Hit 50 custom dress orders this month and it totally threw me off

I mean I expected maybe 30 tops since I just launched this line of upcycled bridesmaid dresses on Etsy. But hitting 50 orders meant I had to hire my neighbor to help with the beading. Has anyone else had a milestone like that sneak up on them?

3 comments

3 Comments

luna_green1mo ago

Read an article in some small business magazine about how scaling too fast can mess with quality control. 50 orders is a lot of detail work if you're doing beading by hand. Hope your neighbor is steady with a needle and thread, that's a lot of trust to hand over.

ninal911mo ago

@luna_green I actually see it a little differently based on what I've seen with my own small jewelry line. My neighbor helped me with a big batch of 75 custom earrings last year and her stitching was actually better than mine in some spots. For me, handing over some of the work meant I could focus on the tricky parts like the wire wrapping and stone settings that need my full attention. But I hear you on quality control totally being a risk, that's why I only gave my neighbor the simpler bead patterns at first to see how she did. Your mileage may vary obviously, but for someone like me who gets overwhelmed with too many orders at once, a little help was a lifesaver. Take this with a grain of salt though, it really depends on who you trust and how clear you are with your instructions.

nina_sullivan614d ago

Did your neighbor end up making any mistakes that you had to fix yourself? I totally get what you mean about handing off the simpler stuff, that's how I'd do it too if I had someone I trusted that much. It's gotta feel good to have that extra pair of hands when orders pile up, even if it means losing a little control over the final look. Quality control is such a headache with handmade stuff, but it sounds like you found a way that worked for you. I'm glad it turned out okay, that's a big relief when you take that leap.