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Today we are continuing our series talking to some of our Tizzit HQ members about a question I hear quite frequently from Tizzit HQ members:
Tell me what a “day in the life” looks like for your handmade business!
Last time we heard what a day in the life was like for Wendy – a full time shop owner.
This week I am talking to Milena, creator/owner of Mana Studio, a fabulous handmade business that makes beautiful handmade macramé home decor creations.
So, ready? Let’s dive in.
You’ve all heard me say this before, but I think it’s sooooo important so I’m going to say it again:
Each handmade shop owner will have days that look totally different from another shop owner. And that’s the beauty of it— you are each able to structure your days to work for your business and your life!
Some of you work full time on your business, some of you work part time. Some of you work in the daytime, some of you work at night when the kids are in bed.
So when you read stories of how other business owners structure their days, pick and choose the ideas you hear that sound like they would work for your business.
The last thing you want to do is measure your day against someone else’s, that is a recipe for discouragement. But when you listen to other people’s stories knowing that every shop owner has a different day and different routines that work, it’s a great way to get ideas and inspiration!
So let’s hear what a day in the life is like for Milena, and I will interject my thoughts as we go through her response.
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When I asked Milena what a day in the life is like for her, here is the first thing she said:
“It’s a bit hard to answer this question because I just left my part-time day job at an architecture office, so I’m not sure yet how my new routine will look like!
I actually love this answer because it is a really great example of how so many handmade shops are constantly changing and adjusting as the owner’s lives change and grow.
Milena then talked a bit of what her days were like when she was running her business along with working part time:
When I was still working part-time, I usually got done with work at 4 pm, then had lunch and a little break (yes we have late lunch here in Mexico) and then worked on my shop from 6-8 pm.
So as you can see, Milena set aside 2 hours on workdays to devote to her business. This allowed her to continue to establish her business and fulfill customer orders without working too many hours and risking burnout.
On her days off, Milena of course had a different schedule, and what I love is that she made it a priority to not only work on her business, but to do some self-care as well:
On my days “off” I try to take an hour in the morning to do some yoga and meditate because it really helps me start the day on a positive note. Then I do whatever needs to be done – if I have a pending order, making and packaging it gets priority. I also try my best to stay consistent with Instagram and email marketing.
Milena said that one thing she has noticed from her first year experiences is the need to set up a system for prioritization and time management:
Managing my time better and setting up a schedule for myself to be productive has been one of the biggest challenges of running my own business, it’s definitely something I want to work on!”
And this brings up another SUPER important point— you won’t do everything “right” when you are first starting your business and that’s OK – this is how we learn!
When you’re in the first years like Milena is, you are learning A LOT based on what is working and what isn’t working . . .
And if your business is successful, you start to realize pretty quickly that having systems for task management is totally and absolutely necessary if you want to keep all of your ducks in a row.
We have a course over on Tizzit HQ that is all about Time Management and Productivity For Handmade Shops that I would highly recommend for any of you that are feeling like Milena and want to set up some great time management processes for your handmade business.
Milena loves that each “day in the life” for her is so different. In her interview we talked about how much she loves having each day be different:
I really enjoy that it’s so versatile because … I hate doing the same thing all day long everyday, that’s so boring for me. Running a business just involves so many different things . . . I just really like to have to do it all, and learn it all. It’s never boring for sure!
Milena’s “day in the life” description brings up some important tips for makers who work on their handmade shop part time:
1. When you work in your handmade shop part time it’s extra-important that you have a solid prioritization system. In addition to the time management course I mentioned earlier, I would recommend reading about my super helpful matrix/post-it tip: you will want to learn this great trick that helps you sort out and prioritize the many to-do’s that are spinning around in your head! Not only can it help you be more efficient, it also results in making better decisions on where to spend your limited time.
2. Remember that it’s very much possible to achieve a lot even while working on the side as Milena has done! It’s a matter of doing things in the right order, prioritizing well, and not doing too much. . . which leads me to point #3 . . .
3. Don’t do too much!
For example, if you remember from her interview, Milena has focused on Instagram for her marketing strategy. She knows that she doesn’t have enough time for Instagram AND Pinterest AND this and that, so focusing on Instagram allows her to stay consistent, focus, and actually move forward. You should never spread yourself thin with too many marketing strategies and projects but even less so when you’re working with limited time. It’s actually a GREAT way to learn how to prioritize for when you go full time.
4. Prioritize self care.
I love how Milena sets aside time in her weekly schedule for yoga and meditation, because she knows she will start her day on a positive note, and that it’s important to take care of herself before taking care of her business. This is super important— you will do better work, stay more focused, and be happier overall if you are remembering to take care of yourself!
I hope that each one of you listening to this had one of those moments where you say “Ooooooooooo!— I really LIKE that idea, I think that would work brilliantly for me as well!”
Because support and encouragement is SO important when you are building your own handmade business.
Our Tizzit HQ membership is all about helping you achieve success in your business: our courses walk you through each part of setting up, running, and improving your handmade shop— and our monthly HQ calls and our private community allow you to ask questions and get loads of helpful answers!
BECOME A TIZZIT HQ MEMBER AND TURN THE HOBBY YOU LOVE INTO INCOME YOU’LL ADORE
So click the link to come and take a look, we would love to have you join our community!
Thanks for reading, and until next time, aurevoir!
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