Price Rise for 2018

December was a bit manic. Not really due to busy work and fabulously successful sales (though that would have been nice!) But other life admin. We had a kitchen and bathroom refit which ofcourse went on longer that we anticipated. Immediately after that I had no hot water till Chirstmas eve. And as my first proper Christmas trading as Kindred + Wild I participated in 3 fairs. Three seemed plenty to me and so exhausting! To all of the other makers out there who have been doing back to back and multiple shows, Respect! 

So December was spent mosly going back and forth to my sister's place for hot showers and food, tackling the tail end of an upheaveled household from the kitchen and bathroom works and making stock, packing and unpacking for the shows. But its all done now and I have managed to find some calm have some time to contemplate the year 2017, which has gone by too quickly.

I had been told by many people that my prices were... 'very reasonable'. Initially I took this to be a good sign. But as the year has gone on I started to have doubts. I started to see all the overheads I had not factored in like marketing, costs of the events, logistics of getting to and from a market stall, planning all the displays and everything involved to get it done, like a custom  brand sign! I had considered all minimum orders for suppliers to meet postage requirements. However, I hadn't forseen the times when I had to order things urgently and had to pay postage several times. In the Summer I had to throw away a whole batch of herbs due to contamination and start over. And in Autumn, almost overnight, the price of some of my glass jars and bottles went up almost by 100%! 

Reflecting on all these things has been a reality check. I needed to be able to cover my costs to make this a viable business and continue to grow. And that means increasing the prices of the products for a start. For creatives and introverts like me accepting this can be very hard. In part, I started making my own products as I found the really good, natural ones in the market very expensive. So how can I be seen selling something equally or more expensive?

Since this realisation, I have been talking to a lot of people. friends, fellow makers and customers whose support and feedback has been very valuable to me. I have had to stand back and remind myself (or be reminded) of the time and work that has gone and still goes into making Kindred + Wild happen, all my research, the fact that all products is mostly organic, something I don't shout out about since to me this would seem common sense. At the moment I am a one woman band and everything is handmade. These things take time and effort and care. Things I value and advotacate in other people's products and work. Things I should value in my own. 

So after combing through many invoices and actual costs of materials and allowing myself a bit of contingency for overheads I will increasing the prices of most of my products from 31st January 2018. I think its only fair to allow you some time to restock your favourite products at their current prices. 

I wish for a happy, healthy 2018 for all of you.