New Year Update

It's the last week of the month and I was sitting in bed last night going over my goals. Were they too much? Too little? Too early to say. I have made some progress creatively speaking. If you follow my Tilt's Creations blog you have seen the things I have been making. If not, here's a little peek...

The biggest problem with the goals so far has been the photography. While I have come up with some ideas for backdrops and such, the weather has not been cooperating. Natural light is always always, always best, but this time of year it is hard to find. Especially in my house where there are very few places withe good window placement. I could default and just take some with lights, but that is cruddy as well. My house is quite dim. I could go into how frustrating it is to find bright enough lamps and such in stores that are too lit to see how well each piece lights up an area, but no one wants to hear that.

And from lack of photos comes lack of listings. I have made up for this by listing a bunch of destash patterns in my Tilt Too shop. I have a couple dozen more to go and some fabric bits too.

I guess that's not too bad. If I go another week without photos for listings, than I may downgrade it to "kinda not so good".

How are you doing with your goals?

Year in Review

I am not good at goal making. I know you are supposed to do such things for business, but I don't see how you can set a number for how many items you'll sell. How many to make, sure. To list, yup. To market, okay. But to sell...maybe a wish list :)

So, last year...

Blogs:

Crafts, kids, home & life had 4,964 visitors, 131 posts, currently 147 followers

Tilt's Creations had 5,757 visitors, 115 posts, currently 93 followers

Tilt Treasures had 15,620 visitors, 65 posts, currently 96 followers

Shops:

Tilt Etsy had 9,378 visitors, 31 sales, 46 new listings

The new listing this year included some non-bag items like stuffies, table runners & pillows.

And a bunch of banner changes. I can't help it, they are fun. I like to change it up seasonally and for sales. But as a customer - what do you prefer? The same banner that "marks" the shop or changing it up from time to time?

Tilt Too had 3,743 visitors, 47 sales, 51 new listings...all destash patterns and fabric

Tilt ArtFire had 2,091 visitors, 0 sales (so sad), new listings

Craft Shows & other had about 25 sales (I say about because I am missing something somewhere....still need to finish up some paperwork)

So...what does this mean? Aside from the fact that this is what "successful" shops do on a monthly basis :P

It means I want to do more. Sew more, list more and of course sell more. But to work I need actual numbers to focus on.

My "numbers":

Sew: minimum 3 days a week.

Photo: once a week for listings.

Listings: about 3 per week.

This should be doable. But I do give myself leeway for life - sick kids and such.

What will the sewing be? Not just bags. Between each batch of bags I will do some pillows, coasters, baskets, stuffies, etc. I know I've said this before and not always with the best results...but I have not yet hung up my machine.

Embroidery & other hand sewing: 2-3 nights per week. Note the nights. Read...as I watch tv :P

Non-sewing crafts and art: at least one day a week.

Whether or not this will be for me or for the shops is yet to be determined. I have already started on cleaning up the basement to make space for painting. I should have an area cleared for a February start.

Blogs: no change. I averaged 2-3 per week, I think this is fine. But I will try to have more focused day themes. Friday food, Thursday carnivals, keeping the Wordless Wednesdays. I'll do the kids and home and me posts more regularly. My life is kind of boring after all, there is only so much to write :P

What are your top 3 goals this year?