Last month I had hit my proverbial wall. I was mentally exhausted from the daunting business is business and business must grow* attitude I had created. I chose to take a few steps back, inhale deeply and slow down. Boy, am I glad I did! The whole world seems cheerier to me now. In fact, I plan to continue my summer first, business second philosophy through the month of July.
Thankfully sales have really picked up in the last two weeks making, my laxidasical attitude easier to justify. I’ve stayed on top of blogging, continued learning photography and enjoyed time with my kiddos. We’ve made it to the beach several times including a fantastic “meetup” with fellow Monthly Meetup friend Candy of Candied Fabrics and her family.
On the agenda for July: more of the same. We are planning a family trip to San Francisco and Pete and I will be celebrating our ten year wedding anniversary. I’m looking forward to another great month!
{July Goals}
1. Read another novel (that doesn’t have a mouse solving a mystery or riding a motorcycle).
2. Finish 2010 Boxed Holiday cards.
3. Kate’s birthday party invitations.
4. Go to Lake Tahoe once a week. Take a sketch book.
5. Slowly chip away at my May goals if the mood strikes.
The Meetup happens on the first of every month. It’s hosted by the fabulous Liz of Athena Dreams.
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*Quote borrowed from Dr Suess’ The Lorax
Ok, Meetup friends, here’s the deal. I’m boycotting the Meetup this month. I’m giving myself a self-imposed TIME OUT. Lately, I’ve been slipping backwards while trying to grow my business. I’ve hit a wall with my goals. I made huge strides for such a long time but now, when I hit inevitable bumps in the road (sick kids, sick printers, etc.), I feel frustrated and burnt out instead of taking it in stride.
Don’t get me wrong, I love what I’m doing. Orders are still rolling in and I’m throughly enjoying working with clients. But I’m realizing I need to back off on the “growth” aspect of my work and enjoy how far I’ve come. With summer break just nine days away, I’ll have a new set of distractions. Instead of stacking my proverbial plate with lofty goals and letting the joyful world around me pass by, I’m going to slow down and take it all in. Here goes:
{June Goals}
1. Read a novel (that doesn’t have a mouse solving a mystery or riding a motorcycle).
2. Restart my lapsed HOW Magazine subscription.
3. Learn to garden. I have a child with a green thumb and I need to foster that.
4. Go to Lake Tahoe once a week. Take a sketch book.
5. Slowly chip away at my May goals if the mood strikes.
So the plan is to keep up with orders, blogging and summer fun. On a side note, our dog, Beans, was featured on Scout the Dog’s Dogs without Blogs. Turns out Beans has a great PR rep. You may recognize Scout the Dog. She’s the loyal companion of Cyn Thomas, of River Dog Prints, and dog blogger extraordinaire.
The Meetup happens on the first of every month. It’s hosted by the fabulous Liz of Athena Dreams.
I’d like to tell you all is rosy in my little world, but my newest printer is putting a real crimp in my week. I’ve always considered her my prima donna. She needs quite a bit of TLC or she begins to have mini temper tantrums. Last week she started causing more problems. Friday, two technicians from my local printer vendor came to the studio to diagnose her. They ordered parts and returned today to whip her back into shape. Sadly, they were unsuccessful. They’ve swept her off to the repair shop for further treatment. I’m cautiously optimistic for her swift recovery.
To be continued…
Thank goodness it’s May! I couldn’t get my head in the game in April. I felt disoriented, disorganized and distracted. I’m hoping May will bring renewed focus and energy. Whining aside, I managed to do some rebranding, revamp my business cards and create fun thank you notes for the business. I had several custom design orders I was very happy with and made headway with my PR and wholesale endeavors. In fact, I landed a new wholesale account today. (See, things are happening in May!)
Below are last month’s goals and shiny new goals for May:
- Photograph new elements in stationery line and post to Website/Etsy ongoing
- Redo business cards and thank you insert for orders
- Begin PR blitz
- Create a line sheet and teaser sheet template for wholesale
{Goals for May 2010}
- Continue to photograph and post new items
- Send press kit to 3 local magazines and contact 2 blogs
- Purchase three blog ad spots by May 15
- Complete 2010 boxed holiday card line
- Complete wholesale teaser template
While I spent much of April frustrated and drained, I made big strides on the dry tasks I need to complete. I’m looking forward to adding more design and creative time to my daily routine which is always a great way to perk myself up. The Meetup happens on the first of every month. It’s hosted by the fabulous Liz of Athena Dreams.
Ok, I’ve completely dropped the ball this week. There was no “featured design” because I was very busy slacking off. I feel I’ve been zapped of any motivation. I’ve been plugging along with the dry details of the business. You know, the details I’ve avoided for way too long. Sadly, they’ve drained all my creative energy. I’ve spent an embarrassing amount of time staring off into space, day dreaming, wondering around aimlessly and avoiding reality. This apathetic state of being is the inspiration for this week’s Fab Five Friday.
