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At some point, you can’t climb the hill anymore. The only way to go is down.

My name is Laser Lady and I’ve been designing and selling my own laser cut jewelry since 2014! It was a business that grew and grew!
But the higher you climb, the farther you fall – and I nearly fell ALL THE WAY DOWN.

These are the things I learned, so you don’t make the same mistakes!

1. I focused on too many things

I had been doing so well with online sales, I decided to take a year off of conventions. With all the time I had to spare, I started my Youtube channel back up! But, with so many different projects, products, social medias, email blasts, and all the things associated with running 2 businesses, I was getting spread way too thin!

So, here is how I am planning to stay Focused and get sh*t done!

1. Plan Ahead – I am now mapping out what I want and need to accomplish each month. I then break it down to weekly and daily. This way, I can see the list all at once and group things together.
2. Group tasks together – Instead of trying to do 50 five minute tasks in one day, I’m going to group weekly and monthly tasks together, so they get completed with the focus they deserve. For example, if I have planned a product line for spring, I will block out entire days to make prototypes, take pictures and make listings. Everything else can wait!
3. Cut Out Losers – If there was one thing I’ve learned last year, it’s that I was wasting time on things that have no return on investment. Of course, you have to take a leap of faith on certain business projects, but scrambling to make a half-assed Instagram reel, blog post or even a lackluster product, is a huge waste of time. If it won’t contribute to your end goal, get rid of it.

2. I wasn’t connecting with customers

I had an epiphany when I was recently binging Kitchen Nightmares. Over and over again, Gordon goes to failing businesses to save them from doom. And, over and over again, I kept hearing these restaurant owners say crazy things like, “I’ve been making the same food for 25 years and I just don’t know where all the customers went.”

Then it dawned on me! That’s what I’ve been doing! Or rather, not doing. I have been holding on to old jewelry designs and treating my business the exact same way as 8 years ago! The world is changing around me, and I am staying the same.

So, here is what I plan to do about it: Connect with my customers! Bounce ideas off the people holding all the cash. Take advantage of social media to get feedback on new product ideas! You could be surprised where it takes your business. (Hopefully to Money Town!) 😉

3. I cut out moneymakers

If you ever want to make less money, stop doing the things that make you money! It’s that easy!

Ok, now, I didn’t mean to do this to myself. I primarily sell online, and thought if I stopped doing conventions and craft shows, I would be able to put more energy into online sales and make the same amount of money. Well, Etsy had a big shift in their algorithm, Temu kept stealing my designs, and blah blah blah. My online sales sucked.

What I should have done was keep up with conventions! Maybe not schedule one every damn weekend… you get it. I was not only missing out on connecting with my customers, but the delicious cash flow that comes with vending.

If something is working for you and your business, but it’s a real pain in the ass, before you cut it out completely, try to find a way to take the pain away. Or at least lessen it.

4. I wasn’t keeping up with my online listings

If my main source of income was online sales, you’d think that I would be constantly optimizing my listings. Well, thanks to me spreading myself too damn thin, I wasn’t! If you want to be ignored by sales platform algorithms, be like me! (Please, don’t.)

I am a double idiot because I even made a whole video and blog post about how to optimize your product listings. 🤦‍♀️ I was simply overwhelmed.

So, here’s the plan! We are going to Prioritize Time to optimize listings! Instead of taking 5 minutes a day to do 1 listing at a time, I am going to block out days to “get-er-done”.

If you need help with your product listings, check out this totally free Product Success Sheet. Bing, bang, boom, baby!

5. I changed nothing

Touching back on Kitchen Nightmares, these owners were failing because they were trapped in their own past. If I was trying to sell the same jewelry designs from 2014 today, I would barely sell anything. Then, all the time it took me to make these ancient products would be a waste of my time. Resulting in me having no money and no time.

Spoiler alert, that’s what I did to myself.

Have you ever heard the quote, “You don’t sell the Steak, you sell the Sizzle?” It’s pretty old, but the advice is solid. The only thing is, the steak sounds different every year.

It’s not that people will stop buying my laser cut jewelry (my steaks), it’s just that my “sizzle” pitch hasn’t changed. Everyone is going through a constant transformation, and your business should, too.

I hope you avoid my silly mistakes! May all the success come your way. 💘

➕ Subscribe to my YouTube Channel HERE

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