lots of businesses out there who have started small and grown. Yours is a call from God. He'll watch over your steps!
My controlling mind thinks you should definitely have everything shipped to you first. Then you have more control over everything getting where it needs to be. I am so excited for this!!!!
Count me in!! My mom and I have a small boutique business selling handmade hats, bags, clothing, hairclips and more. I would love to be able to send some items for you to sell. Just let us know how and where!!
i agree with emily and valerie that it would be best for you to have all the items & that the crafters could donate the shipping cost to get a bunch of items to you for stock.
i think a website will be great, but you will be missing a large audience if you don't list on Etsy as well.
also, i was thinking that it would be nice for all the photos of the items to have the same "feel" so that would be an advantage to sending them all to you to list.
the thing is that photographing & listing an item with a description can really take some time. i pray that someone comes along that really enjoys that and would like to help. [i wish i were closer & could photograph everything for you and get it all organized!]
it's going to be good, good, good!
LOVE THIS! Perfect way for those of us who plan to adopt but currently can't for 'whatever' reason. I can definately donate items to be sold! My six year old just learned how to make potholders (she is making them for Christmas presents) and I know she would love to make some to donate also! If you need someone to step up and be the one who holds onto the items, photograph them, and list them for sale I have a huge garage that can be turned into the perfect work space and helpers who can donate their time to do the work. (I am thinking its the perfect thing to get our church's youth group involved in!) If those sending the items to be sold pay the shipping to get it here (or wherever) then then those buying aren't paying for double shipping. I think it would be best to open up an etsy store that uses a paypal account in your ministry's name that way money doesn't have to pass through several hands and then shipping labels can be paid for and printed straight from paypal. That's just my opinion though. I could totally rock this for you if you need me to! :0) I don't know if that made sense so let me summarize for you.
1.) I am SO making stuff for you to sell!
2.) My opinion is that you should have all stuff made sent by maker to one location where a point person lists items for sale through a etsy store linked to your ministries paypal.
3.) I can be your point person if you need one.