Saddles, saddles, and saddles.

Most small saddle shops like mine function on a custom order basis, which is great. Some day I may end up going back to that model. Which is that the customer gives the saddle maker the specifications regarding their saddle. The customer gives the maker a down payment and then waits a few years before they get their saddle. This model gives the saddle maker stability because they know that they have people locked in on saddles, if the customer backs out they loose their deposit. It also gives the saddle maker money to operate with. On the other hand it also puts a burden on the saddle maker knowing that they are sitting on customer’s money while the customer waits for their saddle.

In my model I don’t take a deposit from potential customers. Instead I ask questions and try to get an idea of what the potential customer is looking for. I then add them to my list. when I finish a saddle I look back to the list and offer it to those who seem like they might be interested.

There are several advantages to this model. 1st I don’t feel pressured to get a saddle done by certain time. 2nd I am not sitting on a customer’s money, which is good for them. 3rd it gives me the freedom to make improvements and try new things without worrying about missing the mark on an order.

This model works well for me and I think my customers like it to. I usually have a saddle sold within hours of completion. Regardless of the model, my buissness would fail without good customers. Thanks for your support!