New Year’s Resolution List for Your Creative Biz

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I thought it would be nice to take some time and review what we have learned from ARTreprenuer this past year – because as you may know, 2011 is almost over. Many of you are probably busy toiling away in your studios, making gifts for last minute shoppers to buy and give, but you should carve out some time before January 1 to think about what you’ve accomplished and what you could’ve done better this past year.

So grab your driving goggles, your Sunday scarf and rev your engine! Now is the time to get your business shined up and car wash fresh for the road ahead. Highway 2012, here we come.

Here is what you should think about for 2012 if you have been putting it off…

Get your mailing list up and running.

You haven’t done this yet? What are you waiting for? The new year? It is almost upon us and we have given you lots of resources to get this going, so, let’s go! Don’t forget to set a schedule and brainstorm some topics ahead of time, keep your audience engaged and aware of you!

Get your shop looking spiffyriffic.

Get your photos up to snuff with one of the free photo editors.

Get your copy right! Make your listings appealing to read! Don’t forget to link back! Need the footnotes? Get them here.

Shine your brand up.

The new year is the perfect time to sit down and really think about what worked and what did not this past year. Think about what caught on and what didn’t. How are you going to build your brand up through cohesion in 2012?

Leverage the power of Etsy.

Make the most of your association with Etsy. If you have an Etsy storefront, you want to check these tips out. Brilliant, obvious and sometimes strange, here is what I have learned.

Twist it ‘til you like it.

Think about what you’d like to change about your niche, take what is being done and twist it. Evaluate your niche, check out the competition, what are they doing? How can you do it differently? And may I say, you know all the times this past week you’ve said “I wish I had…” or “next year…” those might be some of the things that need twisting.

Get more involved in the community.

Making connections within the community may be the single greatest thing you do for your business in the new year! Get involved! Simple, fun and easy way to get your feet in the water: the #omhg weekly twitter chat!

Just do it.

You’ve been thinking about it – we know you have! Maybe the new year is the perfect time to start fresh with your prices? Still wondering if you can raise ‘em? Ask yourself some questions…

Slay the time management demons!

Ahh, time, so little of it and so many things to do! Such a problem, isn’t it? ARTreprenuer has offered up some great tricks for time saving! We’ve got Mayi’s calendars and, don’t forget that photo editing trick I told you about. I think this alone is worth the investment in a program that has this feature.

Fascinate them!

Are people having a serious love fest with your products or services yet? If not, you may need to pull out these tried and true fascination triggers. Don’t want to end up like Godiva did that one time… * shiver *

It may seem like a lot to do, but hey, we all know that January will be filled with dust balls rolling through our shops as the world takes a tiny break from retail overload. You want to be on top of your game for when they come back!

About the Author: Hello! I’m Danielle, the President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Administrative Assistant and summer intern and blog updater at The Merriweather Council. I enjoy sipping iced lattes, listening to boy band music, watching crime solving TV shows and putting things in hoops. I am often covered in little bits of thread and fabric but, well, ‘I want it that way’ 😉