August Goals

Oops. Looks like I fell off the wagon again with keeping track of goals. I didn't post any June or July goals, but I'm happy to say I completed all but two of my May goals, including the much overdue cleaning of my craft room (you can read all about the clean-up and see picture proof that the deed is done). And I'm happy to report that the space is still clean!

Fall is almost here (yay! And hurry up already, please), which means the busy holiday season is right around the corner. So I have quite a lot to accomplish this month:

1. Submit application for the Craftland Show. Deadline: August 31.
   This is a month-long holiday sale in Providence, RI, held in a cute little shop of the same name.


2. Submit application for No Coast. Deadline: August 31.
   The uber-awesome annual Minneapolis craft show that I've had the pleasure of vending at for the past 4 years. Here's hoping this will be my 5th!


3. Finish three zombie plushies and submit to Stuffed Magazine. Deadline: August 15.
   I've wanted to submit some of my plush to this magazine since it's debut, but never seem to get around to it. I plan to send three zombies—a frog, a giraffe, and a yeti—along with their normal counterparts. Wish me luck in getting them published!


4. Finish my pieces for Plush You! LA. Deadline: August 24.
   I'm super excited to be participating in both the LA and Seattle locations this year. If you live in the LA area, be sure to check out the show August 26-September 19 at Munky King.
   It took me a while to decide what to make for the LA show, but I've finally settled on a theme. Hint: it involves mustaches. I will be starting on this project in earnest this weekend, but here's a little teaser to whet your appetite.

I better get crackin'!

April Goals

Happy Spring! So, yeah, I kind of didn't post any goals last month, and I only accomplished one of February's goals. Whoops! But I'm taking a cue from Mother Nature and declaring a fresh start!

April is only a few days in, but I'm already feeling really good about my business this month and all the opportunities in store. Taxes are done (no refund—boo!), I've already had three shop sales (that might be a springtime record for me), I have a new retail partner, I'm officially a member of the Plush Team Etsy street team (double yay!), and I'm feeling very creative and ready to tackle anything.

So, what else do I hope to accomplish this month?

1. Make and ship at least 6 items to Kooky by mid-month.
   Plushroom Soup is branching out again! My newest retail partner is Kooky, on Chicago's bustling Michigan Avenue.


2. Finish raffle donation for fellow FAE teamer's Susan G. Komen 3 Day walk fundraiser.


3. Complete my first Plush Team challenge (due April 11).
   The Plush Team hosts monthly themed challenges. This month's theme is world mythology, which is right up my alley! I'm working on a dragon. If I don't finish her in time, I suppose I could always submit my kelpie or chimera (or even a yeti), which are already in the shop.


4. Share my first print interview with all of you.
   My first ever magazine interview comes out this month! It's not a US magazine, so I'm still trying to get my hands on a copy so that I can not only see it for myself, but share it with all of you!


5. Add at least 2 new items to the Etsy shop.


6. Clean my craft room!
   No better time than spring for a thorough cleaning, right? 

Whew! I've got a lot to do this month, so I better get crackin'!

February Goals and January Recap

Okay, so I seem to be having some trouble posting my goals within the first week of each month. Perhaps I should make that a standing goal for the rest of the year!

Let's recap January:

1. Turn in answers to interview questions. Status: Complete.
   Sorry, still don't want to spill the beans on this one yet. Only a few more months to wait!


2. Update the Etsy shop with at least 2 new items. More would be ideal. Status: Super complete!
   I actually listed 14 new items in January. I went on a frog and owl making binge, and managed to list most of them in the shop. Yay me!


3. Make 3 examples of my best work to submit to the MN Textile Center. Status: Abandoned/replaced.
   I fully intended to do this this year, but as the deadline drew closer, it just didn't feel right. The Textile Center is a great place, but I don't think my stuff is quite right for their shop, and I'm trying to improve my "targeting," so to speak. So, instead, I sent off two more retail shop inquiries.


