EP142: Shaky Economy? Navigate the Holiday Selling Season & Plan for 2024

The And She Looked Up Podcast

Slow September sales and signs of a flagging economy have a lot of Canadian creatives worried about the upcoming holiday selling season. Even Etsy has made efforts to boost sales on behalf of shop owners! And, with no real relief in sight, what does 2024 have in store? Melissa and Heather tackle this head on with lots of practical strategies and tips to help you get focused and make a plan - both for the holiday season and next year!
This is a great episode for creatives who:

• are seeing a dip in sales compared to previous years
• have heard from customers that money is tight
• aren't getting the same level of sales or engagement when launching new work
• are worried about the ballooning costs of raw materials and other business related expenses
• need some ideas jump start sales

We tackle all of these concerns and more! Tune in to find out how!
This episode is brought to you by Fine Lime Designs Illustrations
For a summary of this episode and all the links mentioned please visit:
Episode142: Navigate Holiday Selling and Future Planning in a Shaky Economy
You can find Melissa at finelimedesigns.com, finelimeillustrations.com or on Instagram @mhchipmunk.
You can find Heather at heatherlynnetravis.com or on Instagram @heathertravis.

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And She Looked Up Creative Hour Podcast
Each week The And She Looked Up Podcast sits down with inspiring Canadian women who create for a living. We talk about their creative journeys and their best business tips, as well as the creative and business mindset issues all creative entrepreneurs struggle with. This podcast is for Canadian artists, makers and creators who want to find a way to make a living doing what they love.
Your host, Melissa Hartfiel (@finelimedesigns), left a 20 year career in corporate retail and has been happily self-employed as a working creative since 2010. She's a graphic designer, writer and illustrator as well as the co-founder of a multi-six figure a year business in the digital content space. She resides just outside of Vancouver, BC.

Chapters

1. Navigating a Challenging Economy (00:00:00)

2. Holiday Marketing and Inventory Management (00:15:44)

3. Value of Markets, Building Email List (00:29:36)

4. Website UX and Holiday Product Bundling (00:35:39)

5. Creating Value, Making $100 Daily (00:44:47)

6. Business Growth and Expense Management (00:49:08)

7. Reviewing Expenses, Systems, Offerings, and Pricing (01:03:15)

8. Creative Ways to Make Extra Money (01:15:38)

9. Importance of Enthusiasm in Building Relationships (01:26:54)

10. Creative Hour and Podcast Updates (01:40:25)