2014 business goals + craft fair inspiration.

i know were two and a half months into 2014, so maybe its a little bit weird to be talking about business goals right now. 

but really, january comes right after SO many birthdays and holidays, so i needed a few weeks to decompress before digging back into this book:

which, to be completely honest, i havent really been using as a planner. but really thats because every time i think i get into a semi-structured workflow with the shop and blog, something comes along and throws it WAY off and im back to square one (as far as day-to-day operations are concerned). 

HOWEVER the productivity/goal setting prompts in the beginning of the book? those have been a lifesaver as ive been working on building this little business of mine while also doing way too many other things at the same time (though, thankfully its starting to look like a few of those other things can go away now). 

my favorite part of this book though is at the very beginning. the first prompt is to list your top 25 all-time goals, and the second is to refine that big list down to your top five priorities for just this year. since my first list was really all over the place (get a fashion degree! open a brick and mortar store! sell sewing patterns! get featured on a beautiful mess or something equally as huge!), figuring out the second list was very, very difficult. 

but i eventually got there. and in the interest of staying transparent in my growth as a business owner (and the interest of i havent talked about the shop in a long time and i wanted to make sure you didnt think id given up on it), i thought id share my top 5 business goals for 2014:

1. reach 1000+ bloglovin followers. even though this blog isnt strictly business related, it is my biggest platform for talking about my shop and reaching out to potential customers, so id like to continue steadily growing my following. 

2. reach/maintain 1000+ daily page views. in a similar vein, in addition to increasing my followers i also need to work on increasing my traffic, because in my year of blogging ive learned that though followers and page views seem similar, they are actually two completely different things. 

3. get/maintain 100+ listings in the shop. ive been doing a lot of research on running an etsy business (because thats what i do, i research things), and one of the big tips that ive seen in a LOT of different places is that in order for people to really get into your shop, you need to have options. and not just a few options, pages of options. so this year my main focus is to get my inventory to that point, and keep it there. 

4. bring in at least $1000 of combined blog/shop income. basically this means actually keeping income/expense reports like i never did with my first etsy shop. now, i say income here rather than profit because i know its unrealistic to expect things to just take off right away and pay all our bills. but we have to start somewhere. so if i can just bring in $1000 while still sticking to my business plan and not losing any money, ill be stoked. 

5. save up for/assemble a great craft fair setup and do at least one craft fair. this is the big one. i LOVE doing craft fairs, but since the past few years have involved a lot of moving and downsizing (and not to mention a pretty significant rebrand), im not exactly equipped to start doing events. i do have a table, and tablecloths, and hangers, and some small display pieces, but i still need a tent, rack, folding chairs, and some appropriate signage (plus maybe some better display pieces). 

since i just made custom bow ties for my friends wedding, i actually do have a bit of capital to invest back into the business, so of course ive been scouring pinterest for cute craft fair booths. here are a few of my favorites:

this display made from boxes is PERFECT for housing all different sized items (which i totally have):

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this ladder shelf looks really practical and simple to make (though finding a ladder that fits in my hatchback may be an issue):

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i LOVE these pennants hanging across the front of the table as opposed to a typical sign:

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and while this isnt exactly the presentation id like for my hair bows, i think i could improve the concept into something a bit more, you know, me:

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so, thats what ive been thinking about business wise, in case you were wondering. 

do you do craft fairs? what are your go-to display pieces? do you have a good source for clothing racks (im serious).