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[#1]

As soon as August rolls into September, and the summer here in New York comes to a close, I can’t help but think about the upcoming Holiday Season. Instead of searching for items for myself, I start prioritizing other people’s wish-lists. Since I usually don’t have a big spending budget to purchase items, naturally, this shift sparks a fire in me to DIY my holiday gifts, which in turn, inspires me to work on my Etsy shop.

This year, I’m going to approach things a little differently. Instead of prioritizing handmade gifts, I’m going to set goals around my shop. My goal for this year is to stock more items and create holiday themed branding, such as gift wrap and an updated banner, that I can highlight in my shop and in social media.

To help us achieve our goals throughout the Holiday Season, the Seller Education team has been hard at work compiling a great series of educational content. Lets start this Holiday Season off right by signing up for this years Holiday Bootcamp: https://blog.etsy.com/en/2014/register-now-for-holiday-boot-camp-2014/

Next, think about what your goals are for this Holiday Season and share them with us below!* A goal can be anything from listing a new item to reaching your 100th sale. By writing them down and sharing with others, you'll reinforce your commitment to them. Who knows, your goal could inspire others or even be featured in an upcoming Online Labs event with the Seller Education Team!


*When sharing your goal for this season, please introduce yourself and share how long you've been selling on Etsy.

[Former_Member]

Hello Everyone!

I have given my goals for the holiday season some deep thought and decided that monthly goals from now until New Years will help me achieve my over all goal of more sales this holiday season. So here we go:

1. Participate in the Holiday Bootcamp to better inform myself on sales and marketing techniques.
2. Add a minimum of 4 new cards per month to my shop in September, October and November.
3. Retake product photos to create a more uniform shop appearance.
4. Create a Holiday Banner and launch it the Midnight October 31st.

I hope everyone has a happy and productive holiday season!

[1AEON]

Thank You Guys for the platform.
I'm going to update my shop for the Holiday Season.
Tags, names, new items and designs, new photo shoots and new models.
A magazine cover would be nice too.
Ready to Go~
Good Luck Everyone and don't forget to have fun and Have a beautiful Holiday Season!
Gabe/1AEON

[Former_Member]

My shop has been open since 2011 but I didn't get really into selling until 2012. I sew totes, pet bandanas, zippered pouches, button covered earrings. My goals for this holiday season are:

- Have 100 sales in holiday.
- Hit 4,500 views in holiday.
- List new holiday items every other day, starting in October.

[Former_Member]

Hi I'm Ashley, I make personalized handmade jewelry since I reopened my shop in Spring of 2012. I have already started on my list of preparing for the holiday as my son is now in preschool so I am now cut back a few hours each day in the shop and my husband is getting ready to deploy in a month so one parent down this year as well....

Here is my list (So far)

- Continue to reorganize my work studio. I built a new desk entirely for shipping and packaging and everything is at an arms reach, but I also am working on organizing my shelves to easily notice if items are in low stock

- STOCK UP on EVERYTHING! I am already starting my stock pile and making a list of things to purchase ahead of time

- Premake popular designs that don't have to be personalized and package them to easily put together and ship out right away including simple gifts people are looking for last minute items

- Premake any tedious things that I can have on hand such as precut bubble paper to avoid my jewelry from tangling and moving in the box, which I already have a TON of, precut cardstock jewelry inserts for my boxes, prewrap pearls, precut jump rings, etc. So I don't have to worry about them later. I am also stocking up on cutting out a TON of shapes of all metals and sizes so I never run out. Last year I had so much it lasted me until Valentines Day!

- List as many new designs as possible here on Etsy but also bring ALL of those listings to my new website as well, which has been SO tedious!