A few fabulous reasons to slack off:
1. The dog ate my to-do list.
2. It’s good for my skin. We all know stress causes acne. Who wants that?
3. Aw, forget it…
4.
5.
*Cartoon by Dave Walker. Yes, I used another artist’s work, because let’s face it, I’m fried.
WhaaaaHaHaHaHa! I didn’t come close to completing my goals last month. I created my list with the intention of taking two months to complete it. Boy, oh, boy, I definitely need another month.
Here’s a quick synopsis of what I accomplished in March:
- Business Basics: I listened to the audiobook of Made to Stick. I admit, much of it went in one ear and out the other, but I feel the big ideas did “stick” and those ideas are going to be very helpful as I move forward with my PR campaign.
- Organization: I organized my kids’ rooms, the pantry and drum roll please…. my studio! I feel like a new woman.
- Research: I had a fabulous lunch with my lovely Twitter friend Carina Murray of Crow and Canary. I grilled her with all my questions and insecurities about diving into the wholesale process. I can’t begin to tell you how helpful it was in clarifying how best to move forward.
I’ve categorized my April goals by week. I have several tasks that must get done before I can more forward with PR and wholesale and I need a bit more structure.
{Goals for April 2010}
- Week One: Photograph new elements in stationery line and post to Website/Etsy
- Week Two: Redo business cards and thank you insert for orders
- Week Three: Begin PR blitz
- Week Four: Create a line sheet and teaser sheet template for wholesale
I’m looking forward to a productive April. If I can conquer this list, I will finally have my building blocks in place. Hooray! The Meetup happens on the first of every month. It’s hosted by the fabulous Liz of Athena Dreams.
If you missed the first chapter of this post, Writing a Business Plan: Part 1 How on Earth Did I Get Here?, you can read it here. This week I will talk more about writing my business plan and my hopes and dreams for the future.
Part 2: How on Earth Do I Get There?
OK, enough reminiscing, it’s time to get down to business. I’ll be honest, many details of a business plan are easier to avoid, ignore, skip or set aside for a later date (possibly never). Thankfully, I forced myself to address the details. Three years late is better than maybe tomorrow, right?
I began with the easy stuff. Who I am, what I do, my products and services… but wait, it turns out those details are not as easy and obvious as I’d expected. Last week I mentioned I took on a lot of work in 2008 and 2009 that helped me build the world’s most schizophrenic portfolio. Recognizing this lapse in judgement, I began creating an uber-detailed outline for a cohesive and structured stationery line. It will reflect who I am as an artist, be easy to build upon and marketable to a larger demographic. In addition to addressing products and services, I’ve sized up my competition, analyzed the stationery industry, researched my target market, examined my operating costs and created a marketing plan.
Phew. Just thinking about it makes me want a nap.
I’ve honestly evaluated what I’ve done wrong (a lot) and what I’ve done right (more than I thought). I’ve learned what is truly important for the future. The last step I addressed was “Business Growth”. This is the part where I analyze my dreams for the future. What’s realistic. What’s not. And, the all important, how on earth do I get there? I won’t bore you with details, but I hope to grow steadily in the next two years. I plan to begin wholesaling my boxed note cards and holiday greetings, continue creating customized event stationery, streamline my paper color and size options, promote my website and grow my blog readership.
Somedays I wish I’d tackled this three years ago, but I wasn’t ready. I needed to get stuck in the mud to appreciate the value of a business plan, approach the task with some perspective and not expect to accomplish unrealistic goals. Yes, I’d love to have a tiny storefront with cozy chairs, coffee, tasty treats and a small print shop in the back (where the magic would happen). Passers by could purchase my stationery and local art, clients would stop in for design consultations, and my family would run the show. Someday. Or maybe not. For now I will continue to build my biz with my personal flair and the love and support of each of you.
If you are interested in Bakery‘s business e-course you can find more information here.
Hello March! I’m so happy you’re here. February was a month packed with mundane tasks (taxes) and loads of behind the scenes groundwork to get Jumping Jack Designs moving forward. My husband would refer to this process as The Preflight, mandatory for a safe flight. My business has reached a critical point where it either needs to take off or stall. Because I’m a girl who wants to go places, stalling is not an option.
Below is a quick review of my February goals and each task’s current status:
{Goals for February 2010}
- Send out first press release :: Rough draft is written.
- Write a business plan :: I have a solid first draft completed.
- Continue Blogging Class :: In our last week. Have been putting my new knowledge to work.
- Complete nine stationery lines from existing artwork :: Done. Need to photograph and post.
- Meet with one boutique owner :: Contact made. Have an appointment later this week.
- Do my taxes :: Done (home + biz). Doing a little dance.
