Week 1 Etsy Success Holiday Boot Camp

I am excited to be participating in the Etsy Success Holiday Boot Camp. Each week there will be tasks (aka homework) to complete to get the participant's etsy shops ready for the holidays. I am planning on posting here on my blog each week- telling about my completed assignments and also hoping others will join in and we can encourage each other along.
This is week one (which started on Thursday and new weeks will start on Thursday) and the first thing to do is that the pledge- so here is mine~

I, __Meredith "craftyGAgal" Crosby __, pledge to participate in the Etsy Success Holiday Boot Camp to the best of my abilities. I vow to check in every week, do my homework and support my fellow Holiday Boot Campers. I will read the weekly newsletters and blog posts, check in on the weekly forum thread, read the weekly blog post, check off the checklists and salute the mascot. I promise to share what I've learned with those who need it, support my fellow Etsy indiepreneurs and, most of all, have a positive and persistent attitude. I understand that together we can spread theword about our handmade and vintage goods, making this holiday season a more unique and meaningful one to gift givers and give-ees everywhere!

Next I was to vote for a mascot for the boot camp out of these choices here. I voted for the camo monkey since it is crochet- which I love to do and the boot camp is kinda like a military thing and I thought the camo fit!

I am proud to say that the next task I had already implemented a while ago and it really is a valuable tool- Google Analytics. Even if you are not participating in the boot camp I highly recommend setting up your google analytics to track your etsy shop. You can see where your visitors are coming from, how long they are staying, what are most popular pages, which promotions or marketing techniques you are using are working and which are not and much more. I LOVE google analytics.

Lastly, besides posting in forum and encouraging others, is to come up with a "Holiday Mission Statement". In the assignment is says this Holiday Mission Statement is defined as:
"Why are you working your butt off this season? What is your motivation?"

My Holiday Mission Statement is as follows

"To use my hands and heart to make and sell handmade items at affordable prices to make people smile. I plan to work hard to not only sell to financially help my family but to also bring joy to others when they receive a handmade items made by me- either from someone else or as a special gift of love to them self. I also will continue to craft because it is the best means of dealing with my chronic pain, it is an outlet for my emotion, it keeps my mind busy and makes me feel useful. I will look for opportunities to "give back" and preform acts of kindness this holiday season."

I know maybe this is not exactly what they had in mind- think it was supposed to be more business oriented but that is a Holiday Mission Statement I feel good about. Yes making money is nice; in fact at this time financially in my family with my husband being in the struggling construction industry, it is more than nice, it is a necessity; but I never craft with the thought of making money- I do craft with the thought of making someone smile or feel loved. This I am perfectly ok with. I also am a firm believer in being kind and thoughtful pays off- in more ways then one.

I would love to know of any other etsians joining in the Etsy Success Holiday Boot Camp! Please be sure to leave a comment if you are and if you are blogging about it so I can support you!

I am off now to comment on the forum- the last actual task.
SMILE!

Speaking of boot-camp and the camo monkey- here is a camo baby hat I make that I think is so cute, I have everyone from hunters to military families love and purchase this hat

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