Creative Shop Talk with Wendy Batten

We aren't in business to work 24/7, 365 days a year.

We need time away from it in order to avoid burnout and grow.

It's ok to step away.

Some of us aren't very good at this, though. Me included. But I'm learning. So I am hoping that some of the ideas in this episode allow you to give yourself permission to step away and find that it isn't impossible but extremely important.

Some of these strategies include:

• Stepping away during slow periods - Schedule your leave and provide a lot of notice ahead of time. I wouldn't recommend doing it during Q3 or Q4, but, if you are super organized - go for it!
• Delegate - Trust the people that work for you. Provide them with all the tools and training they need so you feel good about stepping away.
• Avoid being a worrywart - Pre-plan! Put your phone away while on vacation and give your staff the autonomy to make decisions without you.
• Emails & Social Media - Batch your content and set up auto-responders.

Disconnecting from your business is important for your mental health, your family, your brain, and your creative growth.

Full show notes here https://wendybatten.com/114/

I'm so excited to introduce you to Jeff Lee! We have been working together for quite some time and Jeff has such an incredible story that I think will be really helpful to you.

Jeff calls himself an accidental entrepreneur like so many of us do. He started painting furniture and quickly turned into a gift shop, purchasing wholesale products. His growth journey from booth space to 7000 sq feet and running a profitable retail business has not always been linear.

Jeff has seen the highs and the lows of business and gotten through it by putting on his CEO hat, digging in and doing the work. One thing Jeff will share with us is how he's made hard decisions about product lines, branding, etc…including truly listening to what his customers want.

Jeff will also share how he's turned his shop into a local destination shop. From merchandising, product lines, the smell of his store, the lighting, the layout, the conversations - Jeff has mastered the FEEL of his store to bring in more customers again and again.

I know that when you listen to Jeff's journey and understand his mindset - you will gain so many takeaways!

In retail, it's always: Start. Grow. Shift. Grow. Learn. Grow. Rinse. Repeat.

More show notes here https://wendybatten.com/113/

It's time for a mid year review. Last year we did a mid year review podcast episode and it was one of our more popular downloads, so I thought we would do it again!

I'm sharing how I do mine and how I walk my clients through one.

It's a great time to check on where we are and where we are headed this year.

Here are some steps to follow to do your own mid year review.

• Reassess your yearly goals - What were your goals? Did you achieve them? Why or why not?
• Look back month by month - What revenue did you make? Get comfortable with looking at your numbers and the overall data.
• What was going on in your life? - Our personal lives can be so intertwined in our business life and we need to give ourselves grace. Keep notes every month.
• Look at inventory - Did you follow through with your intentional marketing plan each month?
• What do we do now? - What did you pay yourself? What was your profitability? How often have you worked? What's working for you?
• Looking forward - Prioritize what's important to you for the remainder of the year.

Get comfortable with being uncomfortable and really take a deep dive into your business. Pause. Shift. Refocus and make plans for success!

More show notes here https://wendybatten.com/112/

It’s time for a mid year review. Last year we did a mid year review podcast episode and it was one of our more popular downloads, so I thought we would do it again! 

I’m sharing how I do mine and how I walk my clients through one. 

It’s a great time to check on where we are and where we are headed this year. 

Here are some steps to follow to do your own mid year review. 

• Reassess your yearly goals - What were your goals? Did you achieve them? Why or why not?
• Look back month by month - What revenue did you make? Get comfortable with looking at your numbers and the overall data.
• What was going on in your life? - Our personal lives can be so intertwined in our business life and we need to give ourselves grace. Keep notes every month.
• Look at inventory - Did you follow through with your intentional marketing plan each month? 
• What do we do now? - What did you pay yourself? What was your profitability? How often have you worked? What’s working for you?
• Looking forward - Prioritize what’s important to you for the remainder of the year.

Get comfortable with being uncomfortable and really take a deep dive into your business. Pause. Shift. Refocus and make plans for success!

Full show notes here https://wendybatten.com/podcast-intro/

There's no need to panic. The sky is not falling. If a downturn in the economy is on your mind, let's talk about the things you need in place to go into it prepared if it happens... What can you do to be the best prepared and thrive? I'm here to tell you, folks, it's not the end of your business or your self employed life. Many businesses THRIVE during tough times and I want you to be in the best possible position and be prepared for anything.

Get proactive. Not reactive. All with the right attitude and mindset.

1. Get intentional & efficient - with money, staff, inventory, etc.
2. New customer acquisition - do you have a strategic marketing plan in place?
3. Loyal customers - create that emotional attachment. Wow and delight them!
4. Business Foundations - get really good at understanding inventory, POS systems, profit & loss + more.
5. Positive Mindset - believe that your business is going to THRIVE!

"The biggest risk is not in what we're building. The biggest risk is not supporting what we're building."

