It's September, and summer is officially over! I wanted to take you behind the scenes to see what happened in my business this summer. Before quitting my job to chase my freelancer dream in 2020, I always found it interesting to see what a freelancer's life was like, and I still do! If you enjoy this as well, this post is for you! Lastly, I'll tip you about an affordable SEO tool I just started using, which is perfect for small business owners and bloggers.
*This post contains affiliate links
Etsy's Listing Picture Layout Shuffle
I run a shop called Cute Digital Stickers on Etsy. One thing that caught me off guard this summer was Etsy's change in their listing picture layout. Suddenly, all my carefully curated product listings looked awful, with images that didn't fit the new 1:1 format. Thankfully, I only had 25 listings to update, not 100! I have a few left, but my shop looks much better now.
So, if you're dreaming of starting a shop on an online marketplace, learn from my mistake: Make listing pictures that work for different formats. Adaptability is key in the world of online selling. When you sell on somebody else's platform, you must abide by their rules and jump when they say jump. I'm happy with how my new listings look; the result is better than my shop's previous appearance.
👉 Read about my first year selling digital stickers on Etsy here.
Sicilian Getaway
A highlight of my summer was a 10-day Sicilian getaway with my family. I, the palest person you'll ever meet, and practically allergic to the sun (although not literally), would never decide to go to Sicily in July. Still, it was hard to say no when my father and his girlfriend invited all their kids + partners. I indulged in countless servings of gelato, and we kids (in the age group 27-34) stayed up until the wee hours of the morning with frozen drinks, enjoying the city vibe.
The most notable part? I didn't bring my laptop! This was a laptop-free, work-free week vacation, something I hadn't experienced in years. Due to health issues, I only work part-time. I guess I've felt like I don't deserve a proper vacation since I don't work 100 % (sounds depressing, but it's just my analysis now, not something I've actively been thinking about), and I can't afford to take time off. If you're in a similar situation, Take some proper time off! It's really worth it.
It was a much-needed break, a chance to unwind, reset, and connect with loved ones. It reminded me of the importance of stepping away from work and disconnecting to recharge creatively. In our fast-paced digital world, it's easy to forget the value of such breaks. When work wasn't on my mind, I had many ideas for projects I should start and got straight to it when I returned!
Financial Worries and the Quest for Balance
Summer also brought some financial worries to the forefront. As a freelancer who trades time for money, I sometimes feel stressed when I see little money coming in. But then, I become equally disheartened when I'm stuck working and realize that I can't dedicate time to my creative projects because I'm immersed in client work.
I've decided that it's okay to make less money and focus on my dreams and projects that will make me money down the line. I've done this for years on a smaller scale, with several passive income streams, but it's time to put in some extra work and take it to the next level. I'm working on an online course and another cool project I will launch in a few months.
I had an epiphany this summer: I need to find a balance. It's a work in progress, but I've decided to take control of my calendar. Starting next week, I'll be wrapping up a project that has consumed much time and energy for the past 10 days. After that, I plan to block my calendar to focus on fun projects.
👉 Check out the about me page if you're wondering what kind of freelancing I'm doing to make money while growing my creative business.
Reaching more people
I used to have a personal Norwegian blog with many readers years ago, but I slowly stopped blogging and gradually lost my following. Starting from scratch is challenging. You spend time posting stuff online with little feedback, but it's part of the game. I'm building a business gradually, and I'm enjoying the process!
What I do in terms of content creation and consistency right now to grow a following is blogging once a week and uploading a Pinterest pin once a week to send traffic to my website, Etsy shop and Creative Fabrica shop. I also include a thank you note in all my Etsy and Creative Fabrica products, which includes a link to my blog, so every time someone downloads something I've created, they might also check out my articles here.
👉 Read about my experiences as a seller on Creative Fabrica in 2023 in this post.
Finding an affordable SEO tool for small business owners
Lastly, working on my SEO. It's been an interest of mine for about a year, but besides doing the minimum to make sure my posts are optimized, I haven't really put much effort into it. After cancelling my Semrush subscription (it's $120 a month), I'm so glad I found Keywordrevealer – a better SEO alternative for a small business owner like me.
It has all the basics you need, like a keyword research tool, keyword suggestion tool and ranking tracker. It's only $150 per year, and Semrush had so many bells and whistles I didn't use anyway. Switching was a great decision, saving me some money I can invest in my business in other ways. If you want to take SEO more seriously, Keywordrevealer is a great place to start and an affordable alternative to the biggest SEO tools.
In Conclusion
As we enter the fall season, I do so with a renewed sense of purpose and a commitment to making positive changes in my business and life. Here's to embracing challenges, savouring moments of joy, and working toward a more balanced and fulfilling future. How about you, what did you do this summer?
Comments