wood ornaments by sub-studio

Anyone who knows me well would laugh out loud reading the title of this week's Craft Venture. Who me? Stress? Truth exist told, I'm a major stresser. Which ways I take tried and true tips to assistance you with this coming holiday season!

If yous've read Craft Venture's entire series about preparing for the holidays – and even followed a few tips – you may accept already reduced some of your potential stress!

Thanksgiving, a major holiday in U.S. (for our non-American readers) is this calendar week! Thursday! Black Fri is the side by side morning, starting as early as 4:00 a.m. for hardcore shoppers looking for swell deals. When does an online sale starting time? Whenever y'all want it to. I guarantee y'all that I will non be upwardly at 4:00 a.k. to start upwardly a sale; instead, my ain store specials will start the night before. When will yous outset your specials?

I'm all near making my life easier. For case, aircraft is a challenge for me, considering I don't have infinite dedicated to shipping … yet! I'g setting up a shipping area early this week, with tissue already prefolded, mailers organized, printer loaded with labels, etc. This will serve me well through the holidays and beyond. Do you lot have a shipping station?

a handcrafted autumn postcards by lil fish studios

Final year, I continually ran out of mailers, tissue paper, ribbons, packaging tape, yous name it. This year, I am over-stocked! Are you lot fully stocked with everything you need, including extra toner for your printer?

Practise yous have family and friends to make sure yous eat well? If yous're anticipating a very busy Black Fri and weekend, stock up your freezer with some healthy frozen meals (freeze your own!). Make certain yous're drinking enough of h2o. What are some of your favorite quick, piece of cake and salubrious meals to brand? I beloved to throw together a large basin of leafie greens and veggies. I'll be eating salads all calendar week!

A mutual area of stressis how to handle returns and exchanges. If you don't have a clearly stated policy on your site(s), can you add together that today or tomorrow? Do you require your customers to pay the return postage? Practise y'all charge a restocking fee? Do y'all have a set time limit for returns and exchanges? Make sure you include those details in your policy.

I think my number one holiday stress is worrying well-nigh gifts arriving on time. Do y'all have realistic order deadlines clearly posted for your customers? Remembering that posting in one spot is likely not sufficient, you lot might put the dates in your detail descriptions, policies, proclamation, order confirmation, etc. If you lot normally send starting time form, will you offer expedited aircraft at some point? If so, include those dates with your deadlines!

noel by spread the love

This may seem obvious, just … do y'all really have in stock the detail(s) you have listed for sale? If your items are made on order, is this clear in your descriptions? Do you have the supplies necessary to make those items?

Also, how volition you keep your orders directly? Some sellers use hardcopy checklists, others spreadsheets – what practise y'all use? Is information technology working for you lot? You don't desire to send the incorrect items to customers! I download my sales data into a spreadsheet and work from that. What is your system and how does information technology work for you?

Even if you lot work a fulltime twenty-four hours job in addition to your online business concern, organizing and preparing yourself early on this week will aid you live a less stressed vacation flavor. Even if you're not anticipating a very decorated holiday flavor, being a little more organized will requite y'all more time to be creative and even start planning for after the holidays.

Share with u.s.a. some of your own organization, anticipation and stress reduction tips and tricks!

A very happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. Brenda – Phydeaux at Etsy and 1000 Markets

Images:  Woods ornaments, variety pack, past Sub-Studio; A handcrafted autumn postcards, set of 4, by Lil Fish Studios; Noel, by spread the love