October Shop Goals / September Lessons Learned

[#1]

Hi everyone!

It's already time to start planning out October's shop goals. So feel free to list your goals for October and your lessons learned for September.

My October Goals:
1. 75+ sales (super lofty, but when you shoot for the moon...)
2. Release my new necklace line
3. Stockpile more supplies for the Holidays

Lessons learned:
1. If the listing isn't broken don't fix it. Sometimes listings with shorter titles and/or one word tags work. I don't know why, but the sales don't lie. Ha! That rhymes.

2. Custom orders are the business! I just need to figure out how to blatantly advertise that I do them....

3. Days off encourage creativity. I can't work 7 days a week. I definitely hit sleep deprivation by day 4. So I have spent all of September taking the weekends off to just create/chill. Great decision. I've created so many designs during these times.

Can't wait to read everyone's goals and lessons.

Brittany

[lippybrand]

Goal- As always to reach the 100 item mark. And to make some more coming home sets.

Lesson learned- Be more clear when starting a new thread so you are not misunderstood. :)

[Former_Member]

This team is great! I am already learning a lot. My goals for October are to:

Get a second so that I can separate my jewelry supplies from my jewelry.

Get 100 views in one day.

List at least 20 jewelry items to my shop.

[MountainGoth]

October goal, sell 100 items. I did last year hoping for a repeat.

[LoveAccented]

Goals:
*Streamline my custom order process
*Make wedding bouquet / center piece options for my shop
*Add more custom bridal packages
*Make more winter holiday pieces

Lessons Learned:
*Don't under value your time
*A little kindness goes a long way :)
*Use your "slow time" wisely. You will miss it when you are slammed with orders!

[LittlePigeonCrafts]

My goal is to add 30 more items to my shop and add a new line of items by the end of October.

[BitsOffTheBeach]

My goal is to hit 50 sales by the end of October.
Reach 125 items in my shop.
Work on expanding my second shop and finding views.

Love Amanda's goal of making 2 of everything. I am going to try that on the items that I can duplicate.

Septembers lesson: Adding items reall DOES add to my views!

[SantasSockCentral]

October goals:

- Finish 3 current custom orders
- Get as much as or more than last year's October $$$
- Be featured in the Finds or Frontpage ;)
- Have a celebrity buy my stuff
- Get more subscribers for my blog and newsletter

September Lesson's learnt:
- Like last year, as it's getting closer to Christmas, people buy my stuff
- Small Mr & Mrs stockings were bought (2 out of 3 sets), so I can continue to make them next year and try out patterns and colours.
- I figured out an easier way to start my Christmas stockings, this will save time.

[LouiseMead]

Great goals everybody!

- I'd like to hit 70 sales
- Get to 500 favourites
- Minimum of 1 blog post a week

Some pretty ambitious goals there but after a flat September I'm determined to try and make up for it.

I learned in Sept that sometimes if SEO is working, not to fiddle with it! Also that whilst discounting can be a quick-win to bring in some sales, it can mean some customers expect a big discount every time they shop in the future. Therefore I'm going to focus on value-add and better marketing rather than regular discounting.

Good luck everybody! :)

[PICFiberArts]

Great goals:

~ to make 5 items for my shop
~ to make one sale would be nice. I didn't make any last month which was a first!
~ work more on my shop instead of the forums! LOL
~ work another extra hour just to see what I can get done!

Hope it happens for all!

[Former_Member]

My goal is to list 20 new items. Make a sale or two. More than two sales would be awesome!

[Former_Member]

Great thread! My goal for October is to beat September in sales, move more ready-to-ship items out of my store, promote Christmas and Halloween like mad and if I could shoot for the moon, I wish someone would buy one of my halloween banners. That would be cool.

Lessons learned for September: What goes up, must come down.

September turned out to be a very slow month in comparison to August and this summer in general and I realized that even though I was enjoying success, it can all grind to a halt at any point so I have to keep moving, keep promoting, keep adding new products, etc.