4. Clean up my craft room! I'm not even going to commit to the
   blogging part for this month. Just getting it clean will be a big
   enough accomplishment. Status: Incomplete.
   Again. It's close, still, but not close enough for showing off.
   
   Total Accomplished: 3 / 4 (yes, I am totally counting my replaced goal).

Here's what I hope to accomplish in February:

1. Submit a plushie for the Foot in the Door exhibit at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.
   Every ten years, the MIA opens its doors to all Minnesota artists. The only rule is that your piece must measure less than one cubic foot. I submitted the zombie yeti you see above.


2. Sketch out two new critter designs and post on blog.


3. Fulfill I Like You's request for more horses, frogs, and squirrels. Specifically, make at least 2 of each.


4. Complete at least 50% of my submission for the Schmancy Olympic Challenge (due March 16).

What about cleaning my craft room? I do hope to accomplish this goal soon, but I hesitate to add this for February as I've already got quite a full plate.

I wish everyone lots of luck this short(ish) month!

Better Late Than Never: January Goals

Whew! The end of 2009 was quite the whirlwind. After No Coast, I unintentionally took a whole month off from Plushroom Soup. Not okay! But I clearly needed it. As mentioned in my New Year's post, I will be working on balance for all of 2010 so I don't take anymore last-minute binge breaks from the business.

And, despite the month off, I did pretty well with my December goals. Let's recap:

1. Kick butt at No Coast. Specifically, I hope to sell at least half
   of my inventory, and make some new connections with sponsors/vendors I
   haven't chatted up in past years. Status: complete.
   I sold 52% of my inventory to be exact, and I feel really good about that. I'd say it was the second best No Coast ever. I met so many wonderful new people, and everyone was SO excited about my zombies and yeti ornaments; both completely sold out! So, a huge thank you to all of you who came out to support me and all the other fantastic vendors!


2. Complete all my custom Christmas orders. I received 6 custom order
   requests before November was even over, so I don't think I'll be
   accepting any more Christmas customs at No Coast this year. Status: complete.
   The zombie squirrel below is one of them.


3. Clean up my craft room again, organize shelves, take pictures, and blog it. Status: incomplete.
   Severely so. I'm afraid No Coast prep came through my room like a tornado.


4. Send out at least 2 more inquiry emails to retail stores/art
   gallery boutiques. (If any of you know of an awesome store/gallery in
   your city that I should contact, please let me know!) Status: complete.
   
   Total Accomplished: 3 / 4. 

What's in store for January?

1. Turn in answers to interview questions.
   I was asked to do an interview about Plushroom Soup, crafting, and the creative process for an international magazine! This will be my very first magazine interview, and I am so excited about it. The issue will be coming out in April. I don't want to spoil any surprises, so I won't mention the magazine title until then. Sorry!


2. Update the Etsy shop with at least 2 new items. More would be ideal.


3. Make 3 examples of my best work to submit to the MN Textile Center. Deadline: January 28-30.
   The shop at the textile center accepts new pieces only once per year, through a juried submission process where artists drop off up to 3 samples in person during a specific timeframe. I was out of town during the particular weekend last year and was super bummed to miss the opportunity. This year I'll be ready!


4. Clean up my craft room! I'm not even going to commit to the blogging part for this month. Just getting it clean will be a big enough accomplishment.

I feel a little guilty about some of these since they're already done, but an accomplishment is an accomplishment, right? I'd like this list to be longer (so much to do!), but I know my limits much better than I did when I first starting participating in the Goal Meetup.

Speaking of which, if you're new to the meetup, it is now being hosted by the lovely Liz over at Athena Dreams Designs so Jena can focus her energies on her new shop, Miss Modish, and the Modish blog. Many thanks to Jena for starting this wonderful group, and to Liz for keeping us going!

