I recently left my corporate agency job to try to make a go of this business full-time!
Que my parents - being very worried about me and money, me- slightling worrying, can I pay for everything I have grown accustomed to. Let's not forget about the holiday I had paid half the deposit for and still needing flights.
I'm consciously tracking all my finances, selling some old things on eBay, as I do have a lot of clothes I no longer wear and niknaks. To go with this, I have also followed a few steps to ensure that I am as successful as I can be.
1. Make a Plan
Do you know your finances?
What income streams are working?
whats working in your business?
What can be improved/binned?
As you might have seen in my previous blog post, I have made a bucket list of bite-sized? (not really, but things I want to achieve this year). I also make a quarterly plan of something I want to achieve in three months, that I know will push me and my business forward.
This quarter, I wanted to use up a lot of the materials I have collected over the years. They are using up space in my tiny box room. I spent money on them (and can sell them for more as a finished product). I still haven't really started this, but I still have 20 days to go.
In the last few weeks, I have been focusing on all the admin tasks, I maybe should have kept up with, but slowly starting to use up the materials I have.
2. Plan Socials and make time for them
Previously, I posted what I liked when I wanted to or when I had time. It lacked consistency and never had a brand message or call to action (something to make customers/followers engage, which apparently all posts should have) .
I have now created a content calendar in excel, listed some ideas out, planned some future posts.
Better late than never?
3. Stock Take
Sometimes this should be one of the first things you should do, and it can also take many forms. I did take stock of what I wanted to do next. But the main reason for this step is all the stock that I have. If you ever see me at a market, we are the first there and one of the last ones leaving.
Is it my anal product organisation? possibly!
Does it having such a range of different products? also yes!
Over the last few years, having products on Etsy and Shopify, has been a bit of a struggle to keep up to date with what I have. I have been using a software called Veeqo, to make sure my products are synced, but this is becoming a paid product (and very expensive), and now looking for a new company.
Also, when time is tight, and you only have free weekends. So, for the past few days, I have been counting and taking photos (if I didn't already have any) of all the products that I have. These have slowly been uploaded to the website and Etsy (only when I think there is a genuine market there)
So these are the 3 most important steps I am doing currently, to try and make my 'hobby' 5-9 business, a real 9-5 business.
Wht would you add
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