corona virus may effect sales

[Stephen 536]

19 hours ago, liambesaw said:

It's going to be rough all around for a spell here, hold onto your shorts everyone!

now do you mean my 'shorts' as in around my waist or stock picks  

Yeah it's been a bloodbath in our accounts, I keep trying to encourage my wife to stop looking at it. I do remember that most of the damage in 08 was a fading memory in a few years. Within that last 5 years ya really need to start moving out of stocks. The recovery window is just too short.

[Joseph Fireborn 1,347]

16 hours ago, Stephen said:

now do you mean my 'shorts' as in around my waist or stock picks  

Yeah it's been a bloodbath in our accounts, I keep trying to encourage my wife to stop looking at it. I do remember that most of the damage in 08 was a fading memory in a few years. Within that last 5 years ya really need to start moving out of stocks. The recovery window is just too short.

Unless you and your family are retiring soon, I wouldn't worry to much about it, enjoy the dividends and continue to invest. That is what I am doing, but I am 30+ years from retirement so I am not worrying about my portfolio at all. It sucks to see the massive amount of money that has disappeared if I were to sell today, but the thing is I have no plans to sell anytime soon. The market will eventually recover, and as I age I will continue to move more into bonds as everyone should as they near retirement.

I keep telling everyone to just enjoy your family, turn off the news and try to relax. Get outside and work on the yard, do your hobbies, or make more pots! The news can bring you down into the worst places possible, avoid it like Corona virus. Pick a news venue you trust for good information and spend 10-15 minutes at the end of the day getting all the important parts and let the rest go.

 

Edited March 20, 2020 by Joseph Fireborn

[Chilly 901]

3 hours ago, Joseph Fireborn said:

I keep telling everyone to just enjoy your family, turn off the news and try to relax. Get outside and work on the yard, do your hobbies, or make more pots! The news can bring you down into the worst places possible, avoid it like Corona virus. Pick a news venue you trust for good information and spend 10-15 minutes at the end of the day getting all the important parts and let the rest go.

 

Wise words, mirrors my attitude.

[CactusPots 245]

More people will be negatively effected by the financial implications than the physical ones.  Interesting times. 

[liambesaw 2,766]

We just laid off two people today, or 20% of the workforce.  Will be laying off at least 2 more next week.  Interesting times that's for sure.  I'd transition to pottery full time if there were people buying pottery right now, but I just finished my current commissions and haven't gotten any more.  Luckily I was able to get payment before everyone started freaking out.  I figure I've got another week or two of income and then I'll be laid off.  Been here for 17 great years so it's been a good run.

[Stephen 536]

12 hours ago, Joseph Fireborn said:

Unless you and your family are retiring soon.

yeah thats the thing this is hitting people in a very uneven way. I've got 7,8 years and that means I prob will loose a big chunk but there is time to make some back. You have 30 years so long runway. The guy planning his life around retiring next year, he has no time to bounce back with so hopefully he had already re=balanced away from pure stocks, although its all been a trainwreck. Then of course there's the folks scrambling for food and rent after being laid off and stocks arent their problem right now. This whole thing comes down to where you are in life and how prepared you are for a hit.

Sounds like you are in a decent place and that's great, best wishes for you and your family.  

 

Edited March 21, 2020 by Stephen

[Stephen 536]

31 minutes ago, liambesaw said:

We just laid off two people today, or 20% of the workforce.  Will be laying off at least 2 more next week.  Interesting times that's for sure.  I'd transition to pottery full time if there were people buying pottery right now, but I just finished my current commissions and haven't gotten any more.  Luckily I was able to get payment before everyone started freaking out.  I figure I've got another week or two of income and then I'll be laid off.  Been here for 17 great years so it's been a good run.

so sorry to hear that Liam, hope u bounce back quickly! Did u see the Amazon work from home post today, don't know if there's anything there for u but u might surf on it. Good luck!

[liambesaw 2,766]

1 minute ago, Stephen said:

so sorry to hear that Liam, hope u bounce back quickly! Did u see the Amazon work from home post today, don't know if there's anything there for u but u might surf on it. Good luck!