• Jeffrey Shaw, The Self Employed Life

Full show notes at https://wendybatten.com/podcast-intro/

Let's talk about the retail landscape and all the changes we've faced. Let's give ourselves permission to pause and reflect in order to evolve and grow.

Speaking of change… there is some change going on over here as well. My Retail Made Simple course is now available on my website! A four module course that shows you how to be the CEO of your business. We talk about money, retail marketing and sales, planning/time management, and stepping into that CEO role. I hope you'll dive in!

Here are a few ideas for you to consider BEFORE we head into the busy Q3 and Q4 that may help you reflect:

• Permission to coast - Let's take a true pause from doing the next big thing in our business. Be ok with the way things currently are for a minute.

• Reassess your ideal customer - have you had a chance to think about this lately? Flip the script and think about the customer you DON'T want to serve. Who is NOT a good fit for you anymore?

• Resist the low hanging fruit - Do you still love all of your products and services? Do they still excite you and light you up?

• The rules for your life - What are your non-negotiables? Does your business align with those values?

We've been so busy. It's ok to take a minute and BE where you are right now in your business.

https://wendybatten.com/110/

Today we have a very special guest — wealth and abundance coach for entrepreneurial women, Emily King! AKA the "money godmother". She helps female business owners find the balance of having a heart-centered business while also making money. Having that strong money mindset is vital to any successful business!

Let's make a shift around money.

What do you expect around money? What are your money goals?Emily wants you to shift those expectations and thoughts. She really breaks down the money mindset in such a simple way that allows you to make that shift and find the freedom to break down the expectations you've built for yourself.We have a great conversation around money and abundance - and a great tip on bad ideas and creativity!

It's time to open up your brain to the opportunities of abundance. There is so much opportunity for all! "Start before you think you know the how." - Emily King

Full show notes at https://wendybatten.com/109/

In this episode, we are talking about strategies to conquer those feelings and find the people who can support us and we can trust.

1. Check-in on our Big Rocks - the important things in our business and life. Family, health, wellness, etc. Don't sacrifice these big rocks for your business.
2. Find Your People - Find them outside of your regular circle. Find people that are doing what you are doing and are where you want to be.
3. Define Your Boundaries - Don't talk about work all the time to the people who don't show support. Save those conversations for the tribe who gets it.
4. Honest Conversations - With those that support you, and those that don't. But be sure to tell your true tribe what's going on. Be vulnerable with them and figure out what you need for support.

Success is leapfrogging through all of this vulnerability and loneliness in our self-employed lives. Use these strategies to find YOUR understanding support community.

Full show notes at https://wendybatten.com/108/

In this rapid-fire session, I am giving you a few suggestions to try in your own shop to help turn those browsers into buyers! I recently spoke at a conference and answered this very question and wanted to share with you.

Are you converting browsers into buyers? Before we try a new strategy - get a baseline on how you are doing so you will know what's working. Let's understand our customer conversion rate. (It's easy once you know how). Let's understand the numbers and metrics to get the data you need to increase your conversion rate. (Because we can't grow what we don't measure - right?)

Once you know that, you can dive into the following ideas:

1. Understand why people buy - Really pay attention to your customer's needs. Educate your staff and make sure they understand the mission.
2. Have a flexible return policy - Don't leave money on the table! Having a return policy will break down so many barriers.
3. Product hesitancy - Show your customers the value of the product and how it can improve their life. Have demos and free demo days! Use your signage as a silent salesperson, provide samples, etc.
4. Make customers feel confident - Know your products thoroughly, and provide tutorials, QR codes, and YouTube videos. Make the customer feel good about the product they are thinking about.
5. You are the expert - Have a customer appreciation wall or bulletin board that shows other customers doing exactly what some are hesitant to do. Share customer WINS on social media! Be the expert and guide them.

Put yourself in your customer's shoes and break that barrier!

More show notes at https://wendybatten.com/107/

Being in her 44th year of business, Jo has been through and seen a lot — she shares hard truths about her business journey and the rough road it can be. She started with a simple retail store creating beautiful, curated magazines that rank extremely well among the highest honored and ranked in both subscriptions and on newsstands.

In this episode, we'll discuss how Jo knew that the creative business life was for her and all of the ups and downs that come along with it. She's built and fostered an amazing community of loyal customers (including me!), surrounded herself with trustworthy people, and shown strength and confidence in everything she does.This is an episode you do NOT want to miss!

"Wherever you are on your journey… Take Notes. Keep Notes. Take lots of pictures and travel safely." - Jo Packham

A Special Giveaway just for you!

One of the Creative Shop Talk's lucky listeners will receive a FREE subscription to Jo's What Women Create magazine!

To enter:

Watch for the IG CONTEST post with the contest details here on my IG page:

https://www.instagram.com/wendybatten.biz/

Not on IG? Or want an extra chance to win?

Just send me an email [email protected] with the Subject Line: What I create

Tell me a quick story about your shop and we'll enter you in the contest!

Good luck!

Full show notes at https://wendybatten.com/106/