- Already checking off my photography and photoshop knowhow as I just bought an awesome DSLR and I finally got the hang of taking really nice photos and touch them up on Photoshop (I have also remade my banner and have matching custom listing photos and writings on my photos)

- Premake sale banners and holiday banners so I don't have to worry about them later. Holiday of 2012 I was by myself and had no time to buy or make a new holiday banner until Mid March.... :)

- Figure out a cute packaging design for holiday gift wrapping that will fit most people's decorations and that are easy to put together. I will be finding a nice wrapping paper and start cutting out the sizes to fit each of my jewelry box sizes so that I can have a stack of precut wrapping paper. When the time comes I just use one at a time and I don't have to waste so much time trying to wrap one little jewelry box. Thought of that last year but never got around to it!

- HOPEFULLY- take weekends off!! And sleep.... :)

- And lastly, figure out how to use Skype on my computer or install a camera for my TV so that I can talk to my solider every night (hopefully) and he can give me words of encouragement when I feel like ripping my hair out or crying :)

[VintageRedo]

Hi , My name is Pam
I am pretty new to Etsy , I have been open about 5 months and I make jewelry from antique button, framed jewelry pictures and cards using vintage postcards.
My goals
- get better at titles and tags to get found
- do more with social media to get found
- have a good Holiday season of SALES!

[SweetSequels]

Hello! My name is Haleigh and my shop is Peels and Posies. I make all sorts of hand-painted goodies made from recycled materials - bookmarks, fridge magnets, hand-bound journals, to name a few. I have been opened since last November, so this is my first "real" holiday season on Etsy. I am so excited for it, and I've already started on my new holiday lines!

My goals for the season are:

- finish a comprehensive Christmas line that includes ornaments and decor before October is over.
- make new listings for "gift sets" and "gift deals"
- update my currents tags and descriptions to include holiday-favorable info such as shipping times, availability of gift wrapping, etc.
- start an advertising campaign on a blog and promote on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
- I would also love to reach 200 sales by the end of the year, but I really have no idea what to anticipate for sales in my shop during the holidays, so we'll see!

:)

[GardensOfTheSun]

This year will be my second holiday season on Etsy. Last year I noticed triple sales over the holiday season, and this year I want to be ready for it!

September goals:
- design a consistent branding, from banner, to business cards, to social media posts, photography and packaging
- order packaging material for 200 sales
- stock up on gemstones and other raw materials
- register for at least 3 fall bazaars and Christmas fairs
- identify most popular items
- get stock ready for most popular items
- have 150 items listed
- sell 30 items

October goals:
- photograph new items
- add new designs on top of the most popular items
- implement consistent branding, upload new shop banner
- have 200 items listed, using a pricing formula
- sell 40 items
- have jewelry display ready for Christmas markets

November/December:
- plan a Black Friday / Cyber Monday special
- have 200 items listed in November
- sell 120 items for the two months combined

[Pennyjanedesigns]

Hello there! Long time Etsy lurker and sometime seller....I focussed a lot on craft fairs and selling in person last year. This year it's about working smarter, not harder (I couldn't possibly have worked harder)

So it's about choosing more selected fairs and trying to get my sales on Etsy up to 50 sales by the end of the year. Eek!

[TimHupkes]

Hi, I'm Tim, I paint/illustrate crazy animals that usually appear to be quite normal at first. I sell the giclee print reproductions of my work on Etsy. My main goal is to make people laugh but secondly of course I really want to make the most of the holiday season! I hope this year I can give my shop the boost that will give it perpetual motion. :-) And stock it up really good (only 51 items so far, should be at least 100 by 2015, hopefully more)

I wish us all good luck & great sales! ;-)

[HomeOfficeCharm]

I've been selling since April. Two sales so far.
I'm planning on:
-Extending my line of goods to 10
-Make another set of Jolly Christmas themed items
- Put Christmas and gift wrapped context on 1 image of main items
-Change banner page for Christmas theme
- Sell 5 items in Sept
- Hit 50 Shop favourites
-Get 2 good reviews

[Former_Member]

I'm Susan Faye and this will be my 7th holiday season on Etsy! My goal this season is to turn each and every brand new customer into a beloved return customer, because my beloved return customers are the ones who will sustain me until the next holiday season. My customer service will include pretty gift boxes and tissue paper, a coupon for 10% off of their next purchase, prompt shipping, and of course a hand-written "thank you" from me. I've also designed cute little gift cards that I will fill out for the buyer when they are sending a gift directly to a loved one. Best wishes to everyone here on Etsy for a rewarding season!

