​Keeping track of payments, expenses, and making sure your business accounts stay afloat can be a daunting task when you’re just starting out. I love using YNAB “You Need A Budget” budgeting software to help me manage my businesses finances. This user-friendly software has made it really easy to keep track of my outflows and inflows, set aside money for upcoming expenses, and keep my businesses operating in the black. Here’s how I use YNAB for my business. 

​Did you start your Etsy shop with initial success but now you’ve had trouble getting more sales since? You’re not alone. It’s pretty common after you start your Etsy shop for things to slow down. But now isn’t the time to throw in the towel and give up altogether. There’s a lot you can do organically to increase your Etsy views and sales. Here’s my top five tips: 

​Are you running your Etsy shop blindly? Are you just kinda going along making, listing, and selling things but not really paying attention to your numbers? If that sounds familiar, you’re missing out on key data that could help you get more Etsy sales and grow your business. So, what numbers do you need to pay attention to and what do they mean? Let’s get into it. 

​​Are you struggling to get views, saves, and sales on Etsy? Even if you had initial success on Etsy, it’s pretty common for your Etsy sales to slow down after a time. But you don’t have to let it stay that way. The truth is that although I’ve written before about how Etsy is a great place to get your business started, you can’t rely on Etsy alone to make sales and grow your business. 

​With nearly a 100 million shoppers on Etsy, you have probably considered it as a potential way to start selling your products online. But you might be wondering if it’s worth it. You might be asking: Is Etsy too saturated? Is Etsy too expensive? Should I do my own website instead of Etsy? I’ll answer your burning Etsy questions in this post, but here’s the root of it: I believe that Etsy is still the best way to get started with selling your products online. Here’s why:

It’s easy to put ourselves down, but when was the last time we built ourselves up? 

Maybe you’ve thought about starting a business, but you’re quick to put yourself down. Maybe your doubts sound something like this: I’m not young enough, I’m not old enough, I’m not knowledgeable enough, I’m just a nobody, I’ve never even known a business owner - what would make me think I could be any different? If any of that sounds familiar, this blog post is for you.

​Soloprenuer is a trendy new word that means someone who works alone in their business. A lot of people have been using this word as a descriptor, adding it to their Instagram bios and email signatures. Heck, I might have even said (or typed) it at one point. However, now a few years into this building businesses thing, I can firmly say being a soloprenuer isn’t a good thing. And here is why... 

​You’re heard people talk about setting goals, but you have questions. Questions like: “When do I start making goals?” “How do I know if I’m setting the right goals?” “I always fail at my goals, how do I not do that?”. Ideally you’d like someone to just lay it all out for you. If that’s you, read on, friend. I’ve got you. 

First let’s do a pop quiz: Which of the following is a good goal? 
A) Get in shape
B) Be a better friend
C) Make more sales
D) Read 12 books this year

How often do you celebrate? Do you find it hard to celebrate yourself and your wins? You should celebrate often: yourself, your wins, both big and small, and personal and business. About four years ago I started meeting with my accountability partner, a dear friend who also had a small business, for one hour every week. We’re both proud to say that we kept this commitment every week (with a few planned skips) for four really good (and really hard) years. One of the things that she started asking me a few years into our weekly calls was the question “What can we celebrate from the last week?”. And if I can be vulnerable with you for a moment, that question was hard for me to answer (not just that first time, but many many times after that). My thought process went something like: “Celebrate? I haven’t done anything to deserve celebration! I’m just doing what I should do and actually… I’m not doing enough, so I surely don’t deserve to celebrate!”

Does that resonate with you? If so, this article is for you! Let me help you see why it’s oh so important to celebrate often!