MAY TO DO LIST
{ flora print by Britt Hermann }
Spring is just the best isn’t it? May always makes me think of new beginnings and starting fresh. Nothing beats the season change from winter to spring – watching the flowers start to bloom around you, listening to the birds chirp as you walk by, zoning out in the clouds and blue sky. Oh yeah, not to mention (for here at least) patio season begins! I love me a patio! Just yesterday, my boyfriend (who is also self employed) and I took the afternoon off to enjoy a beer and pizza outside. Those moments are just the best. I hope you’re giving yourself time to do the same amidst all your hard work! It’s important that we give ourselves time to relax and just enjoy life. Those are the true moments that really matter and they will only do you good. It’s like hitting refresh on your creativity too. You will go back to work with new ideas and excited to get to it!
Today I’m sharing the beginning of a new series with you. I know how hard as a self-employed person it can be to get caught up in the day-to-day and not think about the overall big picture of other things you should be taking care of. This is something I used to struggle with a lot. Well I wanted to help you out with this. So, at the beginning of each month, I’ll be sharing tips on things you should be thinking about in the bigger picture of your business. These will be things that are related to the month and season. Some will relate to your business and some may not. You most certainly do not have to do all of these things in order to be successful. My goal here is to help to get you thinking about the bigger picture. There are (obviously) other things you’ll also need to think about, but I hope that this will help to bring a little more organization to your own life.
#1: RESEARCHING SUMMER CRAFT SHOWS & FARMERS MARKETS: When it comes to craft shows, they will range in size. Some you have to sign up for months and months in advance, so deadlines might be long gone. But others, like your local smaller craft shows and farmers markets might still be open for registration. Now is the time to do a bit of research and sign up if this is an area that interests you. If you’re intimidated by the craft show scene but would like to do it in the future, researching what’s coming up locally is still a great idea. Check out when their application deadlines are and then go check them out! That way you can see what the show is like and whether or not you would want to participate in the future.
#2: CHRISTMAS APPLICATIONS: For the bigger Christmas craft shows, it is likely that their application deadlines have already passed. BUT, there may still be some you can sign up for! Do some research on their websites. This will let you figure out when you’ll need to apply, and if the deadline has passed, next year you’ll know ahead of time! Tip: Print off the applications and keep them on file so you can reference them quickly. Write the deadlines in your desktop calendar so that you don’t forget next year!
#3: SPRING COLLECTION PRODUCTION: This is the month you should be focusing on making and selling your current Spring collection! For me, I’ve always noticed that things slow down in the summer with regards to sales. This is not the case for everyone, but you may be similar to me. If you are, then selling lots and lots this month and next month to make up for slow July sales is a great idea! (p.s. If you do have slow months online with sales, why not sign up for some local craft shows during those months?!)
#4: FALL COLLECTION DESIGNING: Fall collections usually come out sometime from mid-August to mid-September depending on the designer. That means it’s time to start planning what you want to make for the Fall and also any special products that you’re going to make specifically for the holiday season. May is a great month to start getting your ideas in order. Do tons of inspiration research, sketching and brainstorming. By the end of the month it would be great to have a solid plan of what you’re going to make. Then in June you can start creating samples.
#5: WHAT’S ONE THING YOU CAN DO THIS MONTH TO CHALLENGE YOURSELF PERSONALLY? Mine is to take the time to get outside every day and go for either a walk or bike ride no matter how busy I am. During that time I want to shut off my “work brain” and just enjoy the sunshine. Give yourself a goal that you want to accomplish. What can you challenge yourself with? You could have a similar goal as mine. Or perhaps it’s an exercise goal. Maybe its making a new recipe once a week. Maybe its spending more time with a loved one. Every time you accomplish this goal this month, write it down in your dayplanner. Being able to look back on this as the month goes by is pretty rewarding!
Now I’d love to hear from you! Comment below and tell me what goals you are going to do this month with your business and personal life.
I’m always looking for new ideas and inspiration.
Looking forward to reading your responses!
ETSY: I LOVE Etsy! I love it sooo much. It has completely changed the face of handmade in our generation and has almost become a household name. I love that Etsy can bring new customers to your work that have never seen it before. Especially when you’re first starting out and don’t have any customers to begin with. It is possible to start an Etsy shop and almost immediately sell your first item! That, my friends is a beautiful thing. There are many creatives making ALL of their income solely from their Etsy shop… but think about how much you could increase your income by using the trifecta approach?
Take a look at 
