Members bkingery Posted February 25, 2011 Members Report Posted February 25, 2011 Howdy All, Ok heres my problem, one of mine and my wifes friends makes and sells hair bows, cool, fine with that she has nice bows and she does really well selling them, Then one of our other friends talks about making diaper wreaths to sell at craft shows and within a week geuss who has bows AND diaper wreaths on her facebook, ok passing fad it went the way of the wind so not a big deal any more, THEN another friend was telling us about some bags (31 gifts) that she has bought the dealer kit for and is ready to SELL SELL SELL, she put it on her facebook and yes the friend commented that "wow that is really cool i hope you do really well", SOOOOO ( are ya sensing a theme here yet) OH you guessed it, the very next day geuss who put on facebook that she bought the DISTIBUTOR rights to our area from the exact same person as our other Friend and posted on HER facebook that she was said distibutor and everyone needed to buy from her. NOW she's stepping on my wives toes because my wife makes awesome Handmade jewelry, she doesn't sell it for alot but she has done a few shows and she sells something at every one. Our other good friend was also going to try and sell some jewelry that she found a really good price for, she talked about it with my wife and they decided it would be cool if she sold the kinds of things my wife couldn't so they wouldn't compete with each other because they share a booth at one of the shows that they do. YUP you geussed it, geuss who is selling the EXACT same jewelry at the same freakin show and not just the stuff my wife can't make but all of it. This woman doesn't seem to be able to come up with any of her own ideas and when she does steal them she goes way past what any of us can do or afford at the time but NO ONE will say anything to her. Thats why I'm putting it to you all because I promised my wife I wouldn't kill her with Facebook. I'm so angry I could spit sewing awls. Thanks for the rant Bryan . Quote Don't like sugar in my coffee But love coffee with my sugar!!!!!
dirtclod Posted February 25, 2011 Report Posted February 25, 2011 It's really hard to read with all of it being in one big paragraph. I get lost about halfway through. Quote I'm old enough to know that i don't know everything.
electrathon Posted February 25, 2011 Report Posted February 25, 2011 Your choices seem to be: Sell your products for less, assuming the quality is the same. Sell your products for more, because you sell better stuff. Keep changing what you sell, so you can stay ahead of her following you. Stay home fuming, upset she is outmarketing you. Sell at differant places than she is, so you will not have to compete. Demand from her that she market only approved products, so there will not be market compition. That is all I can think of for now. I recomend option two. Aaron Quote
Chief31794 Posted February 25, 2011 Report Posted February 25, 2011 Agree with Aaron, this seems like business to me. Business has always been about a "better mouse trap", either beat her in the competition for business volume or find another gig. I don't think anyone can tell anyone else what to market or where since this is an open market. Customers are going to come to the best value (price vs quality tradeoff). Provide the best value and you'll capture the greater share of the market. Also seems like she does a better job of marketing. Ken Quote "Life's too short to carry ugly leather"
Contributing Member BillB Posted February 25, 2011 Contributing Member Report Posted February 25, 2011 There is also the practice used in counter intelligence and that is mis-information. Have your wife and friend drop hints that they are going to sell product "X" while all the time preparing to sell product "Y". Quote Bill B. Nead
Members bkingery Posted February 25, 2011 Author Members Report Posted February 25, 2011 Thanks for the replies I just needed to vent a little bit. The biggest problem that I have with her is not that she sells the same stuff, it's the fact that she only does it after someone else tells her they are going to do it. I agree that it is a free market but to me I think that there is a limit to what I will and will not do to make a quick buck. We have decided that the misinformation gig is probably going to be the best way to deal with her . That and just try to beat her at her own game but do it in a way that we can look at ourselves in the mirror when it's all said and done. I just hope she starts selling crappy leather stuff and then I can smoke her on quality alone. Peace Bryan Quote Don't like sugar in my coffee But love coffee with my sugar!!!!!
