What would you do if you could achieve your Etsy goals?
If you’re like many other creative thinkers and entrepreneurs, I’m guessing you have plenty of ideas but need assistance developing a strategy for achieving some of your most important objectives.
Here are tips to help you set your goals for Etsy selling success.
Determine What You Want for Your Etsy Shop
Take a step back from the minutiae of the here and now and consider the big picture of what you truly want for your Etsy shop.
For new sellers, you could set an Etsy goal of making ten sales in the next three months. If you’re a seasoned seller, you might want to aim to become a top seller or quit your day job within the next three years. Your Etsy goals as an advanced seller could be to become nationally known as an innovative designer.
Each Etsy Goal is specific to the seller. The same is true for time frames. Depending on the scope of your Etsy goals, you could need six months, a year, or several years to complete it. What is realistic and doable for you? Creating a goal that will keep you motivated, inspired, and moving toward completion is one of the most important aspects of your Etsy Goal. When you reach your goal, you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment that will motivate you to create another Etsy Goal — and then another, and another. This is how businesses grow in a nutshell.
Set Major Milestones
The significant points in development are known as major milestones. Major milestones aren’t exactly a “to-do” list. Major milestones are significant achievements you achieve along the way to completing your Etsy goals. I recommend creating a calendar of significant milestones spanning six to twelve months or several years. The scope of your Etsy Goal determines your timetable.
Here are some examples of major milestones:
- Double your sales
- Create new products
- Create a marketing strategy
Continue with the Next Attainable Action Steps
This is when you break down the work month by month.
You’re ready to break the work down into Next Attainable Action Steps (NAAS) — an ambitious yet realistic set of to-do list items — now that you’ve written your list of major milestones. NAAS are bite-sized tasks that get you one step closer to completing your major goals. NAAS should be set in monthly increments, in my opinion. After completing a month’s worth of NAAS, you will create the NAAS for the following month.
Criteria
- Set a month’s worth of clear and attainable steps toward achieving your major milestones based on the amount of time and energy you have (not wish you had).
- When possible, be specific about numbers and quantities. You’ll be wishy-washy if you don’t have any numbers.
- After completing your list of attainable next steps, briefly visualize yourself performing the tasks and calculate the estimated time to complete them. Add up all of your NAAS hours. If the task hours exceed your available hours, cut the fat and put the leftovers on your NAAS list for the next month.
Make It Happen!
- Spread the word. Share your Etsy Goal with a helpful friend or fellow Etsy seller, write it in your journal, make a poster or vision board, or post it on your blog. You are far more likely to achieve your Etsy goal if you make it public.
- Break your NAAS into smaller tasks, such as daily or weekly increments. Make use of a calendar and to-do list tools like Google Calendar.
- Make contact with people who can assist you. Share your thoughts and questions with other Etsy sellers and people with similar interests.
Want more Etsy selling tips? Visit howtosellonetsy.com