The one thing that saved me, OP, which this might help you as well for doing custom work, is that during the slow times, I scoured the alchemy teams and found some custom work that way. I'm working on a design right now for a customer and she is so happy, she bought more design work. So even though my sales are lower than October, I've been doing some new custom work that is making me a better graphic designer. And in the end, I'm gaining a new customer that is easily turning into a repeat customer that I can continue to have a relationship with so I can get more design work in the future.

It never hurts to go out and respond to those want ads. Most of my sales this month are from me actively going out and finding work. It's paid off huge. Good luck everyone!

[Former_Member]

Goals for October
1. Practice photo shoots, improve photography of listings
2. List 1 item per day in each of my shops

[Former_Member]

Love the latest goals and lessons learned!

I definitely will be referencing this thread all month :)

Keep it going everyone!

ETA: Diana, thank you for reminding me about the Alchemy teams. I completely forgot about them. Good suggestion.

[SilverLilyJewelry]

Goals
make 50 sales by end of the year!

[PaperWhispers]

My lessons learned for September
1. Views do not equal sales
2. Promote outside of etsy
3. Join teams where people work actively towards promoting (done - join european street team!)

Goals for october
1. Complete my shop outside of etsy (I always get more sales over there)
2. Aim to have my products featured in at least 5 main blogs in the wedding industry to get traffic moving
3. Start building a stronger network of etsy sellers with a similar interest (i.e in business terms - here to sell not just enjoy the ride and chat)

[Former_Member]

If I can match september for sales, I will be a happy woman. Would like to make it to 40 sales this month. Want to increase my stock this month, no new lines, just stock

[hooknsaw]

September isn't over yet, so we really haven't set our October goals.

Lesson learned: Time on the computer is time that could be spent crocheting!

[Former_Member]

Goal: stay positive and not throw in the towel.

[BeadworkAndCoe]

I'll finally make my first sale - I've waited long enough!
I am aware it doesn't work that way though ... ;)
Will keep making and listing instead.

[Former_Member]

I achieved last month's goals, which were basically to finish the shop overhaul and re-do all my photos, tags, descriptions, banner, etc. Yay for me!

My goals for October:
*Let the tweaking of my store take effect, see how it works at least for a month before I re-tweak!
*At least ten sales a month
*Approach at least one store with my jewelry
*Continue to make Halloween & Christmas earrings
*Continue to restock my store with new items for the big craft fair I'm in in December, for Christmas, and to get back to 300 items like I was at
*Add a gift-wrap listing
*Continue to promote myself daily on blog and social media
*Continue to take days off like a normal person would haha

[Former_Member]

Well... Oct is my one year in biz. :)

Goals:
hit 4k in likes on FB.
need to develop some new stuffs for xmas.
and Stock up stock up stock up on icicles so I no go insane come thanksgiving.

Lessons...I really suck at taking a vacation.

[Former_Member]

Goals for October:
1. Read and research as much as possible to gear up for the upcoming holiday season.
2. Add more inventory.
3. I would be impressed with 5 sales for the month of October.
4. Get a critique this month so I can know if I am going in the right direction.
5. Load at least 4 items weekly.
6. Join at least 2 new groups and learn from fellow Etsians! You guys are great inspiration!

Lesson learned in September...."Patience is a Virtue". It isn’t going to happen overnight (but darn I wish it would). It takes a lot of time to get started and found. I love it more now even though it is hard work! I seem to work better feeling a bit of pressure.

[Former_Member]

Ruby I love your shop name. Building a network is a great decision. I have a few people on my list that are available if I ever have a crisis.

Diana I'm speaking your first sale into existence! Your shop is so gorgeous.

Breanna what did you do to be near 4k likes?! Yowza!

I'm seeing a lot of promotion and stocking goals. I do believe stocking/listing new items is a form of promotion. So, I hope everyone can reach these goals.

ETA: Jennie where is your avatar, girl?! Pick something that makes me want to click :)

[Former_Member]

Oh yes...Also on my list for NOW....create Avatar!!! Thanks Brittany for the reminder.

[Former_Member]

1) Release my first large mosaic
2) Reach 10 total sales
3) 50 listings in my shop