I know - it’s only July - but it really is the time to start planning for the end of the year. The holiday season is stressful, and the time you spend in preparation now will reduce your stress and increase your sales.

Marketing
Last month, Lisa Lam at Craft Boom wrote an excellent article called Tips on how to submit articles to Craft Magazines. Magazine issues are planned well in advance so the strategies she wrote about need to be implemented now if you hope to make it into Fall and Winter issues. Another must read article written by Lisa is Ways to create buzz about your craft products on big Craft Websites. The ranks of online shoppers grow every year making it very important to market for online sales. Gas prices alone could influence how far shoppers will travel to make their purchases. If you’ve been putting off that Web site, you may want to reconsider. Etsy has a lot to offer and setup is quick and easy.

Craft Shows & Markets
As soon as the crisp scent of Autumn is in air, craft people will be scrambling to get into the Holiday Craft Shows. To beat the rush and to ensure you get a spot, decide which shows you want to do now and register early. It’s a good idea to plan your basic booth decor now too in order to shop for the items you’ll need. Depending on which shows you decide to do, you may need to plan for both Fall and Christmas/Hanuka booths.

Product Development
Are you adding new products to your holiday lineup? If so, now is the time to develop and test new products in order to eliminate any surprises later. The comfort level you have with your products will be apparent when you are trying to sell them, so make certain you feel really good about them. Also - stock up your best sellers now to ensure you have enough inventory later.

I know it doesn’t seem possible, but there are just a few short months left before the seasonal rush starts. We are halfway through July already and the best scenario is to have as much done as possible by the end of August. Especially if you want to be ready for the September shows and festivals.