Do you struggle to set goals, because you’re afraid of missing out on everything else you should be doing? Do you feel like you’re pulled in a million different directions? Today we’re going to talk about why that is, and how to clarify what you want from your business, both from the Big Picture to what you’ll actually do today, and all the stuff in between.

 

Resources:

• Map Your Business
• Grit
• Goal hierarchy comes from Self-Control and Grit, Angela Duckworth, James J. Gross, Current Directions in Psychological Science,

 

Listen to the episode and get the FREE transcript at http://taraswiger.com/podcast141/

How do you feel about the emails you send, right now? Do they result in sales and conversations with your readers? If not, it's time to experiment. Today I'll share 9 kinds of emails you can be sending for your handmade business.

Links Mentioned:

• Elevate Your Business
• Mailchimp
• Mailchimp stats on open rates across industries
• Map your Business
• The Starship

 

Listen to the episode and get the transcript for FREE at TaraSwiger.com/podcast140/

Today on the podcast, I’m not alone! I’m here with knitwear designer, tech editor, teacher, and co-host of the Manchester workshops, Joeli Kelly of JoeliCreates.com.

Joeli reviewed Instagram accounts and found that the same 3 mistakes kept popping up again and again. In this episode, we explore those mistakes (and how you can stop making them!). 

To help you avoid these mistakes and use Instagram in a way that works for you, Joeli and I have put together 5 days of challenges and prompts that will elevate your Instagram. To join in, go to http://taraswiger.com/elevateinsta

 

Listen to the podcast episode and sign up to join the FREE Instagram challenge at TaraSwiger.com/podcast139/

Get more goodness and support the podcast: http://patreon.com/taraswiger

Today I’m answering questions from my Instagram followers. To get your question answered, be sure you’re following me. We cover:

How to decide between ideas for new products
How to use social media without wasting too much time
How to use Instagram Stories for your handmade business

If you want to get your questions answered on the podcast, consider becoming a Patron! Patrons at the $2+ levels get to tell me what to podcast on next, attend live recordings (online!) and ask their questions while I’m recording and have me reply! I’m going to be using patronage to buy a new lighting set-up so I can do more videos throughout the dark winter months. If you want to help with that, support it here: http://patreon.com/TaraSwiger
Thanks!

Find links to everything I mentioned and get the free transcript at: http://taraswiger.com/podcast138/

 

What is the ONE thing you should focus on in the New Year, if you want to grow your business, improve your marketing, and make more money? Today we’re going to look at what your #1 resolution in the new year should be and 5 steps to actually DO it.

Links Mentioned

• Episode 122: How YOU Get Stuff Done
• Episode 113: The Real Challenge: Consistency

Wanna get more consistent in the New Year? Enter your e-mail address in the box below this post to get a FREE worksheet to help you do it: http://taraswiger.com/podcast137/

Did your 2016 go as planned? Are you feeling discouraged or sidetracked or thrilled? No matter how your 2016 has gone, you can create a better 2017. Today we’ll hear from a non-planner about how planning projects has made his life better, and I’ll share what I do in my own New Year planning session.

Links Mentioned:

• The Starship is now open, but only for the rest of this week! Learn more + beam aboard here.
• Episode 87: 7 principles to have your best year ever
• Episode 36: Saying Goodbye
• Episode 37: Welcome to the New Year

Listen to this episode at TaraSwiger.com/podcast136/

The Starship, my online community for makers and artists who want to become their own business expert, is open right now. It has access to all of my classes, a 24/7 forum where you can ask your questions, a weekly live chat where we hold you gently accountable and give you immediate feedback, and an Accountability Partner Program, where you can be matched up with an accountability partner. Check it out here: http://taraswiger.com/starshipbiz

Now, I’m just back from time offline, and I’m following it up with family visits and the holidays, and it’s hard to get back to work, you know?

I’ve found it’s very easy to slip back into just doing the daily grind, doing exactly what I was doing before… but motivation is a bit harder to replace.

So how do you get back to work after taking time off?

 

Links mentioned in this episode:

• The Starship is now open!
• The Map-Making Guide, available for purchase here (or free with your Starship membership)

Listen to the episode at TaraSwiger.com/podcast135/

Today I'm sharing what apps and tools I used to be offline for two weeks and still keep my business going. We'll talk about my business-specific tools (how I post consistently to social media, without opening my computer) and the travel-specific apps that helped me keep track of a handful of flights, train tickets, and find the cheapest place to live next Ediburgh castle!

 

Listen to the episode and get links for ALL the tools mentioned at TaraSwiger.com/podcast134/

I am sneaking into hotel dining rooms and recording the podcast guerrilla-style this week! I had the opportunity to talk to Rachel and Allison of Yarn in the City, while we were at Geeky Puffin Knitpalooza in Farnham, England. We discussed how they manage all their many hats and what they're enthusiastic about.

You can find links to everything we discuss: 

• London Craft Guide
• Yarnporium

And if YOU are in the UK, I currently have a handful of signed books, shipping locally! I've reduced the shipping cost for the UK to reflect the...reduced shipping cost! There are just a few, so grab it at http://taraswiger.com/book

 

You can listen to this episode at TaraSwiger.com/podcast133/

You’re going to need a break in your business. It’s unavoidable. It’s part of being a human being, in a fallible body. You’ll need to step back or scale down when you’re sick, when your family is sick, or worse.

But when you need to take a break, when something important happens in your life that needs all your focus, it’s easy to take the short term view, instead of looking at the long view of your life and career.

The short view is: This thing came up, I need to deal with it- I'll put everything in my biz on hold.And look, I get it. When something sideswipes you, you go into short-term problem solving. And that makes sense for extracurricular activities. Maybe you quit book club or you stop teaching Sunday school. Maybe you cut back on expenses like stash enhancement or kit clubs or eating out.

But if you're serious about your biz- then it is not an expense to cut or an extracurricular. It's a part of your income and your mental health. It's the thing that brings you joy or peace or a sense of self-reliance. It probably challenges you & pushes you, but if you want to have it in the future, you gotta take the long view.

Click here to learn all about my newest project: a workbook I created with Stacey Trock of FreshStitches to help YOU plan for a break from your business, whenever you might need it. You'll find it at TaraSwiger.com/leave.

 

Listen to the episode here: TaraSwiger.com/podcast132/