As I dove into February I knew I had taken on too much, but I’m glad I did because it became a month of awakening. That’s a nice way of saying I got a clue and pulled my head out of the sand. I learned (maybe this should have been obvious) there is a lot of prep that goes into a successful marketing campaign. Writing, photography, research, relationship building, honest self evaluation, just to name a few. I now know I have some serious issues with branding. I need to make a memorable impression and that’s not happening. That being said, here are my March Goals:
{Goals for March 2010}
- Photograph new elements in stationery line and post to Website/Etsy
- Redo business cards and thank you insert for orders
- Create a conspicuous “visit our shop” illustration for my blog sidebar
- Read Made to Stick for Crafting an MBA Book Club
- Create a line sheet and catalog for wholesale (Realistically this will happen in April)
- Prepare for my new Reno-based weekly blog feature (to premiere April 7)
- Take March 29 – April 4 off to relax and enjoy my sister’s wedding.
- Psyche self up for PR blitz in April (I think I’ll be ready this time!)
I’m looking forward to completing my preflight checklist. Even more, I am looking forward to spending the last week of the month with my sister as we celebrate her marriage in Mesa, Arizona. Family, sunshine, swimming, spring training, a big bunny and true love. Sounds like a perfect week.
The Meetup happens on the first of every month. It’s hosted by the fabulous Liz of Athena Dreams.
As many of you know, I am taking a business e-course from Bakery called The BAKERY’s Half-Dozen. It covers a copious amount of material. For me, the most important piece has been writing a business plan. I believe giving my business some much needed direction is going to be my key to success. I’m going to break this post into two parts. This week’s post will give you a little history of my biz. Next week I will talk more about writing my business plan and my hopes and dreams for the future.
Part 1: How on Earth Did I Get Here?
I never really thought about it. It all happened in such an organic fashion. I’ve had a creative side all my life. As a child I won loads of art contests (always the ones my childhood friend Jared, a now prominent NYC web designer, didn’t participate in). I loved art, spending hours drawing on my bedroom floor while blaring Cyndi Lauper and The Violent Femmes through my giant silver stereo. As I grew up and gained responsibilities, I let go of my artistic side and focused on my compassionate/scientific side. I became an oncology RN.
I dove into the nursing profession and gave it all I had. I loved what I did and was proud to make a difference every day. Years passed, I married and started a cute little family. As my family grew, I reached a point where I was having a hard time leaving the stress and heartbreak of cancer nursing “at the office”. Compounded by the fact that my own family was inundated with cancer, I needed a creative outlet.
I began creating paper goods. It all started with an embarrassingly bad wedding announcement after Pete and I eloped. Remember the late 90′s photo card + vellum overlay + ribbon rage? Well that was my very first card. I look back at it and I’m horrified by how dated it is. I followed that with birth announcements for my kids and invitations for friends. I enjoyed working with my hands and seeing my vision become a reality. I was never a scrapbooker, instead I found great joy in learning Adobe Illustrator. I began incorporating the hand drawn illustrations created by myself, my mom and my sister into my digital files. Slowly I began to develop my own style.
Shortly after we welcomed Kate into our family, I changed gears. Together with my husband, I decided it was time to give the stationery biz a go. It started out slowly working for friends of friends who had seen my cards on family refrigerators and mantles. Most of my work was done during the holiday season, creating photo greetings for the winter holidays. When strangers started calling, I had a glimpse of hope that this could be something I could actually pull off. My momentum kept gathering, but I never stopped to plan where I was going. It never occurred to me that I had the power to direct that momentum. I had fleeting thoughts of business plans, but the non business minded, touchy feel-y nurse in me chose to look the other way.
With my existing client relationships growing stronger and my discovery of Etsy, 2008 was a booming year. I thought I was set. Instead, I let myself get pulled in 100 different directions. I didn’t know how to say no. I took any business that came my way, even if it was not something that fit my design style or goals. While I earned income from these jobs, I know they were ultimately a detriment to my progress and growth as a business. The time I spent on orders and designs that were outside my comfort zone was significant. After the fact, when I did a breakdown of time versus income, I was shocked to learn I was working for pennies on those orders because the time and energy required where over the top. Plus all the time spent “off my path’ was time I should have spent designing a cohesive stationery line. I look back and all I can say is, “Duh.” Thankfully that Duh moment has been a lightbulb moment for me. I realized I am responsible for my happiness, success and the path of my business. And it is high time I get to it!
Next week I will return with Part 2 of Writing a Business Plan: How Do I Get There? Can’t wait!
A big thank you to everyone who participated in my survey about Classroom Valentines. The information I gathered was very helpful. I was shocked (and impressed) to learn that 50% of you make your own Valentine’s for your children’s classroom parties.
I enjoyed all the wonderful suggestions and insights you shared. My personal favorite was a suggestion for a future Valentine design featuring a platypus. Genius and definitely on my list for upcoming designs. Other insights included: gender neutral designs, folding card + seal, and quantities of 24. There was a strong response for downloadable Valentines. I have never offered printable designs, but I will certainly consider it for next year.
Many of you entered the drawing to win a set of Butterfly Thank You Notes. Our winner was Candy (how appropriate is that). Her name was randomly selected via our highly technical hat pull system. The survey is now closed, but if you have further suggestions for future Valentines I would love to hear your thoughts!
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