Cottage Vendors- How Long is Too Long

[catastrophedude]

I've seen a lot of view points here and I appreciate the input of some of the vendors on this very thread. Much like the HYOH point that was brought up earlier, businesses are run different ways for a variety of reasons. The overarching point is much like the market setting what prices are bearable, it also sets things like wait times are bearable. If wait times were totally out of control with what the market is willing to put up with then the vendors with unacceptable wait times would eventually go out of business. So we have 2 forces at play here: the business plan/methods of the individual business owners and market forces deciding what is acceptable in the market.

Overall I'm happy with the status quo because it gives me the freedom to choose what I want based on what I'm willing to wait/pay for. If I want something today I can run over to REI (or even someone like Dutch with his freaky fast shipping), but I am going to be limited to what colors/options those vendors have chosen to stock or have been supplied with by manufacturers. If I want more options I can put in an order with a smaller cottage vendor, have things totally customized the way I want, and wait the respectable time for it to arrive.

I think this thread has kind of lost its way from the original question; what is the decision making behind cottage vendors running their businesses the way they do? I think its has more evolved into a debate of which business model is better. In the end we need to take a step back and look at how big the outdoor market is. The reason we have small vendors is because the market allows it. We have people who like working hands on with the products they produce and the market provides sufficient demand to allow them to do it and continue to remain profitable. On the other hand, the market also provides options to consumers who would rather not wait/pay custom prices to purchase mass produced items if they desire.

One important thing to understand is that not all businesses have the goal of constant growth. Some are simply lifestyle business which allow the owners to make a living, produce a product they are proud of, and once they hit the point they are comfortable with, they stay there.

[TrailSlug]

Why would you think I am trolling you? I am pretty new to this forum, and I do apologize if I am asking questions or bringing up topics that make people think!

You can't start a two sided conversion and tell everyone up front that you only want one side of the conversion and that side be your side. As has been stated before, if you do not like it move on as I'm sure the vendors do not need someone on a message board telling them how to run their business. If you are in the business of doing this then you should contact the vendors directly as we all have opinions but they rarely ever really make a difference.

[Hugh Morris]

What I am wondering is this model we currently have, where lead times get extended due to not being able to keep up with demand, a sustainable way to grow a business? I understand that not everyone wants to grow their business, but the industry as a whole will be growing.

The industry growing (a speculation) does not necessitate cottage vendors growing too. It seems as though the "model we currently have" is not intending to sustainably expand in a growing market. It's content delivering high quality, customizable, handmade gear to customers who don't mind wait times at a relatively small scale. You seem really hung up on why cottage vendors haven't transitioned to regular ol manufacturers, and a variety of people have already explained it very well.

But since you seem relentless in getting the irrelevant question answered- it a sustainable model for something they aren't trying to attain?- I think yes. Depends on how you define sustainable growth, I guess. I don't think having ready to ship inventory is the kind of growth to expect from our cottage industries in the hammock world. The custom bicycle frame example is a good one; prices and wait lists eventually grew because more and more people were looking to purchase a frame handmade by so-and-so. Demand for the very well made product and a refusal to expand in a growing industry created an obscenely long waiting list and drove up the price tag but certain people still find it worth the value and such, the business thrives (without adding employees or batch making frames).

[Afterparty]

Can you imagine how broke we would all be if we didn't have to wait to get stuff.

[TrailSlug]

Can you imagine how broke we would all be if we didn't have to wait to get stuff.

This is the best argument yet on this topic. We should let the vendors know this and ask them to hold on to our stuff a bit longer please

[SilvrSurfr]

I was trying hard to avoid these types of responses!

OK... so the "discussion" you seem to want to have is "how to change the industry to what I think it should be." Many people have chimed in with reasons why that vein of "discussion" is not a rich one: the direction you think the industry is going/should go doesn't necessarily jive with what other customers and business owners want, or the true state of the industry.

As one poster pointed out already, the "trend" of increasing lead times you are seeing is most likely simply a reflection of a small window of time, during which lead times often increase. It hasn't always been this way, nor will it continue.

Maybe take a step back, take a deep breath, and continue to read and learn before advocating industry-wide changes that may not be advantageous, or even possible.

You can't start a two sided conversion and tell everyone up front that you only want one side of the conversion and that side be your side.

The idea that you can control responses to a thread is a fairly common one among newer members of the forum. I would quickly disabuse myself of that notion, if I were you.

But since you seem relentless in getting the irrelevant question answered- it a sustainable model for something they aren't trying to attain?

The OP started this thread with 11 posts and now he's up to 26. That does not indicate an in-depth knowledge of the hammock market. It seems highly presumptuous to open a thread and try to control its direction to the conclusion the OP prefers, which seems to be, less customization and faster delivery times. In other words, more like Amazon.

Oops! I forgot. The OP was "trying hard to avoid these types of responses!"

[Ilovebeer]

The idea that you can control responses to a thread is a fairly common one among newer members of the forum. I would quickly disabuse myself of that notion, if I were you.


The OP started this thread with 11 posts and now he's up to 26. That does not indicate an in-depth knowledge of the hammock market. It seems highly presumptuous to open a thread and try to control its direction to the conclusion the OP prefers, which seems to be, less customization and faster delivery times. In other words, more like Amazon.

Oops! I forgot. The OP was "trying hard to avoid these types of responses!"

I am ok with all the differing viewpoints I have seen throughout this thread, for the record I am not trying to say anyone is wrong for their views (if you knew me personally you would understand). But on the other hand don't call me a troll, don't patronize me and I will be the first to tell you that I don't know very much about the Hammock industry. I do know how business works, and most importantly I am a customer, and customers should be the focus of any successful business.

[OCDave]

.... I do know how business works, and most importantly I am a customer, and customers should be the focus of any successful business.

Ilovebeer,

I appreciate that you feel you have an understanding of "how business works" but, "Business" is not homogenous. If you build a random widget, then you must compete on price or service therefore, focus on low price or serving the customer. Focus on building a superior product, then customers will line up and wait to get theirs. You are clinging to false assumptions that might apply to some successful businesses but hardly all successful businesses.

[slbear]

Who was it that said the employee, not the customer comes first. The idea being happy employees make for happy customers. Although positive in general, this is counter culture to most Sr. Managers and vision statements.

Having a great product certainly counts and many would defend our cottage suppliers vehemently. I think we have many great products available to us, some quickly and some take longer. Price ranges vary.

If you want your cubby red and blue dream hammock and matching quilt set, you should have ordered sooner to have it time for the series to start. If you want a great setup quick look to Dutch and JRB, maybe an EE garage sale quilt.


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[OutandBack]

I'm reading a lot of reduntant answers.
Ilovebeer you asked your question and I believe you got many answers and opinions should we move on and close this topic?