Today I stumbled upon a thread on the Etsy forums that gave me a lot of inspiration, the thread got replies from many business owners on Etsy who manage to make a living selling their handmade goods on Etsy and other places. (Thread is here) There is a lot of great advice there, the main thing that caught my attention was that you really have to push, you really have to be creative and expand and put everything you have into your business.
Something I've been struggling with since I left my job is how I should be using my time constructively. At home it's very easy to be distracted by family or otherwise. It's difficult for people to understand that when you're sewing or taking pictures or using your computer that you are working. It's hard for me to sometimes get my head around the fact that I am working, actually.
Undervaluing my time, my talent, my 'products' is something I've done for years, often ending up with me doing things for people for free because it felt unnatural to take money for talents I've been developing for a long time. I guess being modest to the point of completely denying in my own head that what I do is something that could be considered valuable at all. These are all becoming problems now, but I guess acknowledging these problems first will help me solve them in the future.
I need to work harder!! All the time! Every day! I need to make this work somehow. I want to make this thing work. I want to have a business to be proud of, one where I'm efficient, creative, fair and exciting. One where I'm so eager to talk to people about and tell them of my successes rather than hiding away all the time. I guess that's up to me, and I think if all these business owners can start from something so small and make it into something big then why not me if I work just as hard? It's only going to get better.
Phew!
In related news, some things I've been working on recently. :)
Cloud plushies
Christmas Ornaments
Slightly larger Gingerbread Men custom order
Here's to working hard now and in the (scarily fast approaching) New Year!
I definitely understand how people don't necessarily get that I'm working even though I'm on the computer! There is sometimes more energy and time put into the business side than in the creative and production side. It is important though to accomplish the business side efficiently so you can get to the fun parts! I've found it helpful to write down in my calendar EVERYTHING, from when I'm going to blog to when I'm going to sketch design ideas!
ReplyDeleteHi Hannah! Your cloud plushie is so adorable!!!
ReplyDeleteI quit my job in 2007 to work on my Etsy business full time. It hasn't always been an easy path, but I've never regretted it. Sometimes it can be difficult to self-manage, and like you, I struggled at first with what the definition of 'work' is. Over time, I've come to realize that just because it's enjoyable doesn't mean it's not work. The thing that has helped me the most is networking with other people within the Etsy community. They can be a great resource for inspiration and support!
Oh my gosh, those are all adorable! The gingerbread men are especially cute, I am going to go check your store out now :)
ReplyDeletejess | Quaintrelle
Those plushies <3 <3 <3
ReplyDelete