My 'must do' list for 2013

Hmm, I've neglected my blog of late, I really must do better...... Note to self, "add to the 'must do' list".

I don't make New Years resolutions, there's no point as I always break them within in few days... I have absolutely zero will power, be it dieting, keeping in touch with people.. anything really! I'm so envious of those who can make up their minds to do something and stick to it! But there are a number of things that I really have to do this year on the business front and my thinking is that if I set them down on virtual paper and publish for the whole world to see, then maybe I can be shamed into doing at least some of them. So I've made a list of things that I must do in order to get my business 'out there' and for it to grow. So here they are in no particular order:

1)  Open a twitter account. I've no idea what I should do with it but the general consensus is that you should have one, so I'll do it and figure it out as I go.

2)  Do more craft fairs. I did my first in October last year and three more in the run up to Christmas. They weren't super successful, but I think it's good to get out and face the public and get some feedback as to the kind of things that they are buying.

3)  Get some of my items into bricks and mortar shops. this is going to be a tricky one as I know that most shops expect a 40-50% discount and my current prices are not high enough to make this a viable proposition. I also find it hard to 'sell' myself.

4)  Raise my prices to a level that reflects the amount of work that goes into making them. I think I've spent too much time listening to people who wouldn't pay more than £15 - £20 for a bag.. they're not my target market! So I need to raise my prices and not panic and reduce them when they haven't sold a few days later. I've been known to do this several times over until the bags are about half their original price!

5)  Have more selling outlets online. I have my website www.wildrosedesign.co.uk, my Folksy shop www.wildrosedesigns/folksy.com and a neglected shop on Misi and Groovycart. I need to sell on some   sites that have a much bigger online presence such as Wow thank you, Swanky Maison or Gift wrapped and gorgeous. I can't afford to even think about Not on the high street!

6)  Be more visible. This means spending more time on the forums, on twitter and facebook and blogging more frequently. Time consuming but necessary.

7)  Join Pinterest. I've seen mixed reviews for this so it's not a priority at the moment..... unless you know differently????????

8)  Paperwork. I must keep proper records and keep them up to date. I also need to do a stock take and properly calculate the costs involved in each item I make.

9)  I need to work more efficiently. ie: making some things in batches, even if the fabrics are different.

10)  Take some time out now and then. Being at home all day stuck in my workroom is not necessarily a good thing. I need to get out and about sometimes, otherwise I can get a bit obsessive about sewing and not want to do anything else!

Er, that looks like rather a lot so wish me luck and if you've got any better ideas please share..

Linda