2011 Biz Goals

to do list by mondernemotive

I've been meaning to post these for a while and finally (the story of my blogging life) have them postable.

• Create a real business budget: I am a little embarrassed to admit this but I have never created a budget for my business. That is not to say that I didn't track my sales or purchases or my COGs (cost of goods sold). But I have never had an actual budget as a guide. Part of the reason was I was scared, how much would I actually need to make to move to part time work? or quit my day job all together? I also kept putting it off for other “more important” tasks. This year I’ve vowed to create a real budget for myself so I can track my progress, create goals and make changes when necessary. As of last week, I have finally created a real budget for my business. There are some scary numbers there but at least I have a real idea of what I need to make to move my business forward.

• Add three new products to my line. I would like to add lip balm, candles, and whipped scrubs to my line this year. I hope you are all as excited about these new products as I am!

• Add a soap of the month club. Done, you can check it out here.

• Add 2-3 new wholesale accounts each quarter. This is a big goal. After completely my budget I see the necessity of adding additional accounts if I want to move to part time work by the end of the year. This is also a part of the business that is a bit hard for me. It is really scary to put your business out there, especially when it is such a part of you. However, its something I have to get over if I want my business to succeed, so I need to suck it up and get it done.

• Create a production schedule. I’ve created a long term production schedule and am working on breaking the larger goals into smaller pieces. I feel so much better. :)

• Create a marketing plan. Marketing is on of my biggest business struggles. I’ve read books, gone to seminars and I still don't seem to have a full grasp of everything, especially a plan that I will consistently follow and refer to. So, I started seeing on of the free business counselors at the San Francisco Chapter of the Small Business Development Center. I should have a “real” plan in the next few months.

• Start blogging 1-3 times a week. Obviously this has been going ok, but could be better. I need someone to get tough with me - any volunteers?
  

Personal Goals 2011

Here is the short list of my personal goals for 2011. I know these will likely change throughout the year but its good to get something posted as a reminder for what I'd like to accomplish this year.

1. Fit exercise into my life. I have never been an athletic person nor gotten to the point where I really enjoyed exercising (except maybe recess when I was in middle school) but I have begun to see the effects of my lack of fitness (sore joints, knee troubles, trouble sleeping, stress - according to my doctor most of these should get better once I get into exercising on a regular basis). I have been struggling with fitting this into my life for the last few years but I am going to make this work this year. Part of my mission for 2011 to get at least 20-30min of exercise or activity 3 times a week. How have I done so far? This hasnt happened yet, but I did go to the gym Saturday morning and I walked about 2 miles yesterday.

2. Visit one new place or do one new thing every month. This sounds like a simple one but I think it will make a huge difference in my creativity level. It is very easy for me to get stuck in the same a routine each week. Especially when I am dealing with my day job, my business, and all the assorted other things in my life. Sometimes this is a good thing, sometimes this is a bad thing. Lately, I find that I've been loosing creative energy and getting cranky when I feel stuck in my routines. I hope that this goal with help me up my creativity, give me new focus and generally make me happier. How have I done so far? January - I went to Austin - check. February - Shain and I plan on taking a hike in the San Bruno mountains.

3. Keep my home/office tidy. This is important to me because like many people, I easily loose focus when I am surrounded by clutter or I feel like the house is dirty. Sometimes it makes me so anxious that I must stop what I am doing to clean. Very annoying. How have I done so far? Pretty dang good.

4. Utilize the public library. We have a great public library in San Francisco and I really would like to take advantage of that by borrowing every other book that I read. How have I done so far? Haven't made my way to the library yet, but I do have a great list of books I'd like to get.

5. Stay on Budget. This is a fairly broad goal that I will need to break up into smaller categories. I've been doing well for the past year but have definitely fallen off the budget wagon a few times. One of my first steps to stay on track is to sign up for Mint.com - which I've heard is pretty fantastic. The next step is to re-assess my monthy/weekly budget and make adjusts, committing to my new numbers. This is also good practice for my business. How have I done so far? Ok, probably a 6 out of 10.

What are your goals for 2011? How do you plan on accomplishing them?

Guess what!?!?!?!

I made it onto Etsy's front page!!!!! (yes, I do need that many exclamation points that's how excited I am)

I received the excellent news this morning via fellow SF Etsy Street Team member Kendra (thanks a bunch!) that my Citrus Poppy Seed Soap made it onto Etsy's front page yesterday evening. OMG! I cant believe I missed it, but thanks to the fabulous Craft Cult site I was able to get a glimpse of what my lovely product looked like. Ever since I started selling on Etsy about I've wanted to be on the front page and it feels amazing to have it happen (one goal down approximately 9 million more to go - I say that in a good way). Check out the mini version of what my front page looked like. I am definitely going to celebrate by buying myself a treat this afternoon (cookie or fresh made juice??) ;).

Top 10 for 2009

There is a big push around this time to reflect on the past year and start setting goals for the coming year. I used to fight this phenomenon but as I have gotten older and wiser (hopefully), I really appreciate reflecting back and looking to the future. I wanted to share my thoughts with you all but I am going to keep it short and sweet. Below is my top 10 list of accomplishments and things I've learned in 2009 - this is by no means a comprehensive list just a few things that I am really proud of/know I need to work on..

1. Opened up my Etsy Shop
2. Triple checking is a good thing and can save you money!
3. Attended my first Soap conference
4. Consistency is key (I will talk more about this is goals for 2010)
5. Received first wholesale inquiries (yippeee, I feel so legitimate)
6. Visited Alaska
7. Reviewing and re-evaluating my goals is necessary for me to move my business and life forward
8. Attended my first craft show
9. I am not a good time manager
10. Its really important to delegate

Happy New Year!