Business Sense: Work Space

I've been really busy this past week. And the biggest sign of that productivity is....

My new sewing machine that I set up in my new workspace!

I'm renting some square feet in a shared workspace from a friend, and I couldn't be happier. It works out great for me since I'm not generating piles of money just yet. I was nervous to rent a place out all by myself and be responsible for all of the rent and lease, etc.

And the machine. The glorious, glorious machine. I did a bunch of internet research combined with my school and professional knowledge of industrial sewing machines, and determined that I needed to buy a Juki 8700. It's the industry standard and most versatile single-needle sewing machine. I can sew silk chiffon and I can sew leather; all I have to do is change out the thickness of the needle. 

I contacted a company in New Jersey called Civit. They were so nice on the phone, but as wholesalers, they referred me to the closest retailer, SewMark, since I was only interested in purchasing one machine.

I got all of my ducks in a row to haggle for the best price on this machine. I don't particularly like to haggle but every now and then it can be a fun way to do things. The prices I found on the internet were between $800 and $850 for used machines, so I was prepared to spend $900 on the machine but hopefully use my charm to get the price down to $800.

Walking into the place, the automatic electronic door sensor rang about eight times while I located the machine I'd want. It was right next to the door and had an inspection tag hanging from a knob near the needle. The salesman greeted me. I started just talking to him telling him what I intended to use the machine for but how I'd like the option to use lighter or heavier materials. He assured me that this was the machine I wanted. Then I asked, "How much?" And I was so ready to talk him down in price.

His response, "$650." I had no idea what to say. It was already $250 less than I had expected to pay, and $150 less than my target price. "Sounds good to me," I responded and handed over my credit card. I had it loaded into the back of the SUV and away I drove, with my beautiful new Juki machine!