A new year always brings about a new sense of optimism and goal setting. New year new me right? But what does that mean for us small business owners? I’d like to say this is the spirit unique to the beginning of a New Year but any smart business owner knows analysis and strategy must be an ongoing best practice to make sure you drive for profitability and not bankruptcy. Sadly- as hopeful and starry eyed as I would like to be the reality of the numbers is not making this year look promising.
This year the idea of growing over last years numbers seems easy enough. Especially considering last year was the worst performing for me- I’ve never been one to set the bar of success low. After sharing the struggles that my small shop has incurred recently I’ve received an overwhelming amount of messages saying to keep going. I have always said I would keep going until the wheels come off and they are for sure wobbly at best. What happened? A lot of you guys have asked. Well honestly the overhead costs are borderline killing me and many small shops like me. From shipping costs going up, tariffs, costs of supplies, never ending taxes mixed the current state of the economy and spending habits becoming a struggle- believe me I get it. Especially as a mom whose kid is growing like a weed- I get it. The struggle is real. I guess this is why there’s that saying about starving artists.
Alas, I’m at the point of keeping my options open. Both career and product category wise. Don’t get me wrong making product inspired by magical worlds will always have my heart. But maybe it’s time to consider a new audience. Or mix them in! I started to think about gaps in what I actually need in my closet. Sports moms are covered- I went big on that when my kid was playing T Ball. And there are so many cute shops! But we also do Scouts- and when I looked there’s not a ton of uniqueness out there. So I brainstormed last night and ended up staying up till 2 am with endless ideas. Designs started coming together and the inspo for the next round of collections were born. Lots of what I already see in the Etsy world seem very Taylor inspired- which don’t get me wrong I love me some Tay but I love unique pieces that stand out even more. Over the weekend a post highlighting Ralph Lauren’s new Olympic collection came across my feed and I absolutely LOVED it. Love me some classic Americana vibes. Mixed with teddy bears? Yup! Sign me up yesterday. So that’s it. Nostalgic pieces inspired by Norman Rockwell artwork celebrating everyday life will be slowly rolling into the shop. Scout pieces will be first to debut- then dance or maybe even gamer mom pieces will roll in. Then I’m thinking moving on to professions- like teachers, nurses etc. I’m super excited about these collections and stepping into new worlds and hope you guys are too!