November Goal Recap and December Goals

I don't know about you, but November flew by for me! My month kind of got derailed by my acceptance into the No Coast Craft-o-Rama; this will be my fourth year at this awesome event! So let's see how I did on last month's goals:

1. Finish and ship my pieces for the Go Ask Alice show. Status: Complete.
   I wasn't entirely happy with my Queen of Hearts piece, but I loved my Tweedles. I'd never made anything remotely human before, and I'm kind of excited to try it again!


2. Send out at least 2 more inquiry emails to retail stores/art
   gallery boutiques. (If any of you know of an awesome store/gallery in
   your city that I should contact, please let me know!) Status: Complete.
   No response from either yet, but at least I'm getting my contact info out there. I identified a few more boutiques I can send inquiries to after the holidays as well.


3. Finish organizing my fabric shelves, take pictures of the craft room, and blog about the process. Status: incomplete.
   In fact, I'll likely have to start all over again later this month as I've been sewing like a madwoman and have made my craft room pretty messy again. Ah well. At least I'm creating!
   
   Total Accomplished: 2 / 3. Not bad! 

Last month I also managed to make 26 plushies (that's got to be a record for me!), create price tags for my No Coast items, create other signage for my booth, buy a new booth display, and open a merchant account that will enable me to accept credit cards at my booth. 

I'm feeling really overwhelmed about December at the moment because No Coast is only 2 days away and I still have so much to do, so I'm once again keeping my goals simple.

1. Kick butt at No Coast. Specifically, I hope to sell at least half of my inventory, and make some new connections with sponsors/vendors I haven't chatted up in past years.


2. Complete all my custom Christmas orders. I received 6 custom order requests before November was even over, so I don't think I'll be accepting any more Christmas customs at No Coast this year.


3. Clean up my craft room again, organize shelves, take pictures, and blog it.


4. Send out at least 2 more inquiry emails to retail stores/art
   gallery boutiques. (If any of you know of an awesome store/gallery in
   your city that I should contact, please let me know!)

October Goal Recap and November Goals

(image: Modish Biz Tips)

Happy November, everyone! I had an awesome October. I apologize upfront that this post is not only rather lengthy, but rather boastful as well. But hopefully not in a bad way; I just want to really celebrate my successes this month after a summer spent feeling kind of down about my business.

So, here's how I fared on my October goals:

1. Organize my fabric shelves. Status: Almost complete.
   I have only one shelf to go. Sadly, I saved the worst for last. But: one shelf! I can do it!
   1B. When done, photograph my room in pristine condition and share online. Status: Incomplete.
   For obvious reasons.
   
   


2. Make at least 6 plushies. Status: Doubly complete!
   I made 12 plushies this month. 12 (and 3 more are cut out)! That's probably a record for a month in which I wasn't preparing for No Coast (still sad/angry. Deep breaths, move on). Two of these plushies have landed in my Etsy shop, two more will be added this weekend. Where did the rest go? Read on. . . .
   
   


3. Approach 2 new shops about carrying my work. Status: Doubly complete!
   I sent 4 inquiry emails. Within 24 hours, one of the shops replied with a definite yes! (Still waiting to hear from the others.) That pretty much made my month. Wholly Craft in Columbus, Ohio, is now carrying some of my frogs, owls, wee imps, and unicorns. I actually just sent the package today (pic below). So, many of the new plushies I made went to Wholly Craft, while the rest (aside from the 4 that will be in my shop) went to I Like You here in Minneapolis to freshen up the inventory I already had there.


4. Complete at least half of my pieces for the Go Ask Alice show (due November 20). Status: Incomplete.
   But, the deadline was extended. Not that that should be an excuse, but I still have a little over three weeks before I need to ship my pieces, so I'm not sweating. Yet.
   
   Total Accomplished: 2.75 / 4.5. (Though I'm tempted to count my double completes as 2 each. . . .)
   

(We're on our way to Wholly Craft! Yippee!)

"But Jessica," you say, "you only really completed half of your goals. How can you say October was so awesome?" Well first, Plushroom Soup received AMAZING blog love in October, which further made my month. I am so thankful to all the lovely bloggers who took the time to write about my critters—even if it was just one sentence—or post a few pictures and a link. You guys are awesome!

