Depending on your needs and motivation, starting your holiday planning now could be instrumental to your success.  It doesn't matter if you are planning your holiday cards, classes, getting items ready for craft fairs, designing stamps for holiday releases or purchasing inventory for your shop.  Proper planning is critical for you, your business and your customers.  In today's show, we go over the critical timelines for stamp companies, shop owners and crafters when it comes to putting together your holiday plan.

 

Show Notes

Stamp Companies

• Contact your manufacturer now to find out about lead times for manufacturing
• Submit your Christmas designs to your manufacturer now!
• Get the stamps to your Design Team and industry influencers no later than the last week of July
• Release Christmas/Holiday stamps beginning to mid September

Shop Owners

• Attend AFCI's mid-year buying event in July
• Order your holiday inventory ASAP
• Create Christmas cards for Christmas Card Classes in September
• Consider hosting a Craft Fair 101 Class in September
• Order more MISTI's
• Post cards for the Christmas Card Class on October 1st
• Schedule your classes for beginning of November

Crafters

• Work on your plan for the craft fair season; how many cards, the styles and how many fairs you want to attend
• Start working on your themed cards now
• Put together a timeline for working on the cards
• Have all themed cards finished by September
• Work on Christmas Cards starting in September and October
• Have all cards finished by mid-October
• Put finishing touches on booth design

Regardless if you are a stamp company, shop owner or card maker, your success boils down to planning.

Links Referenced

MISTI

AFCI Mixed Media Event

Price. Market. Sell.  Your Handmade Cards Class

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Our podcast is sponsored by My Sweet Petunia and the MISTI.