Happy New Year, Product peeps!
Was it me, or was 2017 a blink and it’s over kind of year? I can’t believe we’re back in Q1 and gearing up for another year. For today’s post, I want to chat about something that is super close to my heart: planning.
When you look back a year from now, what will come to mind? Will you have a list full of should of, could of, would have been or will this year's story be different?
I'll be the first one to tell you that sometimes, planning can feel a bit arbitrary. I mean, nobody has a crystal ball 🔮 so despite our best planning efforts it can often feel like we're just throwing ideas at the wall and hoping something sticks. If that sounds a bit too familiar it's time for a better strategy. I'm going to make planning for your product based biz a whole lot easier.
Why Planning is SO Important:
Did you know that Statistics show people who write down their goals have an 80% higher success rate of achieving them?! That’s a HUGE number!
Simply put, Goals=Growth! Writing down your goals and developing a plan to achieve them is something that most people know they should do, but few people actually do.
It's easy to become overwhelmed by your to-do list. Planning outlines your roadmap to success and breaks down those big, scary goals into achievable baby steps. Sometimes accomplishing the smallest step feels like a major win and it's that feeling that keeps you moving forward. As your businesses creator, designer, production manager, bill payer, logistics
How planning increases profits:
It’s easy to become bogged down by all the activities that need to be taken care of to run your product biz. It’s really important to focus on the tasks that are directly related to making money. Those to do’s should always top your list because they will directly contribute to your bottom line. Some money making activities include:
- reaching out to new buyers + retail partners to introduce your brand and products with the end goal of gaining a new account
- following up with current buyers + retail partners for re-order opportunities
- uploading new designs to your website/online shop/Etsy site
- updating or creating new line sheets that include your new additions that can be sent to buyers
How to take the pain out of planning in 2018:
Don’t have a plan in place yet or struggling to set one that works? No worries, I’ve got you covered! Using the same strategies I used when I planned for my multi-million a year accounts I developed the 2018 Planning + Strategy handbook for Makers! I created this business planning tool especially for you. Regardless if you are planning to wholesale your products or sell them on Etsy, these worksheets will help you gain clarity about your business and help you put a plan in place.
Inside the 35 page PDF workbook, we are going to
- Review all of your 2017 numbers (like budget, product performance + sales) along with your marketing + promotional strategy
- A review your 2017 Holiday (doing this NOW while everything is fresh in your mind will help your 2018 holiday planning!)
- Set your 2018 Goals AND break that down into monthly goals + action steps
- Set your 2018 budget
- Set your 2018 Sales, Marketing, and Promotional Strategy
- Plan your 2018 content
I’ve also included:
- a BONUS 12 Month Sales planner
- a BONUS Product Development Planner + Launch Checklist
- Complimenting Excel worksheets to easily tally the numbers
- Video instructions detailing how to use each worksheet.
There is so much goodness (along with a decade's worth of planning tips and strategy!) inside this workbook I just KNOW that it will help you easily help you not only plan for your biz this year but make reaching those goals a heck of a lot easier.
