Editor’s Note: Some links in this article may be affiliate links. Full disclosure is located at the end of the article.

Have you started your holiday season prep? Q4 is less than 3 months away and there's a lot to do. In this episode Melissa & Heather give you loads of tips & strategies to get the heavy lifting done now so you can focus on selling and shipping this fall and winter.

We're talking about designing products, building up stock, getting systems in place, planning your promotions, developing and communicating your shipping and refund policies, evaluating if you need help and lots more!

The reality is we’re not back to normal yet - especially when it comes to critical things like getting raw materials or stock. If you haven’t ordered what you need to make the things you make, you might find it a struggle to get what you need and you may find yourself paying more than you’re used to.

Will in person markets happen? Will virtual markets still be a thing? Will people be dying to go back to the mall this holiday season? There’s a lot of unknowns so being prepared to sell both in person and on-line is going to be key.

Last year, shipping was a nightmare so thinking about your shipping and refund policies and getting your customer communication pieces prepped will be key.

Will you need help with packing and shipping? Do you know what your marketing strategy will be? You can prep that and all your marketing materials, social graphics well ahead of time!

This Episode is Great For…

If things never feel like they run as smoothly as you like during the holiday season this episode is for you!

Maybe you’re new to creating for a living and haven't got a holiday season under your belt yet (or maybe you’ve only experienced a pandemic holiday season!).

It's also great for experienced creatives who feel like they're always trying to play catch-up in Q4. We’re going to help you get a jump on things by giving you a checklist of all the things you can do now to make the holiday season run smoothly!

If you just want the links to the resources mentioned in this episode, scroll down to the bottom.

Listen To the Episode

Here’s a direct link to Episode 70 . You can also listen via the player below or on your favourite podcast app (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, and more). Just search for And She Looked Up!

In this episode we cover…

In this episode:

supply chains are still up in the air and there are, in many cases, shortages or large cost increases to be aware of
in person markets are still a question mark. Some are going ahead, some are tentatively scheduled and others will be on-line only. Be patient with market organizers - they are under a lot of pressure and financial commitment concerns

Doing Your Research and Reviewing Your Previous Holiday Seasons

summer is a great time to sit down and do research
- look at your numbers from previous years to see what sold, what didn’t
- review your costs, profit dollars, and pricing
- work backwards to determine what supplies you need and when you need them and then order them - take advantage of cheaper shipping rates by ordering early
- research your market: who buys from you? Where do they buy? How can you reach new people? Start planning
- new product planning: what’s trending? What will you be creating that’s new?

PLan Your Product assortment and Order your Supplies

check your stocks: what do you have made? How much more do you need to make? What supplies do you have and how much do you need to order. Order what you need now.
What can you make or create from the supplies you have on hand right now that you might no longer use
what new products will you be creating?
how will you encourage people to buy more than one item? Can you create a collection? People like gift sets during the holiday season. Think about how you might bundle your products for better profits and margins. Instead of selling individual greeting cards can you sell a set of cards? Instead of selling earring and necklaces separately can you pair up a matching set? Can you make a sampler set of your candles, lip balm, stickers etc.

Packing and Shipping - Policies and Systems

test you packing and shipping. Mock up your products and work out what shipping will cost when your items are fully packed so you can determine if/when free shipping is an option or what shipping will cost (shipping costs in Canada via Canada Post are going up this September)
will you offer free local delivery? Or allow local pickup?
planning your customer communications pieces: shipping policies (work backwards to figure out your shipping deadlines), packaging policies, refund and return policies - you don’t want to have to come up with these on the fly
when and how will you communicate those policies to customers? How will you ensure they’ve seen them and understand them?

Plan Your Promotions and Marketing

plan out your promotions - will you be doing a pre-order? Weekly sales? Black Friday/Cyber Monday? Free shipping promotions? Discounts for multiple purchases? (you don’t need to do constant promotions but choosing one or two key ones to offer can be helpful).
design and prep your graphics and marketing materials - don’t forget materials for any in-person shows you’re doing
plan out your social media marketing and schedule it now!

Will You Need Help This Holiday Season?

based on your sales last year or where you hope your sales will be this year, will you need help this holiday season?
if you do, hire and train early - you don’t want to be training somebody when you have a stack of orders piled up and you’re about to pull your hair out!
how to find part-time help

Where Will You Be Selling This Holiday Season?

online selling is becoming an absolute must - will you sell on Etsy? eBay? Amazon? Your own website? (you don’t want to launch your own website in November - launch in September!)
will you do virtual or in person markets?
investigate local artisan hubs or organizations and see if there is room for you.

Putting Systems in Place

systems are critical to making sure your customers all have a consistent experience
they also make your life much easier!
if you have somebody helping you pack and ship, can you quickly and easily show them your packing process? Are products and packing supplies easy to grab and put together in the same manner over and over again? (ie tissue paper, mailers, thank you cards, stamps, shipping labels are all in the same place every time)
do you know your inventory numbers? If you sell on multiple platform like your own website and Etsy, you need to keep your inventory in sync so you don’t run out at a bad moment
do you have systems in place for making your products? Do you have lots of your best sellers made and in stock? Do you have a plan in place to make sure you have enough stock for in person markets?
do you know how many custom orders you have the capacity to take? Have you communicated how many slots you have for custom orders? What is your deadline for custom work?

Mentioned In This Episode

The Slotbox
EP 48: What Can You Do To Earn $100 Right Now?
Opus Art Supplies
Rock Your Holiday Promotions
Social Media Scheduling Platforms: Later, Tailwind, Edgar, Canva

This site is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for the site to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites. This site is also a Canva affiliate.