I wish I had a definitive plan for my business in 2026 with clear objectives, set timescales and best of all the formula for bigger profit margins but once again, I haven’t quite figured it all out!
I do have my seasonal deadlines, but apart from that, I really want to do a lot more experimentation this year. I sometimes find that when I have to produce in bulk, it takes away the sense of spontaneity and freshness. I would like to bring a little bit of that back in 2026.
I would also like to produce a few more process videos and maybe look in to making some tutorials. I want to try to use Tik Tok a bit more and maybe set up a YouTube channel.
I’ve got a few new interesting tools arriving soon, so hopefully I will come up with some fresh ideas using those.
I’ll be running my decoration club subscriptions again this year which will also help me think of Christmas decoration ideas throughout the year. I would also like to get a bit more organised with Halloween as that has been a big hit over the last few years. I will be scaling back on Easter.
I need to search out a new craft fair as I like to do at least one a year and the one I’ve been doing for about 15 years has stopped.
I’m still torn about going in a more fine art direction, making larger, one-off pieces for a much bigger price tag (that’s where I first started) but it takes a lot of time investment with not so much certainty. I will try and make at least 3 larger pieces. I also want to try a few more sculptural pieces, looking at form rather than decoration.
Well, I think that is at least a few of my goals written down. I find if they are set out somewhere, I am more likely to do them!
I would like to achieve setting up my own website for my upmarket jewellery pieces. Sterling Silver has risen by 160% in 2025! I have some health issues to resolve first. The MRI of my cervical spine was done on 27th December. I am hoping and praying I don’t need anymore spinal surgery. I have had three major operations already. It takes so much time to get over cervical spinal surgery! If all is o.k it’s possibly a referral to see a neurologist. I find my disability so restricting and totally inconvenient! I have been working on a new cardigan design and I have made up a few over the past two weeks. I don’t know how to use social media very well so that’s something else I would like to learn more about. My problem is a lack of confidence with social media.
I generally don’t have any plans except to make and list more items. I don’t plan out stuff to do basically because I’ve tried in the past and it never works for me, I now just take things day by day and see where my creativity leads me as sometimes it changes on a daily basis!
I basically just have one plan, and that is to do at least one craft fair/market day/ stall etc within the year. I’m terrible at executing plans which is why I’m keeping it as simple as possible. I’ve done my research with regards to running a stall but I have self-doubt by the bucketload, which is my biggest block IMO, so if I can do just one fair, it’ll give me the kick up the backside that I need!
Apart from that, just keep happily plodding along.
I would like to have the courage to get more for my art work. I have tried in the past and not got any sales and so I have stuck to low prices for good work. I sometimes look at other people’s prices (all well worth it) but have never had the confidence to ask for more…I might try a few and see if it works…will it?..or will I just plod on selling for next to nothing?
I’ve often thought Brenda @teabreaks looking at your beautiful art, that you need to charge more. The way you paint is unique to you and so special, you should definitely give it a go.
To get a proper space set up for photographing my products that is conveniently situated to my work desk and doesn’t require everything having to be moved around before I can begin. This one issue is slowing the uploading of finished products to my shop and holding back development. It;s not the technical aspect of photography that’s the problem, it’s just having a space set up and ready to go. Any suggestions would be gratefully received.
I’m looking at more of the same as I’ve been doing for as long as I can. I’ve been doing this for 17 years now, 11 as full-time, so I’ve got things as sussed as I’m going to I think. I want to still do the craft fairs locally bits of the year and the big push October onwards (always inside and generally dogfriendly, otherwise I have to have the availability of a good friend to mind the dog); concentrate on adding more stuff to both my two online shops; and get better at flame painting copper. The thing that will upset my plan is my eyesight and that is still to be sorted. Apparently I have catarracts starting, dry eye and now the ophthamologist says there’s glaucoma lurking too! Added to that, I have an enlarged pituitary gland and if it grows, it’s heading in the direction of the optic nerve - there’ll be another MRI soon to check it’s progress. It’s a worry but I’m trying to concentrate on work and keeping it at the back of my mind, difficult as it is.
