SLUniverse Forums

Cattrina Careless · 11-13-2007, 09:27 PM

I'm not sure if this should go in content creation or SL business but I think I'm in the right place.

This isnt a rant and hopefully it wont sound like whining but I expect it will sound a little disjointed so please bear with me.

I was listening to a talk show about small business on the radio this morning and the commentator made a point of saying that the people calling in for advice know their particular industry/market better than he did so his advice would be somewhat generic in nature.

And I realised that perhaps this is my problem in SL. I dont *understand* the fashion industry and buying trends and stuff. It makes no damned sense to me and yet I try and make a SL living from selling clothing.

I believe I make good clothes. Certainly not the quality of Last Call or Rebel Hope or any of the big players, but stuff you wouldnt be embarrassed to be seen wearing. See for yourself.

But I really make very little money for the amount of work I put into it. 10k an a good month for at least several hours of work a day, more on weekends. Gods it takes me longer to prepare for the sale of the damned stuff than it does to make it.

I've taken all the advice, sales posters, classifieds, forums, blogs, review copies (which by the way I dont get reviewed...why is that?), groups etc. I seem to be doing everything right. But my sales arent showing it.

Now a couple of weeks ago I released a cashmere sweater in several colours, you know it was cute and I liked it but I did not expect what happened.

Within a week of its release I had made (at L$50 a sweater) almost as much as I make a month. I mean wth?!?!?! ok I know seasonal stuff, make what people want to wear.

Fine, so this weekend I make another set of sweaters. Use exactly the same type of sales posters, post to exactly the same places yada yada, the only difference is the item I'm selling (which I happen to like better btw). 5 sales. Thats it. 4 days, 5 sales.

And very few sales of anything else either. Its like my store fell back into some black hole it had momentarily peeked out of.

So now I'm really confused.

I know I'm missing something and I think its that basic understanding of how the fashion industry works.

So is it just me? Or is it something that a lot of avi's are probably also struggling with? Cause I'm sure that not all content creators are successful small business owners in RL

Do you think its possible to be a successful SL business person with absolutely no understanding of the industry you are in?

Catt

Zorena Deckard · 11-13-2007, 10:13 PM

I'm not sure you can predict what will and will not sell in SL. For myself I really make things I like and want and the selling is an afterthought. Some days I'm truly floored by the fact others like my things too. I noticed my labours of love (things I make because I'm enjoying doing them and want them myself) are in fact my biggest sellers.
Knowing your market may apply in real life but it really doesn't in SL.
The big names make gorgeous things yes and they do sell but so do the lil carefully crafted things you like to make too.

Siyu Suen · 11-13-2007, 10:22 PM

In the case of the fabulous sweaters sales, you might actually have had a stealth blogging (where a fashion blog spotted you, blogged you, and didn't tell you about it), that roped in some traffic you normally wouldn't have.

I think to some point you do know your field, maybe not fashion but graphic design and working in photoshop (or whatever program you use). I can't say I'm an expert in costume design but I'm making enough from SL to live off of IRL. From the beginning, my strategy has been to make what isn't there already, make what I feel passionate about, and not care about what I think will sell better. Seems to be working so far for me

Miriel Enfield · 11-13-2007, 11:53 PM

You're not the only one who's baffled by the subtleties of the SL fashion business. I make about ten percent of what I would have to to live off this, my sales haven't improved in a year, and (up until I went on hiatus), I thought I was doing everything right. I've talked to other designers who also don't understand the market deeply; they don't know why some of their things sell well, and others don't, and why some designers succeed while others don't. And for every typical suggestion -- release regularly, don't cater to a niche market, etc. -- you can find a successful counterexample. The only commonality seems to be word of mouth.

I can't find the link right now, but a while ago (April, maybe?) some researchers did an experiment about the popularity of music, and concluded that it was random. I wouldn't be surprised if that were true, and if something similar went on in SL. I think it may be that the best you can do try to regularly add good products to you inventory, so that you're in the best possible position if you get the customer equivalent of that hypothetical Amazon butterfly.

WarKirby Magojiro · 11-14-2007, 11:49 AM

My latest product:

The black suit. My best texturing job ever. Also available in blue.

Released 2 days ago. Disappointing sales thus far though, 8 in total. Compared to some previous releases, it's less than usual.

I cater to a niche market, I'd say. And my releases are most definitely not frequent. 1 product a month if I'm lucky, usually longer. But I pull in rather good sales regardless. Last month, 238,950 L$ from 365 sales.

Cattrina Careless · 11-14-2007, 11:01 PM

geeze you guys are a lot of help. Where's my "the secret of SL business" answer, my easy button, my "questions of the universe answered" answer?!?!?!

A little more seriously I'm not sure whether to be comforted by the fact that this fashion business is a mystery to about everyone ... or downright scared!

So the short answer is keep doing what I'm doing and hope for the best?

Catt

WarKirby Magojiro · 11-15-2007, 09:54 AM

I guess the secret of business is to find your niche, make nice things, and keep your customers happy.

Works for me.