Second, I received my first international sale! I sent my zombie giraffe to a really sweet woman in the UK, who gave me this feedback:

Just got this and it is FANTASTIC! The arm
magnet is really strong and the detailing and
finishing are wonderful. Real value for
money. I am SO pleased with it. You should
be making a fortune with these. My daughter
loves geekery (her Twitter name is Zombie
Giraffes) and says there is nothing to match
this in UK stores like Forbidden Planet.
--Linda

And third, on the nitty-gritty side of things, I also finally accomplished some really basic things that should've been done (eep!) a year ago.

1. I registered my assumed name with the state (I did things backward and got my tax ID when I first started selling) and tomorrow will place the legal notice in a local paper that makes that certificate super official. I'm proud (and relieved!) that I finally accomplished that. Now I'll be able to open a business account at my bank, which will make Plushroom Soup super uber official.


2. I created an account on MNartists.org. I don't know if that will drive much traffic my way or open up any opportunities, but at least I've finally declared myself an artist in Minnesota and put my name out there as part of that community.

And, on top of everything I did for Plushroom Soup, I also made a million bajillion baby gifts for expectant friends. My sewing machine could probably use a tune-up after everything I put it through in October!

Though, as mentioned, I'm still sad/angry about being wait-listed for No Coast, it appears it was rather a blessing in disguise, being the kick in the pants that spurred me to finally contact other stores, put my name out there more, and treat my business like an actual business. And those activities in turn spurred a major productive streak for me, one I hope to continue in November. So, on to November goals, shall we?

1. Finish and ship my pieces for the Go Ask Alice show.


2. Send out at least 2 more inquiry emails to retail stores/art gallery boutiques. (If any of you know of an awesome store/gallery in your city that I should contact, please let me know!)


3. Finish organizing my fabric shelves, take pictures of the craft room, and blog about the process.

I'm going to leave it at that for the month, because the most important thing is completing my Go Ask Alice pieces. I'd like to think that I can still make some plushies for the Etsy shop this month too, but I don't want to commit to that given the Thanksgiving holiday at the end of the month that will eat more days (no pun intended) than I usually realize.

Hope you all had an amazing October as well, and here's to an amazing November!

October Goals and September Goal Status

(image: Modish Biz Tips)

September was a good month! I accomplished darn near everything on my list for the first time ever. Let's recap:

1. Make a "Y" for the Plush You sign Status: Complete.
   See picture on my Flickr. I will miss going to Seattle this year to hang out with all the awesome plush people, but I hope to go again next year.


2. Make at least 6 plushies, 2 of which (minimum) will be Halloween-related for the Etsy shop. Status: Half done.
   I managed 3 out of 6, but all 3 were Halloween related. I have a 4th half-done. . . .


3. Start researching new booth designs for No Coast. Status: complete.
   I have a good idea about what I want to do. The bad news? I was wait-listed this year. I do understand the space limitations, the need to keep things fresh and give new vendors a chance to shine, so I'm trying to stay upbeat. But I can't help but fell more than a little bummed about this. I've done
   this show for the past three years in a row, and it is so much fun. I
   love networking with the other vendors, hobnobbing with customers, and
   being part of the best yearly event in our local community. I'm keeping my fingers and my toes crossed that I can still participate!


4. Clean my craft room. Status: complete.
   This is a huge weight lifted off my back! I pulled every last thing out of the closet and reevaluated. I was a bit shocked by how much I had been holding onto that just didn't matter. But it felt so good to purge! I sent two large boxes to Goodwill, recycled four large (no, seriously large; like, two year's worth of back issues on four different magazines plus other miscellany large) boxes full of paper goods, and hauled three large garbage bags to the dump. Whew! Felt sooooo good. I want to share pictures with everyone soon, but before I do, there's one last thing I want to check off my to-do list.

