I wrote this blog post for the London Jewellery School and I'm pleased with it as it brings together my psychology background and my jewellery business. You can read the original post on the LJS blog here
It is the end of another year. I hope you have had bumper sales this November and December. Now is a good time to spend some time taking stock (metaphorically speaking!) to consider what you have achieved this year and what you want to achieve with your jewellery business in 2015.
What has gone well?
We often spend a lot of time focussing on the next thing to do and don’t give ourselves the pat on the back we deserve. Give yourself some time to think about 2014. What has gone well this year? What have you achieved? This could be new designs, new skills, sales, social media, pr - anything that has worked well.
We often spend a lot of time focussing on the next thing to do and don’t give ourselves the pat on the back we deserve. Give yourself some time to think about 2014. What has gone well this year? What have you achieved? This could be new designs, new skills, sales, social media, pr - anything that has worked well.
How do you want to feel?
Danielle LaPorte, author of the Desire Map, suggests that when we set new goals we do it backwards. We shouldn’t focus on the goal so much as what the goal means to us. How do you want to feel? Is it about control, security, wealth, love, admiration for you? Spend some time thinking about how you want to feel. The more clarity you have about this the easier it is to set some goals for your business that are truly aligned with what you want.
Setting some goals
Once you have worked out how you want to feel you can start to set some goals. It pays not to be overwhelmed by too many so a couple of goals that you can keep in the front of your mind is best. For example
Control
Do you want to feel more in control of your business instead of it controlling you? Your goals could be around more specific planning to help you feel in control e.g. how many pieces do you want to make for valentines day, by when? Get your tax system working for you so as soon as you have an expense or a sale you input it into your system (saves loads of time, adds to a feeling of control and smugness! I recommend Go Simple Tax if you are a sole trader. So easy to use).
Admiration
Would you like more recognition for your work? Consider approaching magazines and blogs to see if you can get featured. Approach a shop you would love to be sold in and see where that goes.
Wealth
How can you increase your sales? Can you cut your costs in any way e.g. by finding a new supplier or bulk buying? Could you sell in more than one place e.g. on Etsy, Folksy, Big Cartel etc Can you cut the time it takes to make your work? Alternatively, can you find a couple of really big clients and add a zero (or two) to your comission prices?
It is really worth spending time thinking about what you want to achieve in your business. We spend so much time with our heads down thinking about the minutiae of our days that the years pass us by. Make 2015 a year when you are more focussed on what you truly desire.
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