I didn't, but I have a BS in CS i got in 2017.  I'm sure you know though, hiring a 37 year old junior in Seattle is pretty much a nonstarter.  I tried for 2 years and only got 4 interviews despite a developer shortage of 10,000 in Seattle.

I am prepared to take on a grocery job right now. They're hiring like mad and at least I would have health insurance for my family that way.  Just hope they pause mortgages for a bit so we can make due.

[Stephen 536]

Any chance ur mortgage id freddie or Fannie? The did a year forebearance today. Most insurance has a waiting period but if you hit the exchange u should be able to get cheap or free gap. Ya know I think the best way to get picked up is to zero in on something with big data, hardcore php or really master one of the hot platforms. Thirty years ago it was the all round but these days a specialty will open doors with someone. At least when someone is looking for a hardcore php programmer the stack of apps is smaller. 

Edited March 21, 2020 by Stephen

[liambesaw 2,766]

Yeah the three jobs I got close to were all php, i was all up on cake and laravel at the time which helped.  Just a lot of younger guys moving here and snatching up the jobs, can't blame the companies, I'd do the same.

[glazenerd 1,630]

Liam: jobs do not bring honor to the man: the man brings honor to the job. 

[liambesaw 2,766]

4 minutes ago, glazenerd said:

Liam: jobs do not bring honor to the man: the man brings honor to the job. 

Agreed.  After all, I want to be a potter. I don't mind work and will do whatever it takes to support my family and myself, that's just the ethic in which I was raised.

[Stephen 536]

9 hours ago, liambesaw said:

Yeah the three jobs I got close to were all php, i was all up on cake and laravel at the time which helped.  Just a lot of younger guys moving here and snatching up the jobs, can't blame the companies, I'd do the same.

ha ha, when ur my age u are one of the young guys :-) 

[Joseph Fireborn 1,347]

I work a job at Starbucks just for insurance. The environment is fun as well and it keeps me young, I learn all kinds of cool phrases like throwing shade, and no cap! I might move up given enough time, but there is no reason to think less of anyone working any kind of job as lesser or not as honorable as Tom said. Do whatever you gotta do to take care of the family!

Hopefully things improve quickly for the USA and the rest of the world too.

[liambesaw 2,766]

26 minutes ago, Joseph Fireborn said:

I work a job at Starbucks just for insurance. The environment is fun as well and it keeps me young, I learn all kinds of cool phrases like throwing shade, and no cap! I might move up given enough time, but there is no reason to think less of anyone working any kind of job as lesser or not as honorable as Tom said. Do whatever you gotta do to take care of the family!

Hopefully things improve quickly for the USA and the rest of the world too.

Not throwing shade or anything, I've just been a dental lab tech for 16 years and now I'm not allowed to be one for 2 months.  Was a sandwich artist before that

[Joseph Fireborn 1,347]

25 minutes ago, liambesaw said:

Not throwing shade or anything, I've just been a dental lab tech for 16 years and now I'm not allowed to be one for 2 months.  Was a sandwich artist before that

Wife is a dental hygienist and she is home for the next 3 weeks and probably longer! Everyone is struggling. Starbucks just decided to allow 30 days paid time off for all their employees, but I haven't taken it yet. I don't want to leave my coworkers working understaffed and not having the people on the floor to wash their hands because they are in a rush. Times are hard, lots of tough decisions to be made. 

On the bright side, making pots is great stress relief! 

[char wheat 7]

My primary sales platform each year is  the 8 weekend run of Sherwood Forrest Faire in Paige Texas.  We were O.K. for the first 2 weekends but cancelled on the third for this year.  Sales on the first weekend were quite good, but tapered off quite a bit the 2nd weekend.  I generally work in the studio for approximately 8-9 months and then sell at the Fair for 2.  This has worked out fairly well for me for the past 6 years.  But now the Cov-id 19 virus has changed everything. . Without the sales outlet of the Faire and with the self quarantine, I am at a loss as to how to market my work.  I have not done any online sales.  I could use some advice on how and where to sell my works on line. I appreciate all your advice.

