Being My Own Boss - 1 Year Anniversary

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Last Saturday I celebrated one year of being self-employed full time! This has seriously been the most amazing year of my life! I love what I do and I love that I get to do it every day! That's not to say it wasn't a difficult decision at the time, but it's been the most rewarding one I've ever made.

I put together a few pieces of advice that I've learned during my first year of being my own boss. If you're thinking of taking the leap, I hope these tips will help you :)

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 1. Love What You Do This may sound like common sense, but it really is true. What you used to do as a creative outlet or to relax is what you'll be doing several hours a day...every day. Make sure your "hobby" is something you are willing to turn into a "job". That being said, if you love what you do, your "job" isn't really "work".

I absolutely love what I do and I'd be doing it even if no one paid me. I love coming up with new designs and new ideas. I love watching things come to life in the laser. I love being creative. And I love working with my customers.

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2. Be Prepared to Work Long Hours Unless you're lucky enough to afford an assistant, be prepared to put in a lot of hours. This comes back to loving what you do. Unlike in the corporate world, the more effort you put into your "job" the more you'll get in return. You have to work for what you want and this can require long hours.

On a normal day, I generally work 12-16 hours. This includes everything from packing orders, answering emails, blogging, making product, listing product, etc. I also work weekends and holidays. When I worked my factory job, I used to count down the days til Friday. But now everyday is a Friday and it's great! I can also take time off whenever I want too :)

3. Wear Lots of Hats As a business owner of a one-woman-show, it is necessary to be able to multitask and prioritize your time. You have to be the owner, marketing director, buyer, accountant, secretary, creative director, maker, etc, etc, etc. It would be fun to just create new things all day, but there is much more to it when running a business.

Every day I make a to do list of things that need done that day. I start my day be answering emails and reading blogs. Many times I'm also running the laser while I'm on the computer. I then package orders so the mailman can pick them up (and save me a trip to the post office). Then I get to start creating :) At the end of the day I do my quiet work. I list new items, answer more emails and write blog posts.

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4. Go Over Your Budget (then go over it again) You might think this should be at the top of the list. While it is very important, I still think loving what you do is more important. Yes, you need to pay your bills, but if in six months you're burnt out, you won't be making any money. So make sure you love what you do before you even consider working for yourself full time.

I ran numbers for several months before I knew for sure that things would be okay. I knew exactly how much I needed to make and I knew I could do it. I also made the decision to sell my SUV. It wasn't a necessity (we have a spare car) and the payment wasn't worth having to stay at my factory job any longer. It felt great being out from under that payment and knowing I had that much more wiggle room with our budget. It is also important to talk over the budget with your spouse/domestic partner/room mate/whatever. Convincing Jesse things would be okay was a little trickier than convincing myself. It was a huge step and we both needed to be on board. After a few good talks, we both agreed it was time :)

I hope these tips help those of you considering working full time for yourself. While it is a lot to think about, if you're able to, I recommend it to anyone. I am a much happier, more satisfied person working for myself. Every day is a "vacation" day, even when I'm at "work" :)

 Those of you who are already working for yourselves full time...any other tips for my readers?

A Look at 2011

Each year I set goals for my blog and Etsy Shop and share them with all of you. I feel that putting my goals out there for everyone to read gives them more power and helps keep me on track.

Today I'll share how 2011 went and tomorrow I'll share for new goals for 2012!

Blog Goals:

*Blog 3-5 times per week: SUCCESS!

I had 275 posts in 2011 which averages out to over 5 posts per week!

*Get my followers up to 150: SUCCESS!

I am at 249 Followers!!!

I contribute this to visiting a lot of new blogs this year, having a giveaway in April and contributing regularly in the Etsy Blog Team forums.

Shop Goals:

*150 Etsy Sales: SUCCESS!

I actually had 309 Sales in 2011!!! I far exceeded my goals and expectations for 2011!!! By getting my laser engraver and expanding my inventory, I really opened my audience and the sales show it!

*450 Shop Hearts: SUCCESS!

I currently have 614 shop hearts! And I again contribute this to adding so many new items and attracting new buyers.

Other goals:

*Add new products: SUCCESS!

My Wood Guest Books, Personalized Bottle Stoppers and Photo Ornaments were great hits!

*Add another consignment shop: SUCCESS!

I started selling at another local winery and have had better success at this one than I did at the first one!

*Add a new show venue: SUCCESS!

My booth partner and I added another show that occurs in both the spring and fall. They were our best shows of the year!

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As you can see, 2011 was an amazing year! I never would have imagined that my new laser engraver would grow my business in such a way! I hope 2012 is just as great!

Stop back tomorrow to see my goals for 2012. And I'd love to hear how your year went and your new goals for 2012 in the comments!

Day 2 Show Review

I would have to say that yesterday was just as successful as Saturday at the craft show :) The day was a little slow, but I sold 3 custom albums right off the bat! And a few more albums later in the day :)

I was so happy to have my new display!!! It worked like a charm, was easy to load/unload, easy to set up and looked great!!! Thanks Dave!!!

And this is only half of it! We were limited on space, so I wasn't even able to use the entire display. There is actually a whole other section like this and then I can put shelves in the middle to stretch it out to almost 10'!!! I'll definitely have to get pictures of it all set up in full display!

