In My Studio: Getting ready for the Holiday Season

Yes I know its only the beginning of September but right now my studio looks like the Christmas Fairy has taken up residence!

This is the prime time of year to get prepared for the busy holiday season. My little boy is going back to school and after a wonderful summer - with very little work happening- it's time to get back to the grindstone and get making. My busy selling period on Etsy is the time from mid October through till mid December and getting ready for this is crucial.

In order to prepare for a busy holiday season of craft fairs and Etsy sales here are some tips to make the next few months the most successful.

1. It goes without saying to ensure that you have enough product to sell. Do a stock take of your current inventory.


2. Look at your sales for the same period last year. What sold well and what didn't.

3. Look at what craft fairs you are doing and what products do best in these locations.

4. Write a list and prioritize your making paying attention to the items that sold well and leaving out those that didn't.

5. Stock up on materials you will need to complete all the products in your list.

6. If you make a lot of holiday products buying in the sales after last years holidays can save a lot of money, otherwise lots of online stores sell Christmas craft supplies all year around.

7. If you sell on Etsy during this period make sure you have all the packaging materials you will need such as boxes, tissue paper, business cards and labels.

8. Once you have your products ready take your photographs well ahead of time and work on your Etsy pages.

  

I was looking back at some of my previous blogs and felt these might also be useful to mention:

In My Studio: Craft Fair Preparations tips on preparing for the many holiday craft fairs coming up.

and if like me you are juggling many hats here are some tips on ways to save time throughout a busy day. In My Studio: Time Saving Tips

"Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe" Abraham Lincoln

Good Luck and Good Making!

Sarah Omura

So Handmade