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Business update - April 2017
Posted by Dave Bull on April 21, 2017 [Permalink]
We here at Mokuhankan have a kind of 'Mission Impossible' facing us at present: how to shift me away from my office and management chores, and get me back to the carving bench and YouTube work. We know what we need to do - hire people to take over those office jobs - but we can't really afford to do that.
I thought (for about two seconds) of monetizing the YouTube videos, but nobody nobody nobody wants that, so I've decided to go a different route, and have opened a Patreon page where committed fans can show their support for this.
Please have a look, and I hope that some of you will consider taking part. This video gives a bit more background on the 'Catch 22' that has been facing me for quite some time now:
Added by: Jeff on April 23, 2017, 7:01 am
David, is there a monthly goal that would allow you to make the first hire as outlined on the Patreon page?
Added by: Dave on April 23, 2017, 7:46 am
I tried to answer this on a YouTube comment to this video, so I'll use part of that answer here ...
It's really difficult to give an actual clear $ amount that I 'need' through Patreon, because our current revenue is so mixed and so seasonally variable, that I don't clearly know much I'm myself going to be able to put towards this new hiring. All I know for sure is that in my current situation I can't possibly sit down across the table during an interview with a good prospect, and confidently promise to be able to pay them on a stable basis. (As an example, because we have no credit line here, there were around a half-dozen occasions last year when I had to ask one or another of the staff members to accept a delayed salary payment, because our accounts were empty.) So I'm looking at it in terms of 'insurance' that will allow me to honestly tell that person they will be able to get paid. Then over the coming months, as my productivity returns, and his starts to kick in, we'll look at the Patreon revenue with new eyes (as described on a post I made over there while setting up this campaign).
Added by: Stefan on April 28, 2017, 9:09 am
David,
I wish you all the best with your business and I will visit your store again next march to expand my growing collection of prints. For now I have to support you via Patroen though!
Keep up the great work!
PS: I'm open for job offers anytime ;)
Added by: Dave on April 28, 2017, 9:56 am
job offers ...
Stefan-san, I don't think we'll be looking at opening a German office anytime soon ... :~(
Added by: Joshua on May 23, 2017, 1:21 am
David,
When I started collecting with the Chibi Heroes back in 2012 I paid in yen, but since Portraits #2 in 2016 the option disappeared.
I wonder if it would help you if print subscribers could pay in yen as it would mean that the exchange rate wouldn't affect your income as much (you mentioned last year that the change in exchange rate for Portraits #2 was bad for you).
I know that for me it seems strange to pay in AUS$ converted to US$ and then straight into JPÂ¥, and the variability in AUS$ price for each month would be no big deal especially since it's already variable based on the AUS->US exchange rate.
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