I don't have another show now until September. But I have lots of custom work to do between now and then! I even came home to two orders on Etsy as well yesterday :) After all the custom work is done, I hope to stock up on my inventory for several fall shows and work on some new ideas I've had floating around in my head for quite some time!!!

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend :)

Spring Show Review

Yesterday was my Spring Show. I would have to call the day a success. It was hard not attending this show before. Or any spring show for that matter. I had no previous data to go off of for comparison, but I actually think that was a good thing :) We had no expectations going into the day and after we made our booth fees back...we figured it was a success!

I shared my booth with a friend that makes jewelry and some other home decor projects. We had a nice big area that fit all of our things nicely and gave us some room to work.

One thing we found out about spring shows...there is a lot going on in the spring! That same day there was a Home Show at a big convention center, a soccer tournament, a piano recital, and a dance competition just to name a few! As this may be helpful in getting people out and about, when there is so much to do, people are limited in their choices.

I do feel we had a lot of foot traffic, just not a lot of buyers. People were very quick to go by the booths and weren't carrying many bags. But I'm afraid this is probably a spring show trend.

We went ahead and signed up for this same show in the fall as we've heard it's a big show with lots of shoppers :) We also have another spring show on May 1 and 2. This is another new show, so I'll be interested to see how it turns out as well :)

I hope those of you doing shows are having much success!

Making Weekend Goals :)

Each day I try to set goals for myself so I know what needs to be done and in what order. I set priorities and make lists...I'm a big list maker :) Yesterday I was very pleased to meet my goal...and then some. I got 4 albums completed and ready for the mail!!! WooHoo! Then, I even got started on a 5th, which I plan to finish today along with another album. I just love being able to check things off the list! These albums complete the list of items that need to be shipped out before Christmas! Now all of the albums I have left are local orders and will be delivered by hand :) It really feels good to have accomplished such a large task! I had fun making this particular album. Most of my Name and Word Albums aren't themed, so this one was fun because it was all Spiderman :) And I love that scrapbooks are for boys too! This was another particular favorite because it used a nickname. My Name and Word Albums can be any word up to about 9 letters long and I leave the table completely open on what word that is. This is for a grandmother who's grandchildren call her MomMom...how cute :) I hope you are having a successful weekend...and marking things off your list as well :) Now...off to finish those other albums!

10 Tips for a Successful Craft Show

I was very pleased with both of my craft shows this year and would definitely call them both a success :) So, to help out some newbies (and some seasoned crafters) uniquecommodities mentioned in a comment that it would be a good idea to blog about some Tips for Success.

So, here is what I came up with:

1. Offer a variety of items: the same item in multiple colors, variations of the same item, coordinating items, etc.

2. Have enough items to last you through the day: This will vary depending on the show, the items you sell, etc. Not everything has to be out all at once. Just keep your extras in totes under a table or behind a display for easy access when you need them.

3. Have items at eye level: This is something I have done new this year and I got many complements on my pink box display. People don't want to have to bend over to look at everything, so have levels, raise tables, whatever it takes to get things up so people can easily see them.

4. Have plenty of business cards on hand: By the end of my first show, I only had 2 cards left! I made sure to print many extras for the second show. People were so excited I had a website that they immediately took a card. I have already had 5 additional orders and they all got my info from the cards :)

5. If you do custom orders, bring display items: Many of my sales come from custom albums (particularly my custom name and word albums) and I think it is important for people to see what they will be buying rather than trying to explain it to them. I had several variations of these albums out on display. I am hoping to do a laminated flip book for next year with all the different styles of custom albums I offer and just have one or two actual albums on display.

6. Bring a friend or something to work on: I know some people will say not to bring someone with you, but I have a friend who helps me at every one of my shows and she is such a big help :) Be sure to bring someone who is knowledgeable in your area of sales. Personally, I hate to eat lunch at my booth, so this gives me the opportunity to get away for a bit and see other booths as well. (And take a bathroom break!) If you don't have a friend to bring along, bring something easy to work on. Customers can get uneasy if you're just sitting or standing there eagerly waiting for them to come shop. And, working on a project can get people interested in what you're doing and draw them into your booth.

7. Rearrange items periodically and play with interactive items: People may come back by and see an item they had missed the first time by. I try to move things around and flip through my books now and then. I have sold more flip flop albums while looking through one than at any other time. They are an item that can sometimes be overlooked by customers unless you catch their eye. Once one person sees them, they tend to draw a crowd after that :)

8. For repeat shows, get the same booth: This way people know exactly where to find you every time. I have people come to shows just to buy my albums and leave. They want to know exactly where I am so they can get in and get out. People like consistency. Also, having the same booth can help you in setting up and knowing how you want things laid out. Corner booths can be set up very differently from interior booths...something to keep in mind.

9. If you offer a newsletter or have a mailing list, craft shows are a great place to get additional readers: This is a tip I need to follow myself. I had three ladies ask me if I had sale fliers or regular newsletters with new items. I would like for this to be my next marketing step.

10. Some of the obvious: Be friendly and welcoming :) Have enough change. (Keep in mind if your items are even dollars or if you are charging tax.) Be friendly to the vendors next to you :) And always clean up your area and help others if possible :)

Your next craft show is sure to be a success :)

Thanks again to uniquecommodities for the great idea :)