Opposite of Boredom

            Lately I have had several people tell me they are bored. It was always different circumstances, and they were a range of ages. When I asked them what they did for hobbies, or for fun, they were all able to give me several things that they did.

            Several days have passed now and it just dawned on me that they were not really bored, they were just unhappy with the time it was taking them to accomplish certain things in their lives.

            Most of us think of “bored” as having a lack of things to do. Or at least I will say that has always been the definition I have heard. Here is just one example I pulled off a Google search. “Feeling weary because one is unoccupied or lacks interest in one's current activity.”

            I guess that might explain my sometimes overwhelming number of things I like to do. If I find that I don’t feel like working on one thing, I can move on to something else for a bit. Or change directions completely. Going from wood working to blacksmithing, or writing to carving a golf ball. Sometimes I even fall off the deep end and spend time reading a book.

Slabs in the process of becoming wall sculptures or clocks. 

            Because I’m a “list” person I have white boards in my shop with sectioned off lists of various projects that I “want” to do along with a few I “need” to get done. When I find that I’m unhappy with what I’m doing I look at something on the list that required a change in direction from what I’m doing, and start down that path.

My "Bassinet" bowl made from a Walnut limb.

            The down side to that is I have many projects that are in various stages of completion. My project this weekend was to clean up my shop, make the “flat surfaces” flat again and take inventory of the projects that are near completion so I can work them into the schedule soon and get them off the list they are on… Some it will only take a few minutes of dedicated work; others will take several weeks of working on them after my “day job” at Llama Hardware.

            Oh, and Christmas is coming up, that adds a whole new list of projects that will need finished up in time to ship to family and friends… Yep, I can feel boredom coming up Real fast! 

Six Months!

            They say that if you are busy doing things that time seems to go by faster. After realizing that I have now owned Llama Hardware for nearly six months I guess I have to agree with that statement.

            While I have been busy learning how to make the products offered with the same quality as my predecessors, the time has been ticking along. While it seems like I just started, and in the long term, I have only just started, it has been nearly a full six months of rushing to get caught up on back orders, learn the book keeping system, and add some time for research and development (R&D) to develop some new products.

            While you are reading this there are a few new products out with fellow llama owners for testing and more on the books to get made up. As those are perfected I’ll start offering them on the web site. Some will have a big appeal, and others might have fewer people interested, but that’s what R&D is all about.

            Next on the list for R&D is a system to attach various items to the Flaming Star pack system. On the schedule for this week are adjustable strap for fishing pole, rifle, and bow cases. Since nearly everyone that uses those items has different equipment there must be a wide range of adjustment to allow for that personal choice. Overnight I believe I have came up with a system that will work but now I need to get a couple built and find some volunteers to test them out on their own items. First on the list will be straps for fishing poles (fall fishing is Fantastic) and I’ll follow that with the rifle / bow case system. With luck and a bit of time I’ll have these ready to sell by next spring so everyone can start conditioning their llamas while using those products.

            As part of this process I have been developing a new web site. Look for that to appear in the next month or so. Who knew that it would take so many hours of my time to develop. I don’t work on it unless I’m caught up on orders and thanks to everyone making orders I have not had that much time.

            More orders have came in over the weekend and I’ll be completing the orders from last week and getting started on those orders right away. Orders always take precedence over R&D.

            And now time has flown by while I’m writing this and it’s time to get to work filling those orders! 

R & D Time

There are many things to worry about when running a small business. Keeping up with orders, getting orders, keeping enough supplies on hand to fill orders, paying all the vendors for those supplies, the list is long.

So, when you are caught up on orders do you panic or do you use that time to do some Research and Development of new projects? I have decided to do that. R&D is best done when there is no orders that would be delayed if the time for R&D was done with them on the books.

Then there is a new add to develop, a web page that needs updating, bookwork that is ever demanding of my time. But those are always there so can’t be factored into the mix.

One of the first things on the list for R&D is a set of straps to hold golf bags on the Flaming Star saddle. After that I have an axe/ hatchet holder in mind, and with the recent proof near home that winter Is on the way, I have a dog coat to work on.

The list of things to build on the wood working side is even longer… A friend just got me hooked on chess sets again, and the idea of a ‘yard’ set is percolating. Just need to dig out the logs and see if I have enough of two kinds of wood for 16 pieces each to make them the size I want. I’m thinking pawns of 6” in diameter and 10-12” tall and the king 8 or 10” in diameter and close to 36” tall. That’s all the length I can do on my lathe and I’m thinking anything over that would be too heavy to move anyway.

Of course that means I need to design a chess board that is proportional in size as well. I’m guessing something in the range of 24” squares or a board 16 feet on a side… Hum, wonder if I can get sidewalk pavers that big?

Keep checking back for updates on all of the above or to suggest items for R&D that you would like to see. 

Connections

          It doesn't seem to make any difference where you turn on the internet, there something there telling you that the way to sell more product is to make more connections, get more people looking at your web site, reading your twitter posts, your blog, looking at all your stuff on Etsy, or at photos on Flickr.

            While I agree, if more people were looking at my stuff I would be selling more, what those places have in common most of the time is that they want money to help you get those connections. Only 35 cents per day or $11.99 a month, etc. etc… So what if you are a new, starting business or have a Very specific market that is not touched by the connections they offer? Not their problem, they are just selling you Names.

            What I know can happen is that my many friends can help me make the connections I need if they will just pass my posts along, like and follow my blog, take the two seconds needed to click on the Share button on Face book or to ‘re-tweet” my notices about my blog being updated.

