Whiling away your time - 12 things to do for your business!

11 in a row Originally uploaded by George Eastman House

"We're standing in line. We're standing in line. Can't you see we're standing in line?" John Paul 's voice from the Pirate Comedy Show rings in my ears from my Renaissance fair visits. How many times a day to we find ourselves waiting, wishing we could be doing something more productive?

Very few handmade sellers have large blocks of time in which to run our businesses. I'm a huge fan for using the small amount of time I have to my advantage.  (I wait for 15 to 20 minutes every day for my son to get out of school and I can not sit still that long!)

Carry a notebook, a cell phone (to text or use your voice mail), an iPhone or Blackberry, or netbook with you all the time so you can accomplish a few things while you're standing in line, waiting for your kid to get out of school, at the doctor's office, etc.

Here's some things you can do:

1. Write some tweets in your notebook or send them on your iPhone or cellphone.
2. Plan some blog post ideas. (This post came to me while waiting to pick up my son from school.)
3. Work on small handmade projects.  Drawing, knitting, spinning on a spindle, sewing by hand - these can all be done in a small space while sitting and waiting. You can take pictures of them and list them later.
4. Prep work for current projects: turning fabric tubes, putting in elastic in a waistband, hand sewing a stuffed animal closed, or putting ribbon in a bag.
5. Plan future products enter store's direction.
6. Make a list of places to contact for exposure and promotion. Start writing your contact e-mail or letter.
7. If you have Internet access checked Etsy or Artfire forums and make a quick reply to topics of interest. If you don't have access to the Internet, print out a topic or two and write down your reply.
8. Sort and organize your business receipts.
9. List supplies you need to stock up on.
10. Plan your next day.
11. Read a book or listen to a podcast related to your business or craft.  (I used to listen to my Japanese lessons on the way back from walking my son to school.)
    
12. Write a thank you to your best customers.
    

How are you using your waiting time?



Copyright Amy Vander Vorste 2009.