[Former_Member]

Hey guys!
I'm Whitney, an Interior Designer/Blogger from New Orleans. I sell handmade pillows in my Etsy shop after getting really great reviews when I made them for my residential clients. It started as a supplemental income for when I don't have clients, but I've been concentrating a lot more on my pillows the last few months.

My holiday goals are...

1. To create special holiday branding
2. To create 3 "holiday" pillows
3. Make $2000 during the holiday season

[Former_Member]

Hello,
Love all the responses, wishing you all success in your goals!

The goals I have set for EastwoodDesignsNH are simple:

1: To continue with a PIF to others
2: Increase my shops visibility
3: Give the best customer service possible
4: Continue to enjoy the holiday season by setting daily "realistic" goals
5: Track my daily activities for a full review after the holiday selling season is over.
6: Follow up with all my customers at the end of the season with a thank you note for supporting my business!

Let the holiday frenzy begin!
:-D
Joanna

[TheMonogrammedMutt]

Creating a Holiday themed banner with an "order by" date for personalized items has worked well for me during the busy holiday season. I also put this notice in the first paragraph of the item description and in the buyers receipt.
This allows you to have an end date for orders so you can have some time to get your work done and enjoy the holidays.

[ColourscapePrints]

Hiya all :D

Love the Holiday Boot Camp, gave me a good kick up the bum last year and we haven't stopped since so I'm hoping that it'll do the same again this season.

September:
- refresh all titles/tags in shop (always a big job!)
- get my new range of prints designed and in store
- get all Christmas branding sorted and ready to go by Oct. 1.

October:
- Sort out gift vouchers range and have listed by 15th
- Have all Christmas marketing ready to go by 15th
- Announce shipping dates
- Prepare for Nov. sale

November/December:
- keep creating prints
- tidy up packing station by 1st week of Nov.
- be booked in for my usual Christmas markets.

[writinginthesand]

To double my Holiday Sales with a larger product offering, and more advertising.

[OxfordBright]

I've been selling on etsy for over four years and have three shops. This is my newest shop. It has been open for 2.5 months. These are my goals for the holiday season.

- get 100 items listed by the end of September (I'm at 60 now)
- hit 100 sales by December 1st
- design 2 or 3 Christmas themed items before the end of September
- update my business cards
- try to be more creative with my photography

I'm so excited for this years Holiday season! :)

[Former_Member]

Hi I'm Ailsa and I've been selling on Etsy for a couple of years now.

My goal for this holiday season is to get to at least 150 listings (currently on 113) and to increase the number of sales I received in the holiday period last year which was only 4 so looking to at least double that figure!!

[McCyclistsWorks]

Don McCyclist here. I've been on Etsy two years, and I'm still looking for the niche for my combined passions for creative reuse, invention, and scribbling.

Right now I've got obstacles to creating new items. A family situation leaves me without my materials, tools, or workspace, and I don't know when I can expect this situation to change.

However, something I can be working on is developing my network. One project I'd like to take on is to bring together a miniature version of

https://www.etsy.com/teams/7071/metro-detroit-etsy?ref=pr_teams

right in my own community. I look at what Metro Detroit's team does, and I think, they've got a bigger metro area than the one I'm from. At the same time we've something in common, having been hit hard by the Great Recession. Why couldn't there be a proportionally sized and very vibrant Etsy team right where I live? So here's where it starts for me. I'm not going to just instantly charter a team. I'm going to start developing an informal core group. I'm not going to go it alone, and part of the reason for that is that I want Mrs. McCyclist to be delighted with what I'm doing rather than freaked out. So here are specific goals between now and the end of September:

