My Struggles

I have spent the last few weeks thinking about a new plan for the fall and holiday season. 

After a great start this year things my business has really fizzled out, and things are slow. I have yet to have a good show this year, my Etsy shop sales have been far and few between, and I am struggling with what to do next.

Staying positive when things are down is challenging. I had a conversation with my husband last week about shutting down my business and getting a job. He is so great, he told me I would regret it and to just keep working hard. He knows me so well.

I am working on staying positive and motivated, when I do the Monday Motivation posts they are just as much for me as they are for you.

As I try to figure things out and what I want to do going forward I have been busy working on reevaluating my social media plan.  I only want to invest my time into a few good sites so I am not wasting what little time I have. Social media can be such a time sucker. 

This summer I have been investing some time into Insatagram, it's pretty easy to use and with latergram.me I can schedule my posts which makes it much easier to incorporate into my day. Other social media sites I plan to use regularly are Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook. You can follow me on all these sites at @additionsstyle.

As I work through my struggles of what to do next, I am going to spend a lot of my time in August working on marketing my Etsy shop. Hopefully I can get back in the grove and bring in more sales.

My mantra for August is going to be  

"I will generate income everyday" 
&

I just posted this in my studio for inspiration

Click here to print out a copy for yourself

Now I just need a good plan.

I will share with you more about my struggles and my future plans in the coming weeks. Please feel free to share in the comments or you can email me at additionsstyleblog@gmail.com.

What are some strategies you do, when you are struggling with your business?

Motivation Monday

Market Locally

Summer is a great time to get out and market your business locally. 

With a variety of art / craft show, events, and networking opportunities there is always ways to market your business.

Looking for shows to participate in, in your area, check out Craftlister.com or festival net.com. 

I enjoy doing shows and participating in events to share my business with my community. Getting out and meeting my customers is one of my favorite things, and it has helped my business as well. I get to test out new products, determine my best sellers, and doing shows and events has helped me to narrow down my target market.

A few new pieces I will be showing at my upcoming show

I also leave my business cards in local coffee shops and post them on community boards, teach classes, and talk about my business whenever I have the opportunity. During the holidays I had a ton of sales from the ladies at my gym, just for mentioning my business after a class.

Marketing your business in your community is a great way to expand your business. This is also a great time of year to put yourself out there and start promoting what you have to offer!

How do you market your business locally?

Motivation Monday

Keep Trying

When things are not going our way,

  it's tempting to sit back and wait.

But then, more then ever, we must renew our efforts.

Believe in yourself.

Back your judgment.

Push through your protective boundaries.

Keep going.

Now Is the Time by Patrick Lindsay

Motivation Monday

Your Dream Business

When you close your eyes what does your dream business look like?

I always thought I wanted my business to be big with employees and I need to do is run things, but when I close my eyes these days I see myself creating my inventory and running my business with just a couple of people.

I will never be a big company or make tons of money, but now my goal is to make enough money to enjoy life and the creative process.

When was the last time you closed your eyes to visualize what your dream business looks like. 

Has the vision of your business changed?

Success requires dreaming, planning, and a lot of hard work. Visualizing your dream business will guide you to setting your goals, making plans, and deciding how much time and money to invest your business.

July is a great time to regroup. If you need to start over or add a few new ideas, then today is the day to make sure you are living your dream business.