Thank, you SickSixth! I really needed that. It's the kind of thing that keeps me going.
Hey, guys. I wanted to elaborate on my earlier post, now that I have time.
As I said before I am now working under supervision, for lack of a better way to word it. A trusted friend and client has mapped out a sensible business plan and schedule, two things I guess I really suck at doing for myself. He's an IT specialist with the military and supervises a team of about ten people. He's done this for nearly eleven years and knows what he's doing. I've been working this way for just a week and it's already showing results. I think it's also important to say that my new "supervisor" is also a client to whom work is owed. So when it comes to the schedule he's worked out, he's not at all dispassionate to my backlog people. He is one of them. The business side of Sovereign Studio is, thankfully, out of my control now and in far more capable hands. I'm just the talent: what I do best.
I now work standard 8 hour days, generally 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. I can work until 7:30 pm if I'm pushing for a really hard deadline, 4 hours on Saturday morning in the same case. Saturday hours, however, will be stanard and permanent until the backlog is complete. Other than that, NO weekend work. My old method of work until I drop was not working. All it was doing was burning me out, making me too tired and stressed to accomplish anything and causing problems in my personal life. I'm getting more done now knowing that I have only a limited time each day in which to work. I'm actually spending time with my wife, which was becoming a serious problem. I always made time for the kids, but not nearly enough for her. And, soon, I'll be able to spend some of my new found personal time to work on new stuff.
My week is split between catching up my backlog and making figures either for ebay or for incoming orders from the board. Monday-Wednesday I'm making new order/ebay figures and Thursday-Friday and my 4 hours on Saturday is dedicated to backlog. New stuff will ship as payments come in, backlog from Thursday-Saturday will ship between Monday and Wednesday. I'm doing three figures per week, either way. If nothing is ordered, it goes on ebay. If you've been wanting to order from me, there's never been a better time. If an order comes in, that's one or two less for ebay. Anything ordered will be scheduled for production the following week with a TWO WEEK turn around. Yes, this means that new orders will be shipping along side of, maybe sometimes ahead of, backlog work. I know it gets annoying when you see someone get something that was ordered after you placed your order, but new work must now be prioritized equally with backlog work. Using income from new orders to pay the bills while focusing only on backlog does not work. All that was doing was quickly turning new orders into a new backlog. It's a pattern of continued failure that I cannot and will not continue.
Many of you know that a lot of work that should have shipped in the last 2 or 3 weeks has been held up from a lack of supplies and my ability to ship due to cash flow. I'm resupplied now and things are rolling. The Mola Ram figures, which many of you have been asking about, are an example of that. I had planned to ship three of the six two weeks ago but ran short on necessary supplies. Those three sat here, in various stages of near completion, waiting for supplies to be finished. They're being finished now. Anything in the last month or so that I've said was shipping has been held back by lack of supplies, funds for shipping or piss-poor scheduling. Scheduling is no longer my area, I have supplies and that will fix everything else. Adherence of course depends on orders to keep supplies stocked and production running smoothly.
To highlight the new business model:
*Hours of operation: Mon-Fri 9:00am to 6:00pm / Sat. 8:00 am to 12:00pm
*Mon-Wed: work for ebay/incoming orders. Thurs-Sat: backlog work
*Two week turn-around on new orders (from date of payment).
*Backlog orders are currently shipping and will ship each week on a regular basis.
*Also, as soon as I work it out I'll have something I've never offered before: a public phone number for Sovereign Studio.
