Next month it's already Christmas! You would think it's far away, but for us, small business owners it starts waaaay earlier. At least for me.
It has been 2 years since GummyPinkGraphics was created and I've learned a lot of things.
1. Christmas Starts in the Summer
I used to be one of those people who would chuckle at the sight of Christmas decorations popping up in stores at the start of October. Who even thinks about Christmas that early? But now, I get it.
I start planning my Christmas card designs in the summer! I have to, because I know my process. I tend to take my time with drawing, and then there’s preparing everything for print, sending it off to the print shop, and doing a quality check when the cards arrive. If something’s off, resolving it can be a lengthy process, especially with deadlines looming. Since I also do B2B, I need to allow retailers enough time to stock up and sell before the holiday season. So, yeah… my Christmas really does start in the summer.
2. Markets Don’t Always Work
After trying several markets, I’ve come to some realizations:
a. My products are too niche for general craft markets
I’ve had people come by my booth who were more interested in the booth decor than the products—they had never seen a d20 before or heard of people bringing custom keyboards to work!
b. There are too many competitors
This might seem to contradict my first point, but it applies to my greeting cards. At most markets, there’s no shortage of greeting card vendors, and their designs are often more universal than mine, appealing more to the general public.
So, I’ve learned to focus on markets that are better suited to my products—like comic conventions and geeky markets.
3. Don’t Feel Guilty About Pricing
I want my prices to be fair—not too high, but not too low either. I’ve had people at markets mention that my products seem pricey, but I’ve done my research, and for me, the prices are fair. Growing my business means I need to make a profit because this is more than a hobby. Shifting to this mindset wasn’t easy, and I’m sure I’m not alone in that.
So these were 3 important things that I've learned since starting GummyPinkGraphics.
Click here to check out my Christmas collection!
