Makers in business support group

I love that video malissa! It’s so true.

I recently started selling some of my drawings which I have printed, framed and sold locally. All at the highest quality possible. I don’t make a ton of money from it. But I get a warm fuzzy for every sale. 4 businesses apply their best touches for each person who loves it and buys it.

I am interested in joining this. I might like to sit in for discussion about the goals and mission.

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I want this to be organic, let’s do what we all feel is important to help each other grow and succeed. I also know what other cities do to help microbusinesses, and what we currently have is pretty much window dressing, comparatively.

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Yeah, good call

It certainly is. For reference, Bike Walk Wichita - another local 501c3 - has advocacy as one of its primary activities. Some of the board members are also members on city and metro-area advisory boards. They regularly send emails and social media posts about opportunities to engage with public officials on relevant topics, and they’ve participated in and organized multiple voter turnout activities. I understand the desire for caution, but it’s really not necessary here.

A number of our members operate micro-businesses, and I think we do them a disservice to not have a collective voice in these matters.

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BINGO

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Im on year three of my business, and still here. Id love to network and mastermind with others, but unfortunately have zoom burnout, Im down to meet at the space in person. I just cant do any more video meetings.

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I’m happy to meet in person with those who want to do that and have an online Meeting for those who aren’t ready yet.

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I’m also year 3.

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So this micro business thing we are talking about.

This is like making and selling stuff? Does classes figure into this?

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Absolutely, if we have or can find the experts to teach them. In fact, many of our classes already help micro-businesses owners get other skills to help their business.

I mean… I make leather goods… and am willing to sell them. But I teach classes, and charge money for classes. So technically… I own a micro business?

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I would be interested in in person meetings as well tbh. I’m in my basement by myself almost every day.

I’ve got 3 years experience on my own. Before that I was 14 years with a small company of 4 (myself included). I work directly with businesses and also with various print and production shops on their client projects all over the country. So I have experience with “executive” decisions and probably higher than average first hand basic knowledge of a lot of trade industries and small businesses.

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@james.a.seymour You kind of do. But be careful with the irs when deducting your business expenses. They told me in class they are starting to crack down on “hobbyists” who try to write off expenses as losses or otherwise use loopholes for their business that only generate a couple hundred a year.

I don’t know why people don’t advertise their makeict classes on their own to wider audiences though. It’s like skillshare but with physical facilities and tools.

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Well I know for me I try to focus on making new classes and let MakeICT use their network to promote them. That is kinda the deal. I’m not big on social media…in fact I’ve kinda forgotten about it. But I’m cooking up a cool transistor class.

Good to know about the IRS. I was told a 5-10% profit is what I should be looking for.

5 to 10% on your leatherwork? No. No. No. I mean I don’t know your quality or anything but, no. That’s bad. You can earn almost that much on interest bearing saving accounts and just sit back and watch tv. That’s some Walmart margins and even they’re probably higher than that.

You need to use time as your primary pricing on top of cost of goods.

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I need more info on your interest bearing savings accounts! On my “best” account I make less than .05…

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Sure. Interest rates are really low. But Tmobile money is 4% up to $4k but you have to have a line with them. Google “high yield savings accounts.” There are several others that aren’t really the mainstream banks. But they pay. :+1:

Edit: I want to add that you should read the fine print on these accounts. They have rules for earning their rates. For example tmobile money requires that you actually use the card for purchases to get the higher percentage. They actually pay 4% on $3k. I keep a higher amount for spending in order to meet the minimum and still always have the max for the 4% return. Just understand it, simplify the concept in your mind and then you know, buy your lunches with the card or whatever. Same with cashback rewards cards if you find them useful. Some people don’t and thats fine.

I was so starved for meeting new people over the covid that my insurance guy called to go over my policy and we ended up talking for probably 2 hours about interest accounts and all kinds of other stuff. Even they offer investment and account services. I was surprised.

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Me either, I’m trying to get instructors and membership to understand the more we support each other on social media the further we all go.

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Ya I suppose. I dislike social media. I don’t know why but it feels… not normal to me. Conversations there don’t feel normal. It’s like people talk to each other as if they’re on stage, and they kind of are I guess. I’ve been on social media for only a few years. I moved the app icon off my home screen and look at it way less now, which has caused the notifications to go through the roof. It’s like a crack dealer.

I uninstalled Facebook and only pull it up in a browser to share MakeICT events. My wife tags me in stuff… it got to be too much for me

As it would happen, as soon as I write that about social media I get into contact with a really interesting potential new client today… on social media, introduced to me by a friend.

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