Which brings me to October's goals:

1. Organize my fabric shelves. Refold all pieces, and arrange by color. Recycle or toss what can't or won't be used.
   1B. When done, photograph my room in pristine condition and share online.
   


2. Make more plushies! Even though I'm not guaranteed a No Coast slot, even though Etsy sales have slumped, now is not the time to sit on my laurels! Specifically, make at least 6 plushies.
   


3. Approach two new shops about carrying my work. Since I most likely don't need to save my inventory for a big show this year, I feel comfortable selling some of it to retail stores.


4. Complete at least half of my pieces for the Go Ask Alice show (due November 20).

And that's it!

September Goals and August Goal Status

(image: Modish Biz Tips)

I slipped a little in August, but from the sounds of it, at least I wasn't the only one! But I like Jena's idea of not dwelling on what went wrong, so here's a short recap before I get on to September's goals:

1. Work out pattern design for one new plushie. Status: incomplete.
   Didn't even try. Whoops.


2. Make at least 6 new plushies. Status: complete.
   4 went into the shop, the other 2 were custom orders.


3. Make a list of what needs to be done to gear up for the
   show/holiday season. Status: ongoing.
   I think I captured most of what needs doing, but I'm sure more will get added.


4. Spruce up the ol' shop. First up: retake photos to replace some
   lackluster ones. Status: incomplete.
   
   Total accomplished: 2 / 4.

Not my worst month, but not my best either. So, on to September!

1. Make a "Y" for the Plush You sign in the Bluebottle Arts Gallery. 


2. Continue to churn out the plushies. Make at least 6, 2 of which (minimum) will be Halloween-related for the Etsy shop.


3. Start researching new booth designs. I may not be able to pull off a new No Coast booth this year, but I want to at least look at my options and try.


4. Clean my craft room. This room is seriously messy, and I have no doubt that has contributed in part to my August slump.

Here's to a better September, everyone!

August Goals

(image: Modish Biz Tips)

I want to keep up the great creating momentum I had in July, so most of my goals this month will center around just being creative and actually DOING.

1. Work out pattern design for one new plushie. This might be ambitious because I'll be starting from scratch, unlike the two I made in July, which were based on previous designs of mine. But if I can at least get a good start, I'll be happy.


2. Sew, sew, sew. More concretely, make at least 6 new plushies.


3. Make a list of what needs to be done to gear up for the show/holiday season. It seems like almost cheating to have a goal to make a list of goals, but there's so much to be done before my big selling season of the year. I don't want to get caught off-guard when the rush finally hits again, so making a list of everything that needs doing will be crucial to my success. And sanity!


4. Spruce up the ol' shop. This week I caught the tail end of Etsy's Virtual Lab about turning browsers into buyers (if you missed it, read the notes). Daniellexo presented lots of great, easy-to-do tips that I can implement with little effort. First up: retake photos to replace some lackluster ones.

And I think I'll leave it at that. It may well be a tad more than I can actually accomplish, but again, I'm counting on some momentum to carry me through.

Here's to a happy, productive August, everyone!

July Goal Status

I'm at last happy to report that I fared better than usual this month with my goals. Let's break it down:

1. Complete and turn in application for this year's No Coast Craft-o-Rama. Status: complete.
   The deadline is actually later than I first thought (August 31 instead of August 1), but I'm trying to be better about not procrastinating, so I went ahead and did it!


2. Host a giveaway on the blog. Status: incomplete.
   Oops. This one fell through the cracks this month. I have a really fun giveaway planned in my head for when I can unveil one of the new projects I'm working on, so part of me just wants to wait until then. Then again, doing two could keep the momentum going on any buzz the first one conjures. Or it could just oversaturate the market. Anyone have any thoughts/advice about this?


3. Work out pattern design for two new plushies. Status: complete.
   I unveiled work in progress pics in one of my Thoughtful Thursday posts; both photos in this post are more finished versions. I still have more planned for each of these designs, which I hope to unveil very soon. But my goal was to just work out the pattern design, which I did, while also managing to have tons of fun doing it!
   