11-13-2007, 09:27 PM	#1 (permalink)
Cattrina Careless Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 361 Business: Catt's Creations SLShopper Ads: 3 My Mood:	Know the industry you are in I'm not sure if this should go in content creation or SL business but I think I'm in the right place. This isnt a rant and hopefully it wont sound like whining but I expect it will sound a little disjointed so please bear with me. I was listening to a talk show about small business on the radio this morning and the commentator made a point of saying that the people calling in for advice know their particular industry/market better than he did so his advice would be somewhat generic in nature. And I realised that perhaps this is my problem in SL. I dont understand the fashion industry and buying trends and stuff. It makes no damned sense to me and yet I try and make a SL living from selling clothing. I believe I make good clothes. Certainly not the quality of Last Call or Rebel Hope or any of the big players, but stuff you wouldnt be embarrassed to be seen wearing. See for yourself. But I really make very little money for the amount of work I put into it. 10k an a good month for at least several hours of work a day, more on weekends. Gods it takes me longer to prepare for the sale of the damned stuff than it does to make it. I've taken all the advice, sales posters, classifieds, forums, blogs, review copies (which by the way I dont get reviewed...why is that?), groups etc. I seem to be doing everything right. But my sales arent showing it. Now a couple of weeks ago I released a cashmere sweater in several colours, you know it was cute and I liked it but I did not expect what happened. Within a week of its release I had made (at L$50 a sweater) almost as much as I make a month. I mean wth?!?!?! ok I know seasonal stuff, make what people want to wear. Fine, so this weekend I make another set of sweaters. Use exactly the same type of sales posters, post to exactly the same places yada yada, the only difference is the item I'm selling (which I happen to like better btw). 5 sales. Thats it. 4 days, 5 sales. And very few sales of anything else either. Its like my store fell back into some black hole it had momentarily peeked out of. So now I'm really confused. I know I'm missing something and I think its that basic understanding of how the fashion industry works. So is it just me? Or is it something that a lot of avi's are probably also struggling with? Cause I'm sure that not all content creators are successful small business owners in RL Do you think its possible to be a successful SL business person with absolutely no understanding of the industry you are in? Catt

11-13-2007, 11:53 PM	#4 (permalink)
Miriel Enfield Mad Artist Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 1,083 Business: Miriel SLShopper Ads: 2	You're not the only one who's baffled by the subtleties of the SL fashion business. I make about ten percent of what I would have to to live off this, my sales haven't improved in a year, and (up until I went on hiatus), I thought I was doing everything right. I've talked to other designers who also don't understand the market deeply; they don't know why some of their things sell well, and others don't, and why some designers succeed while others don't. And for every typical suggestion -- release regularly, don't cater to a niche market, etc. -- you can find a successful counterexample. The only commonality seems to be word of mouth. I can't find the link right now, but a while ago (April, maybe?) some researchers did an experiment about the popularity of music, and concluded that it was random. I wouldn't be surprised if that were true, and if something similar went on in SL. I think it may be that the best you can do try to regularly add good products to you inventory, so that you're in the best possible position if you get the customer equivalent of that hypothetical Amazon butterfly. __________________ Miriel: Jewelry, eyes, shapes, and a couple of hairstyles. Oh, and a pretty forest. And a treasure hunt. 3.5 on the Internationally Recognized Trout Recreant Scale of Slutwatoosi. "Blender is the Pai Mae of 3d programs. It hates newbies, despises windows users, and has nothing but contempt for English speakers. It will let you learn, but mostly because doing so will give Blender a chance to amuse itself by making you suffer." - Twenty Sided

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11-13-2007, 10:13 PM	#2 (permalink)
Zorena Deckard Harajuku Panda Girl Contemplative Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 260 SL Join Date: June 1, 2005 Business: Ookami Ningen SLShopper Ads: 172 My Mood:	I'm not sure you can predict what will and will not sell in SL. For myself I really make things I like and want and the selling is an afterthought. Some days I'm truly floored by the fact others like my things too. I noticed my labours of love (things I make because I'm enjoying doing them and want them myself) are in fact my biggest sellers. Knowing your market may apply in real life but it really doesn't in SL. The big names make gorgeous things yes and they do sell but so do the lil carefully crafted things you like to make too.

11-14-2007, 11:49 AM	#5 (permalink)
WarKirby Magojiro Doing stuff Made new armor ^^ Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Glasgow, Scotland Posts: 2,607 SL Join Date: 14/10/2006 Business: MagoTek Industries SLShopper Ads: 1 My Mood:	My latest product: The black suit. My best texturing job ever. Also available in blue. Released 2 days ago. Disappointing sales thus far though, 8 in total. Compared to some previous releases, it's less than usual. I cater to a niche market, I'd say. And my releases are most definitely not frequent. 1 product a month if I'm lucky, usually longer. But I pull in rather good sales regardless. Last month, 238,950 L$ from 365 sales.

11-14-2007, 11:01 PM	#6 (permalink)
Cattrina Careless Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 361 Business: Catt's Creations SLShopper Ads: 3 My Mood:	geeze you guys are a lot of help. Where's my "the secret of SL business" answer, my easy button, my "questions of the universe answered" answer?!?!?! A little more seriously I'm not sure whether to be comforted by the fact that this fashion business is a mystery to about everyone ... or downright scared! So the short answer is keep doing what I'm doing and hope for the best? Catt

11-15-2007, 09:54 AM	#7 (permalink)
WarKirby Magojiro Doing stuff Made new armor ^^ Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Glasgow, Scotland Posts: 2,607 SL Join Date: 14/10/2006 Business: MagoTek Industries SLShopper Ads: 1 My Mood:	I guess the secret of business is to find your niche, make nice things, and keep your customers happy. Works for me.