[Mark C. 4,865]

9 minutes ago, char wheat said:

My primary sales platform each year is  the 8 weekend run of Sherwood Forrest Faire in Paige Texas.  We were O.K. for the first 2 weekends but cancelled on the third for this year.  Sales on the first weekend were quite good, but tapered off quite a bit the 2nd weekend.  I generally work in the studio for approximately 8-9 months and then sell at the Fair for 2.  This has worked out fairly well for me for the past 6 years.  But now the Cov-id 19 virus has changed everything. . Without the sales outlet of the Faire and with the self quarantine, I am at a loss as to how to market my work.  I have not done any online sales.  I could use some advice on how and where to sell my works on line. I appreciate all your advice.

All your eggs are in one basket as they say. I would try to spread iour sales into several markets so when one falters you are some fall back ones. One show outlet is way to narrow.

I like a mix of three myself -my own retail (art shows)  web or e-mail sales ,wholesale  and consignment.

With this shut down the wholesale at the organic supermarkets has been a blessing as all art shows are toast now as well as gallery sales are all closed down.I do have a gallery that is doing web sales of my stuff now.

[neilestrick 4,608]

I just had an August art fair in Minneapolis cancel, saying the park they hold it in will be closed to events through August 31st, possibly beyond. I think there's a chance there will not be any art fairs this year.

[Mark C. 4,865]

19 minutes ago, neilestrick said:

I just had an August art fair in Minneapolis cancel, saying the park they hold it in will be closed to events through August 31st, possibly beyond. I think there's a chance there will not be any art fairs this year.

I would add that know one knows how long this will affect us and how it will all turn out. I'm on a board that puts on a local art show in later Sept. We sent out a notice with application on the 1st that we have no idea whats ahead and basically play it as it goes-show could get canceled at any time .The world is on hold and that pause button is on for a unknown amount of time.

That all said its very likely that 2020 is a no show year as Neil said above. The other thought is say its now open to go out to a show (whenever that happens)-who will want to? Will it be risk free? As an artist do I want to travel to a distant show and have a low turn out with all the effort . So thats now also a consideration for us artists. The future is sketchy for sure . No matter how this goes down we are in a recession for sure just how deep and how long. Time to make small stuff as I have said before in down times.

[Mark C. 4,865]

After listening to Bill Gates the other day (a pretty stable voice of reason with heath issues) I'm now thinking (and this is also as  a board member putting on an art show in September) that most likely all  art shows will be cancelled this year. I just do not see public gatherings taking place unless there is a major change in the vaccine progress.I know this is not a good thing but I'm planning on this being the case. If it is different  then thats great I will be stoked. Just my thoughts at this point..

[liambesaw 2,766]

52 minutes ago, Mark C. said:

After listening to Bill Gates the other day (a pretty stable voice of reason with heath issues) I'm now thinking (and this is also as  a board member putting on an art show in September) that most likely all  art shows will be cancelled this year. I just do not see public gatherings taking place unless there is a major change in the vaccine progress.I know this is not a good thing but I'm planning on this being the case. If it is different  then thats great I will be stoked. Just my thoughts at this point..

I agree, unfortunately I don't think I'm getting my booth fees back, the organizers have been MIA since they postponed the festival.

[Min 3,436]

1 minute ago, liambesaw said:

I agree, unfortunately I don't think I'm getting my booth fees back, the organizers have been MIA since they postponed the festival.

I hope that's not the case! Really sleazy of them if it is. The organizers of the markets I do in the summer/fall have said they will refund 80% of our fees if we cancel by April 30, zero refund if we cancel after that and 90% back if they decide to cancel the markets. I thought they were being unfair but you sound in a worse place. What steps can you take to get your fees back?

[liambesaw 2,766]

12 minutes ago, Min said:

I hope that's not the case! Really sleazy of them if it is. The organizers of the markets I do in the summer/fall have said they will refund 80% of our fees if we cancel by April 30, zero refund if we cancel after that and 90% back if they decide to cancel the markets. I thought they were being unfair but you sound in a worse place. What steps can you take to get your fees back?

I paid through zapp with a credit card so worst case I can reverse the fee, but would also not like to be banned from the festival in the future.  So I'll just wait for a response.  It seems unlikely there will be a tulip festival in August either way.

[oldlady 2,806]

liam, i think that is when the tulip poplar trees begin dropping their flowers on everyone below.     or am i thinking of the show under the black walnut trees that dropped bombs on everything below.   some shows are dangerous.