Good afternoon everyone.
I'm afraid I have a pretty big problem here at RSM. I've refunded the couple of Pre-orders I have and have put mod making on hold until I can figure out how to solve it.
Here is the problem. Every month I make a batch of mods, I work 80 hour weeks on average. Half of everything I make goes back into overhead, parts and supplies or something and I don't think of as income.
What I have left to pay the rent is what I consider profit.
Last year in August I was making about $1600 per month in profit, $1400 went to rent and bills. Average $5 per hour worked times 80 hours.
Then I dropped the old style of wider mods and started making the next generation of taller mods, more work but a more refined mod that was very well received. I kept the price the same. Profit dropped from $1600 to $1400 per month, $4.37 per hour.
A few months ago the summer slump hit, there were more cheap but good tube mods available and interest in RSM's was dropping, so I came up with the next upgraded design trying to keep from going under.
Very well received I must say, even I love the new look but there is the problem.
I again released a mod that takes me longer to make with high detail and didn't really raise the price.
Profit dropped to $1200 per month for 80 to 100 work weeks, $3.75 per hour.
Oops .... looks like I've painted myself into a corner here, I'm sure the other wood mod makers will laugh at my ignorance. I've never claimed to be a good businessman though, I don't have the heart for it.
I've gone from averaging 30 mods per month to 16 to 18 mods per month.
If I double the price of each mod to $350, I could work 40 hours per week at $3.75 per hour.
If I double the price I could work 80 hours for $7.50 per hour.
From every indication I've picked up, I really don't think I can ask much more for my mods. People just don't have that much money to spend, so yup, I have a problem.
I have no real advisers or consultants, perhaps if I have some thoughts and ideas thrown at me from other sources I can see a course to set.
The profit from desk caddies and the little Cruiser II's is much better as they take much less time to complete.
Once you give something you can't take it back. Perhaps I could make less of the Cutlass/Destroyer II's, charge a bit more and try to increase sales of Desk Caddies and the little Cruisers II?
It may seem strange to bring all this up, but in reality I have two sons without any practical experience or useful advice and I live in a area that is new and I have no friends or associates that I could take advice from. All BS aside, I would rather humble myself a bit in public than simply shut down.
Brian
Even the 80's would be welcomed after weeks of upper 90's and into the 100's 