4. Submit some plush for consideration in the next issue of Stuffed: A Gathering of Softies
   (deadline: August 15). Status: complete.
   'Nuff said.


5. Sit down with
   an accountant/tax advisor. Status: incomplete.
   Is anyone surprised this didn't happen yet?
   
   Total accomplished: 3 / 5.

I feel really good about my progress this month. Here's to continued momentum and success in August!

July Goals

(image: Modish Biz Tips)

I am pretty excited about this month. I am finally putting some fun goals on the list, and I can't wait to get started on them. For July, I hope to accomplish the following:

1. Complete and turn in application for this year's No Coast Craft-o-Rama (deadline: August 1). I have done this amazing and super fun show for the past three years, so there's no way I won't cross this one off the list!


2. Host a giveaway on the blog. I haven't had a giveaway since last fall, so I'm due again. Since summer is such a slow time for plush artists, this will be an easy and fun way to drive some traffic to the blog and get my name out to some new customers. I already know what I'm going to give away; I just have to think of a fun contest!


3. Work out pattern design for two new plushies. This is the goal I'm most excited about. I've had so many ideas bouncing around in my head for ages, but they keep getting pushed to the back burner so I can focus on the drier aspects of business. But it's summer, things are slow, and I'm starting to feel good about my current inventory. So I'm going to finally tackle at least two of the plush designs in my head.


4. Submit some plush for consideration in the next issue of Stuffed: A Gathering of Softies (deadline: August 15). The second issue of this new magazine just hit newsstands and features quite a few of my favorite plush artists. Since this is the only magazine dedicated entirely to softies, it has great marketing potential for plush makers.


5. And last, but not least, my ever-present goal of sitting down with an accountant/tax advisor. This shouldn't be so hard! Mostly, I just tend to be lazy when it comes to the side of business I find most boring. Someone just might need to light a fire under me for this to get done. . . .

Good luck to everyone this month!

June Goal Status

Whoa, where did June go? I'm astounded by how quickly the month has passed; it was a whirlwind! As usual, before I post my current monthly goals, let's see how I did last month.

1. Sit down with an accountant/tax advisor and talk about best practices. Solicit advice about accounting software. Status: incomplete.
   Again. Why can't I motivate myself to do this? I know it's important (some would even say it's what separates hobbyists from true business owners), but oh how I hate this stuff. How many times will I recycle this goal before it gets done? Someone kick me in the pants already!


2. Make 6 pieces of inventory; 3 for the Etsy shop, and 3 to start a
   stockpile of readily available inventory. Status: partially complete.
   I fully finished 4 pieces (you can see some of them in progress in the picture above). One is already in the shop. The other 3 need to be photographed, 2 of which will go into the shop. The other 2 pieces are so close to done, but I ran out of the right kind of safety eyes. D'oh! I will likely embroider their eyes instead, while I place and wait for an order of eyes. And, lest you think I was a total slacker this month, I did complete lots of other things; they just weren't for Plushroom Soup. I made 2 baby shower gifts this month as well, and started a third.


3. Start new weekly feature on blog. I admit that this is a bit of a
   cheater goal, as it's already done! It's all about small victories,
   though, right? Status: complete.
   Every Thursday, I've been blogging about things I'm thankful for, things I find inspiring, or artists I love. I'm proud of myself for posting faithfully every week so far. My writing isn't as strong as I'd like it to be, but it helps to get into the practice.
   
   Total accomplished: 1.75 / 3.

Getting a tad better, right? Also, this wasn't a goal last month, but I did find out that I got accepted for the show I applied for in May, so I'm counting that as an additional success.

Maybe I'm too much of an optimist, but I've got a good feeling about July!

June Goals

(image: Modish Biz Tips)

As with May, my goals this months are going to be pretty sparse due to a crowded day job/personal schedule.

