Year 1

On 21st January Oh Cut It Out turned 1! I didn't buy a cake. In fact, I forgot. Even though it's written on the calendar above my desk on the actual day I was having a I-want-to-give-up, why-am-I-doing-this, this-is-too-hard flap and it slipped my mind...

And then 2 days later an exciting opportunity dropped into my inbox and my little business seemed possible again!

Opening an Etsy shop is easy, but starting a creative business from scratch is hard.

Here are some of the things I've learned during my first year:

1) You will want to give up. A lot. Struggle on. My Facebook 'likes' are continuing to rise (a quick look at my insights shows they've been steadily increasing since June!), and opportunities are beginning to present themselves.
 
2) You have to wear a lot of hats. The foundation of Oh Cut It Out is my papercutting ability. All of my products are papercut. But I am also Oh Cut It Out's social media representative, photographer, and photoshop expert (unfortunately). I'm currently learning how to sell wholesale... And enjoying it! I've learnt a lot of new skills that I otherwise wouldn't have thanks to Oh Cut It Out.

3) Do your research. Etsy sellers receive regular emails with helpful links to articles that suggest ways to improve your shop, or your photos... Most of which I've never read. Oops! Make use of every resource you can find, including the Etsy seller handbook and blog posts written by long time Etsy sellers.

4) Quality and originality are everything.

5) Pat yourself on the back when things go well! I'm that person who assumes all positive feedback is a fluke, whilst all negative feedback is FACT. Enjoy the good stuff. You earned it!

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Back in May I blogged about some goals that I hoped to achieve in the coming months. Here is a quick update to show my progress:

• Cohesive brand: In January Oh Cut It Out debuted a new logo and business cards! The designs are simple in bold colours with cheeky slogans.

• Improved photos: Photo quality is a constant bug bear when you sell online, since an image can make or break a sale. I'm currently focusing on good lighting, although England's overcast Winter isn't helping...

• Reach 100 Facebook 'likes': I reached this goal in June 2015! Hooray!

• Craft fayre(s): Oh Cut It Out will be at the Jena Louise Bridal Fayre on Saturday 13th February! Wish us luck for our first fayre!

What goals are you giving yourself a pat on the back for achieving?

Until next week...

-Karen