            So my friends, are you willing to help a new business get the word out? Are you willing to click the share button, the re-tweet button, or go above and beyond and call another of your friends and tell them I’m out there and that I make some fantastic products?

            For all of you that do, I thank you in advance! For the rest of you, Shame on you, it costs you nothing but a few seconds of your time and could help me out a bunch!

Pinterest

            How many of those of you reading this are doing Pinterest? I find that I do things in bursts. There are days when I get sucked into the search feature on Pinterest and all of a sudden several hours have passed with me looking at all the great things others have posted to their Pinterest boards that they like.

            Most of those things are simply things I like myself or are things I think could be future projects. The list is long and I already have many note books full of ideas.

            What I’m wondering is this: are there others that use Pinterest in this way? Would you ever consider using Pinterest as a way to find someone to make a project for your or to purchase an item you find on Pinterest?

            There are places I know that are marketing their work via Pinterest, but it takes either time or money to market no matter the way it’s done. Since like most of you, I have more time than money, it’s one of the ways I’m looking at marketing my work, or potential work.

            To that end I have put up a board on Pinterest that is labeled, “My Stuff” http://www.pinterest.com/llamanter/my-stuff/ and one for “Lynn’s Artwork” http://www.pinterest.com/llamanter/lynns-artwork-wife/ as well. While there are many other ideas on the other boards on my Pinterest page, I can only make something that is similar to those items, I can’t make it exactly the same or I’ll be infringing on someone else’s design and I won’t do that.

            The fun thing with wood, is that it is nearly impossible to make something exactly like what someone else did. And since I can seldom leave things as they are, it’s not too much of an issue. There are always things I think need to be done differently or I can’t do the same way because I don’t have the same type of wood or the same piece of equipment needed to make it like someone else.

            So, for now, go to my Pinterest page; http://www.pinterest.com/llamanter/ Take a look at what’s there and let me know what you might be interested in having made or purchasing. While you are there, don’t forget to Share the link with all your friends and family!

            

Division is Work

            And No, I don’t mean math. I’m talking about dividing my time between Llama Hardware, Rock Rabbit Enterprises and Life! I know I KNOW, sometimes you have to burn the candle at both ends to make a new business profitable, I have no issues with that.

            However, I Do want a bit of time that is not related to work and don’t want to make the wood working, which I Love, a drudgery type of work. There are too many projects floating around in my head that I Have to get either onto paper or better, out of a block of wood!

            The slabs that I purchased a couple months ago from the Glacier Woodturners Association are starting to come to life, and I have to get those done soon. The desire to see them in a finished format is good motivation to spend my evening hours working on them. Here they are in Rough form, but sanding to 120. Already set up with a friend who is a professional painter to get them shot with multiple coats of lacquer so I need to get them sanded to at least 320 and the bases built for those that are not going to be hanging on a wall.

Sorry the photos are so bad, the sunlight was bright and I was too lazy to set up the photo booth for Rough work.

           

I have a couple more small orders to get out for Llama Hardware and then I’m going to get started with a redesign of the web site. It will take me a few weeks to get it up (at least) but I want to get started. No, I Have started on it, I spend a couple hours today scanning photos into my computer so that I’ll be able to put photos of my trips on there, making it my web site.

Look for changes to happen a bit at a time, but they will happen. Unless I get swamped with orders, then this has to take a back burner. So, the time is being divided between the businesses pretty well, but my “free” time is suffering. This week I also have to spend All day Thursday at the Western Montana State Fair in Kalispell. I’ll be one of many members of the Glacier Woodturners Association showing the public how easy it is to turn a block of wood into something useful or at least pretty. We will also be making tops for the kids that are attending the fair as well. The only issue is that the other guys in the club have a fit if I bring in my “flat” work to display! It has to be turned at least Partly on the lathe to be shown! However, I CAN carve on them after they are turned!

Swamped versus Time

            I think it’s an old discussion for almost any one that owns a business. Would you rather be swamped and never have time to do research and development?

            Being swamped is good for me in that I’m new to this business and it allows me to perfect the process of making the many products already in my catalog. I can make the details a part of my memory and not have to rely on the written instructions as much. And it allows me to pay for the business and purchase more supplies for more orders down the road. I have also been making an extra item or two when I figured it wouldn’t take much more time. Having an item here and an item there to add to “stock” will help me fill orders quicker down the road and it takes less time to do an extra item when I already have the supplies out. The drawback is that I have limited space and I don’t want to get too many unfinished project scattered about either.

            However, part of what I want to do is to expand the line of items offered to include more gear that can be added on to the Flaming Star pack system. Bow and Rifle cases, fishing pole tubes, float tubes, axe or hatchet attachment systems… you get the idea, things you might take on your llama trek but are not offered from any of the makers of llama gear. To do that, I need time when I don’t have orders to fill. Keep checking back to my main page at: http://www.llamahardware.com for updates.

            The age old catch 22 of any business I’m sure. Add in the fact that I’m still trying to make items to post on my Etsy page for wood working https://www.etsy.com/shop/RockRabbitEnterprise and the list of items there is long as well… wonder if I could get myself cloned? No? Well it was a thought.

            Also, since I have been working long hours and generally 6 days a week, we decided to take a day off and Not stay home where we tend to go back to the shop and work ‘for just a little while.’ Take a look at the photos here to see some of the beautiful country Montana is known for and that we have not visited nearly enough recently. https://www.flickr.com/photos/rockrabbit/ The power of an avalanche is very impressive and is enough to make you think about where you go in the winter.