1. Sit down with an accountant/tax advisor and talk about best practices. Solicit advice about accounting software. 


2. Make 6 pieces of inventory; 3 for the Etsy shop, and 3 to start a
   stockpile of readily available inventory.


3. Start new weekly feature on blog. I admit that this is a bit of a cheater goal, as it's already done! It's all about small victories, though, right? 

Once again, three simple, hopefully attainable goals. Good luck to everyone in June!

May Goal Status

Oh, hey, blog. Remember me? The prodigal daughter? I'm sorry I've been so neglectful this month. The day job has kept me soooo busy that by the time I get home at night, the last thing I want to do is turn on my computer or sewing machine. This is really the first time I've felt this way; crafting is usually a release for me, and very relaxing. But for some reason this month, I kept shying away from it, preferring instead the brand of escapism offered by books and movies.

At least I take comfort in knowing that I'm not alone. I know many small business owners go through similar phases. So to those who have been in this position before: Got any tips? How do you manage to stay focused and productive on your small business when life and your day job have you feeling overwhelmed? How do you motivate yourself through these slumps?

So, as I'm sure you've surmised by now from my lame excuses, er, lengthy intro, I didn't do so well with my goals this month. Let's recap, shall we?

1. Build a light tent/portable studio. Status: Partially complete.
   I made the box itself, using Drawing in Motion's awesome tutorial to make a 20" x 30" box. All that remains is for me to purchase some clamp lights. At least we've been having perfect weather, and the longer days mean I can always squeeze in an outdoor photo shoot when I get home from the day job.
   


2. Sit down with an accountant/tax advisor and talk about best practices. Solicit advice about accounting software. Status: Incomplete.
   Unfortunately, I never made an appointment due to my hectic schedule this month. This will be on June's goal list for sure!


3. Make 6 pieces of inventory; 3 for the Etsy shop, and 3 to start a
   stockpile of readily available inventory. Status: Partially complete.
   I completed 2 pieces for my Etsy shop and 2 pieces for my stockpile. A third piece is cut out and partially sewn. And I have a crafty lunch break scheduled later this week with my friend Isara, so that will help.
   
   Total accomplished: 1 (two halves) / 3.

I'm a little embarrassed by my progress this month. And even though June is threatening to be even busier month—with weddings and
baby showers and an out-of-town trip already on the calendar—I remain hopeful that I will accomplish more of my goals in June.

May Goals

(image: Modish Biz Tips)

My goals this month are going to be simpler and less ambitious than my April goals were. I am finally going to heed all the signs that I can't always rush feet first into everything, no matter how badly I may want to do so. Also, I have more personal obligations this month, so I'll have less than time than usual to focus on business things. So, without further ado, my May goals are:

1. Build a light tent/portable studio. If I do only one thing this month, it needs to be this. I absolutely can not continue relying on nice weather to get great product photos. Especially in Minnesota!


2. Sit down with an accountant/tax advisor and talk about best practices. Solicit advice about accounting software.


3. Make 6 pieces of inventory; 3 for the Etsy shop, and 3 to start a stockpile of readily available inventory. Once I feel comfortable with my on-hand inventory, I can begin approaching shops and galleries (per my April goal) about carrying my stuff.

That's it. Three simple goals for May. Plus one ghost goal: I'm still trying to get my hands on my episode of HGTV's  That's Clever! So please, dear readers, if any of you happen to have a copy of the April 20 episode (#502), let me know! :)

April Goal Status

Happy May, everyone! Can you believe April is already over? I sure can't! So, last month was the inaugural Monthly Goal Meetup hosted by Jena from Modish and Modish Biz Tips. But before I reveal my May goals, let's see how I did with April, shall we? My goals for April were:

1. Research galleries and shops that may want to carry my plushies and reach out to at least 3 of them. Status: partially complete.
   I did the research and made a list of galleries and shops I want to contact. But I have not made contact yet. I am low on inventory and figured the only thing worse than a shop telling me "no" was a shop saying "yes" and wanting more than I can deliver right away. So I am going to build up my stock first, and then approach the shops on my list.


