Recently, I sat down to work on my Etsy shop. I started by reviewing my stats. And that is when it hit me. My stats were down, but that should not surprise me. I had done nothing in my shop for over a week. Why did I expect great results when I had had made no effort? Sound familiar?
Don’t Expect Something for Nothing
We all want to be able to set up show and have that full email list, a shop filled with things people can’t live without, and our inboxes overflowing with orders. Who wouldn’t want that? But the reality is, we need to work every day to get to that point. In my case, that means continually adding new things to my Etsy shop. However, I can’t stop there. Once there are cards and scrapbook pages made, I have to get the word out to people who want them. And that means taking my message outside my workshop. That also means developing a strong plan.
Start with a Plan a Work it
You can have the most wonderful product in the world, but if no one knows you exist, it does not matter. You need to get eyes on your items. But where to start? If you are not careful, the voices telling you want to do to succeed can overwhelm you. I can’t tell you how many days I started out with big dreams of researching all my options and creating a fail-proof plan only to end up vegging out on the sofa buried under all my research.
Here is what you need to remember. There are a lot of conflicting voices out there, and you don’t have to listen to all of them (shocking I know but it is true). You need to focus on what works for you. Don’t try to be a social media guru right out of the gate. Find out where people who love your hobby hang out and use that social media outlet. Learn all you can about that outlet and forget about the rest for the moment. If you are working full time and trying to start your business or build your hobby you don’t have time to waste multi-tasking.
Don’t be happy with being so-so in all the things. Strive to be a master of one thing and then move on to the next. Start with a plan and take it one step at a time. Even if that means ignoring some of the things you hear or see (I promise you they will still be there if you decide to come back to them). It is ok to say not right now if it is not part of our plan for the moment.
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