Can you really look ahead without looking back? I read this awesome blog post by Promise Tangeman, and it sent my mind reeling. Her blog is extremely inspirational for the creative type – regardless of your background (her background being photography and graphic design; mine being crochet design and writing). This post really got me thinking about my business.
Normally it is hard for me to think beyond a week – and that is usually in terms of impending projects, customers, and money. The Present is so busy that it is hard to think in terms of the Future.
But without some dreaming and planning, how can I hope to get this business where I need and want it to go?
Promise’s post examines this idea by sharing how she analyzed the ups and downs of her business in 2010, and made plans and goals for what she hopes to accomplish in 2011 and beyond.
So here goes. In the spirit of a new beginning, in dreaming of bigger and better tomorrows, here are Handmade Baby Love’s highlights and weak points from 2010, as well as the goals for this year:
Highlights
1. HBL survived its first slow season! Going from the beginning of the year, where I’d lost all heart and basically gave up on it, to the end of the year, where I had the most successful season ever is a huge success.
2. I have to thank God for the addition of the flower beanie and earflap beanie to HBL. They are more sophisticated than the original beanie, and now the most popular.
3. Doing my first craft show (ever!). It was definitely a learning experience – from designing the displays to agonizing over quantities. It was awesome getting to interact with people, and to see my products being tried on right there in front of me – and looking so cute and perfect! It was definitely a validating experience, and I’d like to do it again this year.
Weak Points
1. Communication! I should be responding to every inquiry, no matter what it’s about, and to be completely honest, I haven’t been. Some fall through the cracks, or I wait too long thinking about it and then simply dismiss it from my mind. Not good.
2. Bookkeeping! I am really lazy about this, and that is not good… I should know month to month and week to week how the business is doing. Not year to year. Yes, all of the necessities get done for taxes and whatnot, but I didn’t analyze any of the data, and that has really kept my business from learning, growing, and expanding.
3. Time Management! Sometimes it feels like all I do is crochet, so when I do have a moment away from it, I don’t want to respond to emails or do the books. And there’s always one thing or another to distract me or pull me away. The key to fixing this lies with God. A prayer for focus each day would help tremendously.
4. Inventory! My ultimate goal would be to have things already made, so that when an order comes in I can just send it out the next day. I would like to transfer over from Made to Order to Ready to Ship.
Goals
Obviously, my first goals are to rectify my weak points from 2010, haha. But beyond that, I would really like to
1. rebrand the business
2. simplify inventory
3. design new products
4. work on this blog
5. and have a website.
I also made a list of Far Out goals of where I’d like the business to ultimately end up, but I won’t post them here. I think it’s good to have that drive and be honest with yourself about the dreams you have, and to know that they are real possibilities – just not at the moment. 2011 looms before us, and the goals for this year are great ones to start with and work on. What happens in 2012, well, will happen in 2012.
