Five Tips to Stay Busy During the Slow Times

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Every crafty business owner experiences months when sales are slower. Personally, the quiet time for my company is the late spring and summer, and then sales pick up drastically in the fall and winter. It will depend on what kind of products you create- if you specialize in graduation gifts or wedding items your hectic season might be when others are less busy. No matter when this is for your business, there are a few ways you can fill your time and keep from getting discouraged. Let’s look at a few of these tips!

1. Make More Product

You will never regret having made more inventory once the busy season arrives. When I’m in the midst of packing orders, holiday craft shows, and balancing personal commitments it seems nearly impossible to have the time to create items. So I suggest focusing on creating your most popular items that you know will sell. I like to look back on my order records and then compare my current inventory to decide what to make more of during the slower months.

2. Improve Your Online Shop

There is always something to work on within my Etsy shop. No matter which platform you choose to sell on, I recommend you use the off season to review and edit your item listings and other store pages. I’ll go through and double check for spelling errors, make sure I have all the correct product measurements, review my shop policies, etc. It’s easy to make a little mistake when creating listings and such, so save yourself any headaches and carefully review them when you have time.

3. Retake Photos

Everyone has those product photos that they don’t love but haven’t gotten around to re-taking. The best time to fix them is before you get really busy- this way they will look amazing when they are getting the most views! Go through all of your photos and check for any pics that aren’t in correct focus, that have an angle that doesn’t quite work, or even those that have a (gasp!) hair or piece of dirt that you didn’t notice before.

4. Prepare Your Materials and Supplies

When I have down time in my business I like to prepare supplies for the next time I create more inventory. For example, I’ll connect jumprings to earring hooks, measure out and assemble chains, and put together my hang tags so they’re all ready when I need them. This way I can work quickly and not have to search for the various components when sales pick back up.

5. Organize Your Space

A clean, well organized studio or workspace can help you feel less stressed and increase productivity. During the slower months it’s a great idea to do a thorough cleanup. This way you’ll know where everything is when you get slammed with orders. Added bonus- you’ll usually find supplies you forgot about, which is always exciting!

What other ways do you stay occupied during the off season?

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Rebecca George

Designer at Purple and Lime, Inc.

A Cincinnati native, Rebecca studied Art History & Geology at the University of Michigan. From there, she earned a degree in Fashion Design and Marketing from the American Intercontinental University in London, England. Highlights of her career include having several pieces from her graduation collection featured in the international fashion magazine i-D (UK, Feb. 2007) and working on men’s leather pouches for the movie Elizabeth: The Golden Age (which won an Oscar for Best Costume). Her brand "Purple and Lime" is a line of super-fun womenswear, jewelry, and accessories based in Chicago. She has been successfully selling her line on Etsy and in shops for four years, and enjoys teaching others about online handmade selling!

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Latest posts by Rebecca George (see all)

• Five Easy (and Fast) Ways to Improve Your Etsy Shop - February 10, 2018
• Pricing Your Handmade Goods for Craft Shows - October 13, 2017
• 5 Unexpected Items to Use in a Craft Show Display - September 21, 2017