Plan the work and work the plan

My big task at the moment to help move my business forward is to create a business plan. I've made a few attempts on my own but it goes back in a folder and hasn't been completed. Luckily in Laois we have a great Local Enterprise Office and they recently gave me a session with a mentor so talked me through the process and gave me a template to work from.  It was a very positive experience and I would definitely recommend you see if the same is available in your area through your Enterprise Office.

Definition of a Business Plan: A business plan is a formal statement of business goals, reasons they are attainable, and plans for reaching them. It may also contain background information about the organization or team attempting to reach those goals.

This formal definition can be a bit daunting. To myself a business plan is a guide—a roadmap for your business that outlines goals and details how you plan to achieve those goals. I am not going to write mine like a school essay, I would rather you pick it up and see a little of me from it. So for me a business plan is just a plan for how your business is going to work, and how you’re going to make it succeed.

I understand it is an important document and a very useful resource. I will use it in the future to help look for funding or a loan to further my business and to get my items stocked in shops.

I think the proces will also help me see where my time is spent and how to manage it better. From research, making items, buying stock, social media, interaction with my Facebook page audience and also keeping proper financial records to see how my business is running.

Who is Little Lids Siobhan

I am a mammy, a wife, a full time worker and a crafter. I guess I am a lot of things to a lot of people, but becoming a mother made me start my business. I originally started making items for Isobel when I was pregnant, I wanted her to have pretty things and not all shop bought.  Also I suffered from low blood pressure while I was pregnant and found myself bound to the couch at times. So from here a crafty business began.

I am a mammy to the gorgeous Isobel who is five and started school last year. She is the inspiration behind the hats and now is at the age where she has her own ideas and opinions and is only too happy to share them with me.

I am a wife, I married Barry in 2014 and we live in Mountmellick with Isobel. Even on my wedding day I had the personal touch using many items which I made myself including my own bouquet.

I also work full time in Laois County Council for the past 15 years. At present I work in the Environment Section, a lot of my work is with the Tidy Towns. I am lucky to be able to say I love that job, its very rewarding and it's nice to work with the Tidy Towns Groups and feel that I can make a difference.

And finally when I have any spare time between work, homework, lunches, dinners and other tasks, I LOVE to craft. From making things for Isobel and family, I have grown my craft into a business and am always looking for ways to expand. If you want to see some of my creations check out my Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/littlelidssiobhan

I can also be found on the following social media sites:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/littlelids1
Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/littlelidssiobhan
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/littlelidssd
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littlelidssiobhan

Etsy Trial

Like every craft business I am trying to make my mark and get my items out there for sale. There is nothing like that little burst of pride when you hear the cha-ching of a sale on Etsy. Literally that's the noise it makes, letting you know someone has fallen in love with one of your creations.

If you want to give it a try please use this link for 40 free listings:   http://etsy.me/1QFKDoj

My Shop is not long up and running but I am learning as I go. So far a few tips I have picked up are:

Creating your page

Profile pic: 400 x 400
Shop Icon: 500 x 500
Banner Size:Your banner will need to be exactly 760 pixels by 100 pixels in size. Save your banner image as a .jpg, .png, or .gif file format.




Item Listing photo: 800-1000 pixels wide.


Postage rates: check them out with your local post office or online and add a shipping profile to your account. This will help you go international.

Policies: Read through other shops policies and make yours tailored to your page, include returns policy etc.


Setting up your shop you might feel daunting and hardwork, but personally now that I have it done that was the easy bit. The items are not going to sell themselves, it takes a lot of active work on your page and promoting your items to get them noticed and increase your sales.


Getting Noticed!!!!
Getting your items noticed in listings takes time and effort, you may have to tweak your tags and words. If you google or research this it will come up as SEO - search engine optimisation or keywords.

An example here is my penguin lens buddy and the keywords I have attached to this listing.

Etsy’s search bar can give you a leg up on tracking what customers are searching? Start typing what you sell in the search bar. The words that appear are popular customer search terms. This will give you the exact keywords and phrases shoppers are searching, so be sure to use ones that are relevant to your product in your titles, tags and description.


 Networking and Social Media

Use all available platforms open to you, there normally free and have a good exposure. I myself have the following and try share on them as much as possible. If you wish to leave any of your links in the comments below I will be glad to check out your pages.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littlelidssiobhan  
Twitter: https://twitter.com/littlelids1
Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/littlelidssiobhan
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/littlelidssd
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littlelidssiobhan

While time consuming, using social media is quite cost effective and you will find many apps help you share. For instance if I put a picture on Instagram it gives me the options to share to Facebook, Twitter and Flickr directly without me having to replicate my work.

It is important to be active on these platforms once you have them set up. Its good to network and comment on other peoples page and profiles. Its a win win situation as you will gain followers and contacts for future business.