TSHIRT ENTREPRENEUR ONLINE

Cafepress has decided to push back changes to the volume bonus by a month: (more…)

I’ve been chatting with some fellow disgruntled Cafepress shopkeepers about what the next shoe to drop over at that site will be.We’ve already had premium shops limited in size, price increases on basic items (strange because other companies are not following suit), and now the retooling of the volume bonus among other things that hurt shopkeepers while bolstering their bottom line.

Again, I don’t disparage Cafepress for wanting to make more money. What I disparage them for is doing it on the backs of those of us that make them successful and giving no significant notice of these changes for the most part. Call us “employees”, call us “business partners”, call us “independent contractors”, I don’t care which. The fact is that whatever you call us, we are Cafepress. (more…)

I give this advice because I care about Cafepress and because they have been good to me. This advice is as follows … consider it sort of an open letter to Cafepress.

Cafepress:

You have begun doing some things that are upsetting a lot of people that helped make you what you are today and getting in the way of them continuing to help you grow. Previously you limited premium shop sizes to 500 sections, increased base prices on some items and now are rearranging the way commissions are being pay with one obvious goal – to increase revenues on the backs of those that are your lifeblood. (more…)

I hate to criticize Cafepress because they have been very good to me over the years I have been associated with them. But as an honest man I have to let you know what I think and what I think is that Cafepress is loosing their edge. Maybe even officially “jumping the shark.”

This week, without any warning, Cafepress dropped a bomb that is going to affect nearly everyone that has helped them become what they are by creating designs and letting CP sell them online. This bomb is that CP is changing the way they pay their volume bonus to the detriment of shopkeepers. Not only are they changing this, but the changes are going into effect August 1st. Notification of this change came on July 23rd. Talk about giving shopkeepers no time to adjust! (more…)

Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later. Cafepress has announced that it is raising the base price of several items for shopkeepers - their first increase in years.

We’re writing to let you know that beginning on July 28, 2008 we will be implementing Base Price increases to some of our products.

We understand that price increases are unpopular; please know that we made this decision after careful consideration of Shopkeepers impact. With the rising cost of goods and labor modest price increases became a necessary business decision. And, as you know, with the exception of a few products last year, we haven’t had a merchandise price increase in over 9 years.

Effective July 28th, Base Prices will increase as follows:

White T-Shirt - $14.99
Women’s T-Shirt - $14.99
Dog T-Shirt - $16.99
Rectangle Magnets:
• Single Rectangle Magnet - $3.49
• 10 pack - $19.99
• 100 pack - $139.99
2.25″ Magnet - $2.99
Buttons:
• Mini Button - $1.49
• 2.25″ Button - $2.99
• 3.5″ Button - $3.49
Black Cap - $14.99
Cap - $14.99
Stickers:
• Bumper Sticker - $3.49
• Oval Sticker - $2.99
• Rectangle Sticker - $2.99
Journal - $9.49
Single Greeting Card - $2.99

We will see how this will effect sales in the long run. On t-shirts I doubt very much since it is a small percent, but on bumper stickers it is a much larger increase and I’m not about to cut my margins and profits.