Creative Business

Like many other American holidays, Valentine’s Day means more money in the retail cash registers. The National Retail Federation says this year shoppers will spend a record $18.9 billion on the ones they love. $1.7 million will go toward candy, another $3.4 million for a special night out and one in five will spend a combined $4.8 million on jewelry. With numbers like those, creating holiday themed products for your store seems like a no-brainer. But where there’s reward, there’s also risk.

So you want to create a business plan? Well, maybe you don’t want to, but if you are reading this article you have likely determined that you need to, and that is a good first step! Creating a business plan doesn’t have to be as painful as it might sound, and depending on what you need it for, it probably doesn’t need to be as long as you might think!

When you have an IndieMade store, you’ve opened your doors to the world. So why would you want to spend the time and effort to sell your wares at a small, local craft fair? There are a number of reasons starting with; it’s good to get out. I know, that makes me sound like a nagging mom (Turn off that TV and go outside and play!), but it’s true. As creatives, we have a tendency to huddle in our workrooms with Facebook as our only link to what’s happening in the world. That’s good for productivity but not good for you as a person, or a business owner.

Is fear of rejection holding you back from putting your work out there? Or does it keep you from taking the next step in your business, whether that is submitting your work for a juried show, approaching a retailer for a wholesale contract, or just emailing people on your newsletter list to let them know about new products?

January is traditionally the time of year when we take stock of where we are and make plans to get where we want to be by this time next year. You have a fresh calendar on your desk, a new envelope for your business receipts, and the will to do it all more efficiently than ever before. To help you on your way, we’ve pulled together a list of online tools for you and your business. Some are free. Some will cost you a few dollars a month but any or all of them will save you time and aggravation – which equals saving money in the end.

Look around the internet and you’ll see hundreds of posts dedicated to New Year’s Resolutions. List after list of promises to get fit, quit bad habits, spend more time doing X and less time doing Y. We write it all down with the best of intentions but almost all of those grand ideas fizzle before the end of spring. Then the guilt rolls in. This was going to be different! And to assuage the guilt you turn to one or more of the bad habits that got you in this mess in the first place. The diet’s already blown so why not treat yourself to that double fudge brownie? Then the guilt starts all over again. Get off the merry-go-round right now. This year, instead of crafting a list of unattainable New Year’s Resolutions, set yourself up with these New Year’s Absolutions.

There are three reasons why consumers like to shop at big, online businesses; selection, price and free shipping. As a small business owner it’s hard, if not impossible to compete in these areas. Your selection is always going to be limited and with your tight margins, you can’t afford to slash prices let alone offer free shipping. So how can you compete? By focusing on these three small things that big businesses can’t do.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and sometimes the most stressful for those running online based retail businesses. While some stress is unavoidable, it is important to find ways to de-stress in order to maintain your life and work balance as well as your sanity. Below are five easy ways to de-stress so you can enjoy the holidays without the extra headaches this year!