I have decided I will need to leave the ABWA when 2007 rolls around.
It's a matter of time and expense.
Dinner meetings are $20 each month...if I attended every one of them, that would be $240 a year. Add to that the $30 local Chapter fee and the annual $50 National fee, and it's a whopping $320 (double check my math, I'm an artist, not a mathematician). It was fun to get out a little bit each month, but the numbers really add up. The meetings are going to switch from evening to daytime, meaning I'd then need to hire a baby sitter, so that clinches it.
I have been in it about a year, and although my main focus is not to get customers (I like to think of myself as more of a giver than a taker), when I spend that kind of money, I need to get several new pencil portrait art customers out of it, or my return on investment is horrible. So that's where it is now. I have been doing the email newsletter for the group and been emailing 100 people or so a month reminding them of the meetings and keeping up with the RSVPs, and althought that is not a big job to do and I enjoy it, I have four kids to take care of and business clients I need to serve first.
Rather than making decisions based on emotions only, I am trying to look at things in an analytical business perspective. If I am going to spend that money, where is it best spent?
For $320 a year, I could do quite a good Google Adwords campaign and do much better. I am sorry to leave because of the nice women I have met, but 2007 really needs to be profitable, so I have had to re-think and evaluate a lot of my commitments.
Maybe when my kids are older I will reconsider joining ABWA...it is an excellent organization.
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1 comment:
If you aren't getting anything out of it, then definately take a leave. If you notice you miss it, you can always rejoin next year.
My husband always does stuff in relation to driving expense. Well, I could go here, but it's so far away and gas would cost $X...
Now that I am a SAHM with no income, I definately look at every expense we have. I've just started a budget this month of every single penny we are spending, and we spend a lot. But sometimes it is good - like stocking up on chicken when it is on sale. Or diapers! You can never have enough diapers!!!!
I need to cut back though. We're only on day 8 and I can't believe how much we spend. It's great to write everything down because you know what you are spending.
They say you can do that with food as well. I'm not touching that one though.... :)
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