Last Day of 100 Sales 100 Days

It's been 100 days since I set my goal of 100 Sales 100 Days.

Ending Etsy Stats
Etsy sales - 55
Items sold - 83
Etsy Shop hearts - 135

I didn't make my goal, but I ended up with 55 sales this season and I worked hard for those sales this year. When Etsy changed to relevancy at the end of September my views and sales crashed. October was a tough month I only had 4 sales.

At the end of October I received a message from a fellow Etsy seller with tips for helping my shop come up in searches. I have spent weeks (and I'm still working on it) changing all my titles and tags.

Thanks to her tips and ideas, I started making these changes and my views tripled. In November I got 22 sales, which is more then last year for that month. So it has been worth all the work.

All in all it was not a bad holiday season on Etsy. I did reach one of the big goals I set for myself at the beginning of the year of getting over 700 items sold. I made that goal, and I am thrilled.

2011 Show Display

It has been a very busy selling season outside of Etsy this year.  I had six shows this season and at my first shows I sold over 75% of my inventory. I have spent the last 4 weeks making jewelry like a mad women just trying to keep up with all my shows and Etsy sales.

Tomorrow is my last day of me being the crazy jewelry making lady. I am looking forward to taking a break. I plan to spend my days reading, preparing for my family coming for the holidays, and planning for 2012. Maybe I will start 100 Sales in 100 Days in the spring, and try again.

Did you do as well as you planned this season?

100 Sales 100 Days

Wow, I can't believe it's been six weeks since I started 100 Sales in 100 Days.  Unfortunately, since the end of September sales have been really slow.

Here are my Etsy stats since 9/22:
Etsy Sales 4
Items Sold 6
Shop Hearts 15

Here are my Overall Etsy stats since I started:
Etsy Sales 13
Items Sold 18
Shop Hearts 30

Since Etsy has switched to relevancy, my views are down. I have spent the last few weeks changing all my titles, tags, and descriptions, but it has not helped much.  All I can do is keep tweeking them until I find the right combination. How do you like the new search by relevancy on Etsy?

I have started to spend a money on advertising. I ran a one week Project Wonderful campaign, and I did an  Etsy ad for one week. Both brought in more view, but no sales, and a few hearts.
Not familiar with Project Wonderful, click here for more info.

I think I will give both of them a try again, and start looking into doing an ad on a couple of blogs. I budgeted a few dollars to advertising and I am going to keep working on putting together a effective ad to try to generate some sales.

I would love your input on blog ads. What makes you click on an ad on the sidebar of a blog? Do you like catchy tagline's or is the picture more important? Have you ever purchased an item from a shop you found from an ad?

When you are spending money on advertising you want to have effective ads.  I appreciate your feedback. So we can all benefit, I will take everyone's ideas and suggestions and create a blog post in the next couple of weeks.

Motivation Monday

As the holiday season approaches it's time to start working on what's important to help you meet your seasonal goal.

Daily we spend time on certain tasks to help our business succeed. Ask yourself:  Are you doing tasks that will help you meet your goal? Are you getting everything done you need to get done daily?

I know I have been spreading myself around lately, and not getting good results. Recently I decided what was really important to me, achieving my goal of 100 sales in 100 days.

I created a list of all the tasks I need to do daily and action steps to keep me on track. My plan includes one challenging task and three practical tasks so I can achieve success daily. My printable to-do-list is going to help me stay on task everyday.

I have other projects I need to work on as well, but I am going to work on them using the 15 minute plan. Incorporating this plan will leave me the bulk of my day for creating new items and marketing my Etsy shop.

Want to be really motivated and see an increase in productivity? Decide what main goal you want accomplish this season and then make a plan. If you give it all you've got, success will be easy to achieve.

Do you have a one goal you want to reach this season?

100 Sales 100 Days & Pinterest

It's been a good couple of weeks. I have spent some time on twitter and Facebook promoting my shop, as well as on my new favorite site Pinterest.

I know, another social media site, but Pinterest is different. It's full of wonderful pictures collected by you and your online friends. Of all my social media sites, this is my favorite.

Never heard of Pinterest, here is what they have to say about their site:
Pinterest is a Virtual Pinboard.
Pinterest lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes.

I started creating boards at the beginning of the month, and love having one place to save all the inspiration I find around the web. It's also a great way to save blog posts you want to reference in the future, photos to use in future posts, and a great place to keep a visual holiday gift list.