2. Research online ad venues. Status: complete.
   I'm not sure yet if I'll take the plunge, but at least I now know which venues I'll contact and how much they cost. A question for those of you who do advertising: has it increased your sales and/or traffic? I read so many mixed messages on this issue and I have such little cash to spare, that I'm still very unsure.


3. Purchase accounting software and begin to use (I'm actually embarrassed that I haven't done this yet). Status: modified.
   I had my cursor poised on "purchase" QuickBooks Pro so many times I lost track. But something kept holding me back. $200 for accounting software feels too spendy right now, especially considering that the reviews for the Mac version aren't that positive. Also, it's a lot of software. Do I need that much? Is there a simpler, cheaper program I could use? Since I couldn't arrive on a satisfactory answer through my own research, I decided I would consult with an accountant before putting any cash down.


4. Purchase color printer/scanner. Status: complete.
   I bought a Brother MFC-6490cw. I chose this model for a number of reasons, the most important being its 11 x 17 scanning bed and its ability to print 11 x 17 as well. I haven't printed much yet, but so far I'm very pleased with my purchase.


5. Make at least two pieces to submit for consideration to the Mortal Plush exhibit. Status: complete.
   I managed three pieces: two sea monsters (excited and fury) and a bigfoot (ennui). Now I wait to see if I was accepted. Fingers crossed!


6. Make at least two pieces to submit for consideration to the Lock, Coif, & Barrel show. Status: discarded.
   I decided halfway through the month that with everything else I had going on, it wasn't realistic to submit pieces to two different shows with the same deadline. Plus, I was having a hard time coming up with anything I liked that fit the theme. And by not keeping this show on my list, I was able to submit an extra piece to Mortal Plush.
   
   Total accomplished: 3.5 / 6.

I feel pretty okay with this. Could I have done better? Of course. But should I have? I feel confident in the decisions I made to modify or discard goals that didn't feel quite right. And when you're trying to make a small business successful, isn't being nimble just as important as setting and accomplishing goals? Or am I just letting myself off the hook here?

How about you? How well did you meet your monthly goals?

Stay tuned tomorrow for my list of May goals!

The Waiting Game

I did it. I just submitted three pieces for consideration to the Mortal Plush show in DC this summer. The theme of the show is plush that convey emotion. You saw bigfoot yesterday, exhibiting ennui. I also submitted two sea monsters.

This one with the jaunty little top hat is excited:

While this meanie is displaying fury:

I cut it very close to the deadline (today) like my typical
procrastinating self. This time, it wasn't because I was sewing up
until the final possible moment, it was the weather. Seriously! Because I
haven't yet built myself a little light tent, I have to rely on the sun
for nice photos, or haul my creatures into my day job to use the photo
studio there. Can you guess what's going to be at the top of the list for my May goals (which I'll be blogging about later this weekend)?

Anyway, I really hope I get accepted to the show. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Setting Goals

I've been daydreaming a lot lately about all the cool things I want to do with Plushroom Soup, but feeling disgruntled by how the day job and other life consistently gets in the way. My creativity has been soaring and I have so many ideas, but never enough hours in the day. But I may have found a partial solution: the brilliant Jena from Modish and Modish Biz Tips fame has started a Monthly Goal Meetup for small business owners to share their goals and encourage each other. This couldn't have come at a better time! Maybe if I set small, realistic monthly goals for myself instead of always jumping into things feet first, I can begin to accomplish everything that I want to do.

(image: Modish Biz Tips)

So, here are my goals for April:

1. Research galleries and shops that may want to carry my plushies and reach out to at least 3 of them.


2. Research online ad venues.


3. Purchase accounting software and begin to use (I'm actually embarrassed that I haven't done this yet).


4. Purchase color printer/scanner. Suggestions, anyone?


5. Make at least two pieces to submit for consideration to the Mortal Plush exhibit.


6. Make at least two pieces to submit for consideration to the Lock, Coif, & Barrel show.

Whew—I better get crackin'!