reddevil76 Posted February 25, 2011 Report Posted February 25, 2011 Cool down Bryan, if you look at it, companies do this to each other in business. But of course, you are angry because she is a friend and you don't expect her to treat you guys these way. But if you start looking at her as a business competitor instead of a friend, then her actions may seem more predictable and you will also treat her accordingly. Quote
Members Spinner Posted February 25, 2011 Members Report Posted February 25, 2011 But of course, you are angry because she is a friend and you don't expect her to treat you guys these way. But if you start looking at her as a business competitor instead of a friend, then her actions may seem more predictable and you will also treat her accordingly. I agree. Folks that do this in my circle are quickly removed. I don't mind friendly competition and I actually support my friends that enjoy the same hobbies/businesses if they act like friends and talk things over with me. Folks that purposely undercut, overrun, etc. like a big box store does are considered hostile competitors going forward and are treated as such. Some folks above said "it just sounds like business"...etc. Yes it is but at the same time a true friend doesn't work as hard as this gal is to pull money out of your pocket just because they can either. I'd go with the misinformation track as well for a product or two and then cut her off completely from information. If she truly wants to sell what you're selling, let her do it weeks after you've already sold said items. Her biggest tool for success right now is the one everyone seems to be giving her, information. Cut off the stream and let her find out what you'll be selling when you release it, then she'll be chasing your tail not vice versa. Quote Chris Three Mutts Customs Leather - http://www.threemuttscustoms.com
reddevil76 Posted February 25, 2011 Report Posted February 25, 2011 Ok, why not share this "business idea" with her. Tell her that from the forums, you spotted a new trend where leather workers are taking distressed leather to a new level. They are now taking these expensive european single bends, and using nails on a 2 by 4 to scratch up the grain side, and create this new "traumatic leather" which they then use to create personal items for sale. However, thoroughly scratching up the grain side takes alot of work, so some enterprising individuals have bought some of these bends, do the scratching, and re-selling them to leather workers at a 50% mark up, and they are selling like hot cakes! Tell her you are considering buying about 200 of these european single bends from Tandy for a start, and throughly scratch them up with rusty nails, to see if there is a market for them. Quote
Moderator Johanna Posted February 25, 2011 Moderator Report Posted February 25, 2011 Reddevil, bwaaa-hahahahahah! Brian, integrity and quality always win out in the long run. I'm with the folks that say starve her for information, or allow her to think her info is correct. And she's not a friend if she's using things she finds out in the course of friendship against people in a business way. Johanna Quote You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus. - Mark Twain
Members wildrose Posted February 26, 2011 Members Report Posted February 26, 2011 Bryan, I feel your frustration and completely agree it'd be frustrating. Quote Holly Moore Wild Rose Creations http://www.wrcleather.com
Members BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted February 26, 2011 Members Report Posted February 26, 2011 Sounds to me like she is just trying to fit in with your group by doing what you are doing, but going about it the wrong way. At any time have you, or your wife, asked her WTH? Don't you realize what you are doing to our business, and our friendship? She may be totally clueless. Is she single? If she is find her a boyfriend. As Stewie on Family Guy said one time "She needs to get laid big time." In all seriousness though she may just be looking for attention. Whatever it may be I would sit down with her, and talk this out. Explain to her what her actions are doing to your relationship, then threaten to unfriend her on Facebook if that doesn't work Quote You laugh at me because I am different. I laugh at you because you are all the same.
Members bkingery Posted February 26, 2011 Author Members Report Posted February 26, 2011 Again THANKS all, that's why I love this place. Yes my wife and other friends ALOT of other friends have asked her what she is doing and all she can say is "oh I just did it for the free stuff since I put this on here i have found out that she has done the same thing to a few others here in town and we are all mad at her. I agree that she is probably just trying to get attention but doing it all wrong. Biggun she is married and her husband has a very good job and makes way more than I do and thats one of the reasons she can afford to buy into all of the stuff. When I sit back and think about it from a differant perspective I think I could almost feel sorry for her but I am a true blue Leo and forgivness is hard. Hopefully she'll learn her lesson someday before she destroys all of the friendships she is tyring to make. Peace again Bryan Quote Don't like sugar in my coffee But love coffee with my sugar!!!!!
Members Historybuff Posted February 26, 2011 Members Report Posted February 26, 2011 You started your rant with one of me and my wifes friends (paraphrase) She's obviously not. Sometimes you can get to know someone you inatially like but later find out way too much about them and wish you had never met them. Happened to me recently. Quote It's not what you look at, it's what you see It's not what you have that makes you, it's what you make with what you have.
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