I also added a board for my Etsy shop, and when I add new items to my shop I share them on my Pinterest inspiration board. Keep in mind you don't want to use this site to only promote they do have rules. Click her for more info.

Last week I added 6 new items to my board and 3 of them sold within the hours of listing them.

Here are a few blog posts that will help you get started on Pinterest:
Pinterest 101
A Pinteresting Tutorial
4 Ways to Use Pinterest for Business

It is easy to get sucked in on Pinterest, so if time is an issue give yourself a time limit and stick to it.  Pinterest is a lot of fun and inspiring. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Do you already use Pinterest? 
Whats your username, I would love to follow you.  
Mine is Additionsstyle.
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Stats for 100 Sales / 100 Days
9/7 - 9/22
Etsy Sales:  9
Items Sold:  12
Shop Hearts:  17

Use the Linky tool to attach the blog post with your stats.

Do you want to be motivated to make more sales this fall and holiday season, join us.  We are keeping track of our stats through December 15, decide how many sales you want to make between now and then and then jump on board.  Want more info click here, then email me and I will add you to the list.

Contact Valerie if you have any questions additionsstyleblog@gmail.com

100 Sales 100 Days

Are you ready for a successful sales season?

I set a goal - 100 Sales in 100 Days. I bet you have a goal as well, so why don't we work together on achieving our goals? This is an invitation to individually set a goal for our shops and collectively reach that goal together.

By participating in 100 Sales / 100 Days, together we can motivate each other, stay inspired, and work together to achieve our goals.

Participation in 100 Sales / 100 Days is simple. Start by making a commitment to your shop; be willing to create a blog post every other week with your stats; and share a story about your success, a business tip, an idea, or a link.

Each of my posts will include a Linkly tool for ease of tracking each others progress and most importantly, to encourage each other towards success.

Tracking our sales starts tomorrow September 7 and runs till December 15. The first post for sharing results will be September 22. 

Look for a variety of marketing ideas each week to help you achieve your goal.

Here are my starting Etsy stats:
Etsy Sales 357
Items Sold 622
Shop Hearts 1496

You can participate in 100 Sales / 100 Days with any online shop.

Do you want to have a 100 sales? Well let do it together! List your blog or shop today and join me for a successful 2011 holiday season.

A New Season

It's always a little exciting when the fall and holiday season start.  This is the time of year I like to start new things and challenge myself to reach new goals.

I am thrilled to share with you a few changes that will be happening over the next few months. 

♦ I am excited to announce that I have added 2 new regular blog post contributors. 

• Kelly from The Kelly Tang blog will be doing a monthly post about fashion. 

• Kim from Kzdesign will share a DIY tutorial with you twice a month. 

• Pam from Open Space will be back doing a monthly post with tips to simplify your work and life.

Look for their new posts starting in September!

I am looking for additional contributors. If you have an idea for a monthly post and would like to write for Everyday Inspired contact Valerie at additionsstyleblog@gmail.com

♦ Don't forget to share in my monthly post Check This Out (usually mid month). It's a great way for each of us to get to know each other better and updated everyone about what's happening in your shop throughout the holiday season.

♦ I will also have guest posts from Etsy artists sharing what inspires them. Look for the monthly Artist Inspiration posts, starting in September.  

♦ Looking for a place to advertise, look no further. Everyday Inspired is now offering advertising spots at a new low rate.  I also have a special offer for September - December. Click here for more details.

♦ As I mentioned in yesterdays post I have set a goal for myself to make 100 sales in 100 days, and I would love to have you join me.  Look for all the detail in the September 6 blog post!

Lots of new and exciting things happening this season, I hope you join me on the journey.

Do you have big plans for the fall and holiday season?

If you have any ideas or suggestions for Everyday Inspired, I would love to hear from you. Contact Valerie at additionsstyleblog@gmail.com

Motivation Monday

It is so easy to get things done when they are routine.

Sometimes to achieve greater success you have to step out of your comfort zone, go out on a limb, and push yourself in a new direction.

Stepping out of your comfortable zone will challenge you and give you the motivation you need for success.

Next time you need a little motivation ask yourself:  what do I need to do to go to the next level? Don't think about the costs or the challenges, just make a list and then create a plan to achieve that success.

What have you done outside of your comfort zone lately?

Do you want to challenge your sales for the fall and holiday season? Join me in my goal to make  100 Sales / 100 Days. The challenge start September 7th.  Check out the September 6th blog post for all the details.