Sunbonnets: Business or Charity?

What’s the difference between running a business and a charity?

It’s a concept Sally struggles with throughout The Sunbonnet Bride when a local calamity runs into her dreams and ambitions.

Sally took a job working for a Fairhope seamstress with hopes of opening her own shop one day.

Creating clever hats were at the heart of her dreams, but she knew she’d need to earn money as a seamstress first.

When she was paid, Sally tucked away her earnings in a jar which she hid under her bed.

She knew it would take time to learn about running a business and to save enough money to start one.

A handsome banker in town liked Sally’s ambition and was intrigued by her desire to have her own business.

He encouraged her, even suggesting she set up a savings account at his bank.

Sally demurred.

But, recognizing his financial savvy, she asked questions.

Asking a man about his business is an excellent way to his heart!

When a tornado roared through the area, Sally sewed sunbonnets for a church fundraiser aimed at helping farm families.

Recognizing a profit

Even today many small businesses have financial trouble after they are launched. It’s the most common reason businesses fail.

Capital is the major problem, along with keeping the cash flowing in time to get the bills paid.

As part of her contribution to the fundraiser, Sally sewed bonnets using gift fabric, after her workday.

They were quite a hit in the county seat.

But one day Banker Josiah asked her what it cost her to make them. Once the bonnets she’d sewn for charity were gone, she would be able to sell the same bonnets as a side business.

He’d found a market for them in the county seat.

Sally had no clue what the bonnets were worth.

So I discovered the answer for her.

In 1875, calico cost seven cents a yard; a spool of thread could be had for a dime.

The reeds were free. It took her perhaps two hours to complete a bonnet.

Materials, therefore, cost her a little less than 17 cents (you don’t use an entire spool of thread).

But what was her time worth?

In The Little Town on the Prairie, Mrs. White, a woman who ran a sewing business, paid Laura 25 cents a day to sew.

She worked 10 hours a day, so 2.5 cents an hour.

Assuming Sally did the same, she should allot five to six cents per bonnet made, totaling 23 cents.

Since Sally needed some profit, it would be to her advantage to charge 25 cents per bonnet when she sold them.

It seemed an outrageous sum to Sally.

Josiah pointed out folks were willing to pay that much, so she shouldn’t worry about it.

But shouldn’t all the money she made from the bonnets go into the fundraising efforts?

Even generous, Teamster Malcolm thought her foolish if she didn’t retain the cost of making the bonnets.

“You can give away your time if you want for a fundraiser, but not the amount it costs you to make the items if you barely have enough to live on.”

Undervaluing her worth?

Too many  people undervalue their time, despite the admonition from 1 Timothy 5:18 “a worker is worthy of his/her hire.”

I’ve known talented women whose businesses have failed—in part because of their generosity and lack of knowledge about just how business works.

They didn’t quite understand how to count the cost of producing their beautiful goods for sale–to make sure they charged enough to stay in business!

The Sunbonnet Bride doesn’t lack for businessmen interested in a pretty young seamstress with definite promise.

But when the young men tried to advise Sally on how to manage her money—well, she struggled with which business concept makes the most sense–to her mind and her heart.

Josiah comes up with a clever business ploy for the sunbonnet market. How much does he charge for Sally’s bonnets?

You’ll have to read The Sunbonnet Bride to find out!

Tweetables

An 1875 seamstress learns about running a business. Click to Tweet

Profit or charity? An 1875 seamstress learns the difference. Click to Tweet

A basic business lesson in 1875 Nebraska. Click to Tweet