Sunday, December 15, 2013

Year end wrap up and looking towards 2014

Hello Dear Reader!

I can not believe that 2013 is almost over, Christmas is almost here (10 days away!) and 2014 is just over the horizon!

As the year is coming to a close, I am really re-thinking my businesses. I spent a grand portion of this year doing wholesale and while it has been fun and profitable, I have really neglected my Etsy store, I have been unable to really devote the time I need to expand my on line presence, grow my Etsy customer base and expand and grow like I thought I would when I first contemplated adding a second shop and focusing on wholesale at the end of last year and the beginning of this year. I have discovered that taking orders and working very hard to fill orders has taken some unexpected tolls on  my family and I have stepped back and am rethinking my move forward. One thing I am looking at is doing just cash and carry. Basically, that is making 2 dozen widgets, let's say, and I offer those as cash and carry--basically when they are paid for, they are shipped. If I focus on doing C&C, I can devote more time to my family, if I want to take a day off, I can without the guilt of orders not being filled, and I can play with my son without the same worry. Of course, there is the concern of not having anything to sell without the 'sew, sew, sew' of having orders to be filled, so I am going to be looking at quotas, so I am making enough items. I am also looking at checking out craft fairs as well as expanding my Etsy store into more day to day items rather than just chasing holidays, and FINALLY opening my kids store! Something I have wanted to be able to do for the past year and haven't been able to get to! So, instead of the Christmas grand opening, I am now looking at an Easter or Spring grand opening--just in time FOR Easter!

So, to that goal, I am looking at closing my shop for the Christmas Holidays--I was going to close today, and then I got a sale! **squee** and had I closed my shop, I would have missed it! Sooo... I am looking at maybe from Christmas Eve or maybe the 22nd thru January 1st at least, possibly thru January 15th. I would like to clean up my shop, take new pictures, have new, fresh offerings and just spruce the place up, ya know?!?

So I hope that all of you have a splendid, blessed Christmas and a very Happy New Year and I hope to live up to another goal for 2014 ~~ touching base with all of you on a more regular basis, and Mr.Buttons has suggested a photo gallery of my reworking of my Etsy store and Crafting Room--it would probably be really good for my revamped Etsy About page too!

Talk to you soon! Happy crafting and until next time~~

Karen 

1 comment:

  1. Karen, your plans for 2014 sound wonderful! I am in the process of rethinking my two Etsy shops. I think I spend more time in one shop than I do the other, so I will be working to change that next year. Your kid's store sounds wonderful and I can't wait to see it! Have a wonderful Christmas and a happy and successful 2014! - Laura

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