Hi Sarah, I’m creating a website, I made the decision to go with a paid one instead of a free version but yet to start it. I was fortunate to receive a laptop off Santa which should make things easier. I’m going high end this year, I’m leaving all the smaller woodland bears, Letterbox gifts, pinushions etc behind and going back to what I do best. I’m concentrating on high end bears and dolls with a few embroidered hearts. I spent a lot of this year making smaller gifts and my bear sales have suffered, my customers like the detailed bears with embroidery so that’s where I will be concentrating my time. I’m keeping the signature bears as I can’t work on large bears all of the time due to pain levels, the larger alpaca and mohair bears are much harder to sew and stuff so I have to do the small bears inbetween. If I’m unable to sit at the desk for machining dolls clothes I will have to rethink the whole thing but I’m trying not to think that far ahead yet. I’m going to try and do a few videos for social media, maybe embroidering onto a bear and perhaps some of them in their finished state. I also need to try and post to Facebook every couple of days as sometimes I’m going a week or more between posts. I would like to start a blog when I have a website up and running but not sure how or what to put on it yet. I’m going back to using timesheets that I drew up a couple of years ago to help calculate the costs on each item and to see where or if I’m wasting time and if I have any time at all to spare I want to design some new bears. On a personal note I’m hoping to take a few hours off now and then to start watercolour painting but I doubt it will happen as I’ve not done anything for myself for 11 years (apart from one bear), it’s easy to say all this in December but when the first week of January has passed and I return to full time making everything changes
My big focus is to get my cards selling wholesale. I recently finished a course on this and have a catalogue almost ready just waiting on some additional sample cards from Greeting Card printers.
I am currently working with a few new materials that I am hoping to combine with my art to create some new unique pieces. It would be good to get more original pieces on Folksy.
That’s such an interesting question and it’s been really interesting reading everyone’s plans.
I would like to set up a mailing list and start to send monthly emails. I started to concentrate more on my vintage and repurposed materials last year and I’d like to continue that focus this year.
Currently trying to decide which fairs to apply for this year - I’d like to just do a few and hopefully at least a couple of them with my sister as we both enjoy fairs more when we do them together.
Other than that my aim is just to make more and list frequently!
Brenda, @teabreaks you should charge more. Maybe come up with a specific range at a premium price. I do agree, though that people love low-cost, high-quality.
I only have loose plans. I’m planning a New Year shop-drop and sale. After that, I might do two or three more shop-drops in the year, and I’ll see how the sale goes before planning another. I’m enjoying seeing your plans.
I don’t think anyone has ever asked me what my plans are for my business! And I don’t think I’ve really ever made any and I’ve been going for over 40 years! So it’s a bit late now, I’ve changed plenty of things over the years and I’m really happy with where I am now.
Slowing down on the sewing front and waiting for retirement. I can say I have plans for that, we’ve already implemented walking nearly every weekday, more gardening, last summer was difficult as the ground was rock hard, more holidays, and going out for lunch with friends, more so now they’re also retiring.
But I shall definitely still sew, I cannot not be creative, especially in the winter when I can’t get out in the garden so much. I need to make a few more sculptural pieces. I may apply for 3 fairs this year, last year I applied for 2 and only got in one. I’ve already applied for one which was a mistake as we will be on holiday…
So main plan as usual, keep sewing and try to continuously come up with new ideas. And try and get through this latest recession. I’ve been through a few in my working life and it seems to hit crafters 1st and leave us last. It would be nice to leave my working life on a high and not a has been!
I have planned to do a major revamp of my shop and had a lot of new ranges in mind and had so many ideas for new items which I was planning to start creating over the Christmas period. Unfortunately I damaged my trapezius muscle and it’s taking ages to heal. I’m keeping everything crossed that I can get back to making soon as I’m getting very frustrated with it all. It’s so good to see what everyone else is planning to do, I hope it all goes well for you all.
Just loose plans for me, my slow sales on each platform mean that I am a bit discouraged despite selling online for over 17 years.
So this year I plan to scope out some craft fairs again. I used to do craft fairs but as I became more disabled I could no longer do them. But 2 of my (adult) children have said they will help me on the day.
I have heard craft fairs are not what they used to be but nothing ventured nothing gained.