1. Develop a list of 20 prospective core group members who qualify by where they list themselves geographically and otherwise being who I would judge non-offensive to Mrs. McCyclist
2. Research Etsy team platform to find out whether I could charter a team that's by invitation only and doesn't show up on the public directory as a place for the informal core group to get to know each other
3. If Etsy teams doesn't offer the kind of below-the-radar organizing space I want, develop an alternative, maybe a Facebook group
4. Convo each of my 20 prospects inviting them to become part of a pilot team to put Etsy sellers from our area on the map by intention

Additional networking activities with a lower priority which I might carry over into October:
—Create four new treasuries
—Explore places to publish web pages about Etsy shops and other small businesses I'd like to recognize.

Best wishes, holiday sprites and elves!

[FrenchLaundryMuse]

Hi!
My name is Shawn Underwood and I own/operate/pack/ship/shop for CallMeCleverVintageGoods. Up and running since 11/21/2012.

As you can see I wear all hats however this year I took on a partner, my 'picka sista' is Karen Kramer and not only is she fun to work with but she's very good at bookkeeping, which is a huge weakness of mine.

My goal is very big. I would like to make enough money for her to cut back on her teaching hours. I would love it if she could job share. So in preparing for this I'm doing the following:
1. Listing listing listing. Trying to list 5 things per day.
2. Social media laser. I find that informative and fun posts on my blog DOES attract viewers.
3. Finally I would really love to find a high traffic blog where I can submit guests posts bi monthly.

[XOXOKristen]

Hi, I'm Kristin from Bulgaria and I get my first sale 3 hours after I listed my first (really for sale) product. It's been almost 9 months since this amazing, exciting and inspiring moment!!!

During these 9 months, my life has changed. Changed is really a quiet word for what exactly Etsy did with me. So I have only one goal.

To be Etsy Featured Shop.

Good luck!

[Former_Member]

I have finally started making sales this year after alot of research and lessons on have good product pictures and good descriptions and listing tags.
So my holiday goals are
1)to get up my new Halloween items listed by Sept 10th
2) to get all new Christmas items done and listed by Oct 1st
3) to promote my shop on all my social media
4) to work with all my teams helping others while also promoting my shop weekly
5) to make a daily holiday treasury and promote it in all my social media
and lastly to make LOTS of SALES!!!!!

Good Luck to everyone else - Happy Holiday Season!!!!

[RecastGlass]

Double Rainbows are amazing!

Lol - Now that I have your attention. My name is Paulo and I own and operate Recast Glass. I deal with eco friendly materials and create new and unique items out of used wine, liquor and beer bottles in an eco friendly manner. My friends, family and a couple of bars in the community are nice enough to donate their bottles, which likely would otherwise get thrown in the trash :(. As a way for me to pay it forward, I donate 10% of my revenues to the Keep America Beautiful non profit. Who's mission is to also teach the public about the power and importance of recycling.

I opened my shop Nov 04, 2013. I recall my first order and how excited I was to get started. It's been a long and educational road, but I am happy to be where I am and hoping to get to that next level.

My goals for the holiday season are to create 2-3 new products for my shop (almost done with one!! - Always amazed at what I can do with a used bottle). Increase my sales year-over-year by at least 50%...since I will be better prepared and actually understand how shipping works :). And create more buzz through social media about my business. Especially on FB and IG. Wish me luck and happy shopping and selling to all!

[Former_Member]

My shop has been open since 2010. I got serious about two years back,in 2012, but only managed a few sales. So I stopped promoting my store. I made more items, learned more about patterns, etc. So, this will be my first real holiday season on Etsy. I am hoping to finally make some sales, and get back to crocheting.

Good luck to everyone for the holidays.

[SgtPeppersCreations]

Hi, Shelley here, this is my second Holiday Season.

~ I hope to make more sales this year
~ Stock up (currently working on this)
~ Get organized to offer extra postage, gift vouchers & gift wrapping services.

Good luck everyone :)