Are you thinking about getting a cutting machine? Here are some important factors to keep in mind before making a decision.
Recently, I had an interesting encounter with a friend in town who runs a YouTube channel. Surprisingly, I didn't even know he had a YouTube channel. He operates a sawmill that incorporates advanced technology to create intricate wood pieces, including laser-cut etchings and more. During our conversation, he expressed amazement at how many individuals invest in these expensive machines but struggle to utilize them effectively. As a result, they often become frustrated and ultimately sell these machines at a significant loss.
I shared with him that a similar pattern occurs within the printing and crafting industries.
It seems especially common with people getting started with Cricut machines and other cutting and plotting equipment. Many people purchase these machines without fully understanding how to use them or what they're getting into, leading to frustration and a negative perception of electronic cutting machines.
Reason 1: Research is Key
Reason number one, not to purchase a cutting machine is this research. If you don't wanna do research, you should not purchase a machine. 'cause I promise you, a little bit of research will guide you to the machine you need there. So many times we go, oh, I wanna do everything it does. Well, you really don't wanna do everything the machine does. For example, I don't use my machine to cut wood. I'm not a person who does that. I don't buy the wood that the machine can cut. I don't really pay attention to those projects. I don't have a Pinterest board for CR cut wood items, et cetera. So I don't really need a machine that does that.
Reason 2: Technology Compatibility
But let's say I wanted to cut out fabric, maybe I wanted to make applications for quilting. I need to do the research to see which machine will do that, right? It's important that you do that research. Don't buy a machine just because you saw someone else use it. Now, on the flip side of that, you're like, well I did see someone use this machine and for what I'm using it for now listen to this. Here's the caveat, okay? You have to be sure your technology will run that machine.
Reason 2: The Role of Technology
The second reason not to purchase a cutting machine or a cricket technology. If you don't like technology, if you're not a person who understands how to use a computer, a tablet, or an iPhone, you will be frustrated. I don't know if you know this, so I might be telling you something you didn't realize, but these machines need an external source of technology to run them. They need a computer, a tablet, an iPhone to run them, okay? And not just any computer will do, there are specs that your computer has to meet to be able to run the machine.
Reason 3: Research is Essential
Now you're thinking, well that is so sneaky. I buy this machine and nobody told me that. Nope. Your research can find you that answer today we're gonna bust some myths too, <laugh>, but your research can find you that answer. If you go to the website of any of these machines, these are Cricut, this is brother. There's also the silhouette machine. They have full information telling you what is required from your current technology to run whatever machine you're gonna purchase. It's important that you look at that.
Reason 3: Embrace Change
Reason number three, change. If you don't like change, don't purchase a machine. And here's what I mean by that. Updates, okay? Not only does design space update, but your computer systems and your tablets and your phones update and as they update, they give more functionality to machines and to software.
Understanding Updates
So if you're saying, yeah, but I used to couldn't do this with my tablet and now I can, that's because somewhere there was an update that allowed cricket to be able to update their software and make it do that thing. You have to think, I don't know, you don't have to think like that. But I just wanna clarify that for you. There's no company out there that's trying to keep things from you that they can give you, especially in a free software platform like Design Space. And they're certainly not trying to discriminate. Oh, you have a computer and you have a tablet. I promise you it has to do with software and hardware. Even more than that.
Starting a Business? Be Prepared
Number three reason to not purchase a cutting machine of any kind is to start a business. Now listen to what I'm telling you to start a business. Can you start a business from a cricket machine? You sure can, but never put the cricket before the cart. That's what we kind of said the other day as a joke. Don't purchase the machine thinking I'm gonna make all these cool t-shirts or all this cool jewelry or all these cool files as soon as this gets home and I'm gonna open my Etsy store and I'm gonna put this out there and get orders and think your business is just gonna fly.
Investment is Required
You could get a lot of orders, you could get 150 orders for something. But if you don't know how to run this machine, you have just opened yourself up for so much frustration, especially if you order the machine without doing all that research I told you about, only to find out you can't use it and you got 150 orders sitting out there. Don't do it. Here's what you need to do. Order the machine, do the research, order the machine, get it in, play with it. Get to know it. Also, something you can do before you ever purchase the machine. Download the software that goes with it for cricket. It's design space, download cricket design space, play around with it. You can make full projects in design space and not cut them out. So play around, learn what slice is, learn what weld is. Learn what attach is, learn why. And when you use those things, take a class. I have a class that's available to you. We'll link that information below. But learn the machine before you get it. Then start your business. Life is so much better when you know how to use your machine. And then you start getting those incredible orders and you have happy customers and a happy store owner. That's what you want. I've lost count on what number wrong? I think this is number five. So we'll go with that.
Important Note
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Reason 4: Saving Money
Another reason not to purchase a Cricut cutting machine is to save money. Now here's what I'm telling you, I see so many people who go, Ooh, I'm gonna get that machine and make all my own t-shirts for all of our events and save money. You're not really gonna save that much money. And let me explain why.
Initial Investment
In order to use these machines and make those products, projects, you gotta order a product to do that. And you're thinking, yeah, but I don't have to order, you know, this or this or this. No, you do. You gotta order a lot, especially at first. A lot of times to get a really good price on a t-shirt, you can't order one, you gotta order 12. Like you have to order in bulk to get that discount depending on where you're purchasing from. I know everybody has their their place.
Additional Expenses
But what I'm saying is we think we can order this machine and order a T-shirt and some vinyl and put this together and be done. But really that's not always it. Think about this. You're gonna have to have a heat source, some sort of heat press to do that, right? You're gonna have to have some tester vinyl, something that you purchase just to play with. Um, you're gonna have to test out design. Sometimes you have to cut out a design and look at it. You don't have to do that after a while. But especially early on, you might wanna cut it out and look at it. So you're gonna need paper, maybe test paper to cut something out on. So it's not really saving you money. You're gonna be investing more money. But if you're doing this to start a business, any, you start, you have to invest money to start a business.
Gradual Savings
That's how it works. This machine is no different. So I don't want you to purchase it going, oh, I'm gonna save all this money. Now, I will tell you this, over time, your expenditure will get less and less and less because you'll have a stash, right? And you'll have vinyl, or you'll have t-shirts or you'll have things built up. Whatever you're doing. It could be any project. Once you have a stash, you stop spending as much as much money. But at first you're gonna have some outgo of cash. Now, this video could get really long and I don't want it to, so I'm gonna end with this. I want you to not think I've got to learn to make everything the cricket can do. Okay? This is how we get ourselves messed up. We go, oh, I've gotta make T-shirts and I've gotta make mugs and I've gotta make this and I've gotta make that.
Step-by-Step Approach
No. When you get your machine home focus on one project. When you make that one project in design space, you won't even realize it. But you're learning so much about the software from making one project that when you do branch out into all the other projects, it'll all make sense. So don't overwhelm yourself by having to make everything the cricket can do at once. Do it one at a time and build on your knowledge base. Okay? All right, there you go. I wanna know what you want to know in the comments below. Have you got questions? Are you about to make a purchase? Can I help you? Can I keep the frustration down for you? Let me try to do that. Thanks so much for being here today. Please help me reach my big goal of 400,000 subscribers. All you gotta do, hit the red button, it's free. Then hit that little bell beside it to get notifications if you'd like to know whenever I upload a video. I hope you enjoyed this one. I hope this was helpful. I know it's very different, but I really wanted to bring it out to you 'cause I feel like a lot of people are making purchases. And now's the time to know if it's the one you should do. Thanks so much for being here today, and until next time. Bye now.
