Thankful
…..
Today my heart is full. I had my first Pop-Up Shop in my front porch on Saturday. It was my first time putting my products and myself out there in the world to see if anyone would a) come and b) be interested in what I had to offer. I have to admit I was anxious in the days leading up to the Pop-Up. I questioned whether I had too much or enough inventory, had I priced product correctly, was my labelling clear? My mind raced all week but then Saturday arrived and everything slowed down. I enjoyed every interaction with every single friend, family member or stranger. I served hot apple cider and listened with open ears to any feedback they had to offer. It was an amazing day and fills me with the positive energy I need to get through this busy holiday season.
Here are a few things I learned:
I have amazing friends and family who support me. I’m getting teary eyed reflecting on everyone who have supported me through this entrepreneurial journey. Friends and family drove in from the suburbs (not an easy feat with Toronto traffic) to attend my Pop-Up and support me. I have received so many positive words of encouragement over the past days and weeks. It provides me with the energy to sew that 300th tea towel!
It is okay to ask people to pay for what you have to offer. I was surprized with how difficult this was for me. I’m hoping that each interaction I have with customers will remind me that there is value in what I do.
Owning your own small business is more than a full time job. I have to admit that my work-life balance has suffered over the last couple of weeks as I prepared for the upcoming holiday sales. I don’t think I anticipated how long it would take to sew 300+ tea towels, design and print labels, promote my sales and do everything else to ensure this holiday season is a success. I’ve enjoyed every bit of it but just wish there were three more hours in the day to get everything done.
Every customer is unique. One of my main goals this holiday season is to chat with customers to find out what they are interested in me sourcing (tote bags was a common theme), what patterns they like (my 70’ floral pattern is still a strong front runner) and why they value handcrafted items (this could be a whole other blog post!). I’ll be actively listening to customers at my upcoming sales touch points to see if common themes arise. These insights will be invaluable as I plan for 2025.
Thank you to all who attended my Pop-Up Shop last weekend. If you missed it, you can catch me at my upcoming Pop-Up shops, Junction Triangle or Toronto Art Crawl craft shows.