Handmade Seller Magazine Issue 9 | June 2016 | Page 39

SO MANY PLANS, GREAT AND SMALL.

I find bite-sized planning helpful in our market because of the many dynamic forces that are in play, particularly when we sell online. I write monthly plans, which are my general plans, and also daily plans (to do lists). However, there are times when larger plans are required. These are situation based plans, which I create when required. For example, if I am developing a new line or if I am planning a marketing campaign.

REGULAR PLANNING CREATES A ROUTINE, WHICH EQUALS GOOD HABITS.

Regular small plans will help you keep focused on your business and do the things that need doing, but that often get overlooked when something more exciting comes along. If you have regular plans, routines will form, from which good habits will follow. You might have a plan, for example, to review one Etsy listing every day or research hashtags for Instagram every week. By writing this down as a plan and then checking off when you have done it, this becomes part of your daily routine and even the boring parts of running a business become second nature.

HOW TO START A PLAN.

If you don’t plan at the moment, a great way to start is to plan for a situation. Are you planning a new product launch or price promotion? Perhaps you’re planning on giving your branding an overhaul or exploring a new market? Decide what you want to achieve, your end destination, and then work back step by step, describing how you are going to get there and what you need to do to achieve it. Break this information into bite-sized actions and transfer this to your diary or planner page. If you want more structured plans, check out some ready-made marketing plans, which will help you get started. You’ll find a lot on Etsy, as well as other places, which have been specifically designed to help you on your business journey.

USE PLANS TO DEAL WITH STRESS.

There's another often overlooked benefit in planning which I'd like to share with you. If you plan, you will feel less overwhelmed; when you feel less overwhelmed, you'll feel less stressed.

There is nothing more stressful than feeling that you have a million things to do and just don't know where to start. However, when you begin to dissect everything that needs to be done and carefully put it all into a plan, the feeling is one of liberation because you have freed your mind from this quagmire of chaos. Instantly you’ll find you are better placed to tackle all you have to do one step at a time.