Embracing New Beginnings: A Year in Review
I can’t believe that 2024 is almost over. What a year it has been! Here are a few of the highlights of 2024: We welcomed a new member to our family with my grandson's wedding in July. In the spring, I went on a cruise with my two granddaughters, my youngest daughter, and her husband. We also had our annual apple-picking outing in Elijay, Georgia. I attended most of my oldest granddaughter’s dance recitals and took a fall vacation with my sister and her husband. Finally, I fell in love—with a dog!
Now for Business…
This year, I launched two new online shops: MakerPlace by Michaels and Goimagine. In my main Etsy shop, we have reached a total of 43,625 sales to date and maintained a five-star rating, consistently earning the Star Seller Badge. My second Etsy shop, SND Printables, saw a 98% increase in sales this year after a decline last year. While sales in my primary Etsy shop have decreased, I'm pleased to report that sales on my website have increased by 80%.
My daughter, Alison, and I have been busy upgrading and optimizing Susan Newberry Designs. We transitioned from Squarespace 7.0 to 7.1. Initially, this process seemed straightforward, but due to the large number of images and products, it took more time than expected. Once I figured it out with some help from Squarespace support, the process turned out to be quite easy!
I spent a significant amount of time seeking help on YouTube, following experts like Kara Buntin, Nancy Badillo, Big Cat Creative, Rebekah Read Creative, and Henry Fortune. I’m grateful for the suggestions I received from each of them. Am I finished? Not at all. However, my goal is to grow my website, and I feel more confident that I can achieve that goal.
I don’t want to forget learning how to use my Cricut machine. I just love days when I can create and have fun. This past year, I made quite a few shadow boxes (and even sold a few), learned how to use heat transfer vinyl or HTV, made gifts such as bookmarks and key chains, made custom signs, and more. Thanks to Jennifer Maker for inspiring me and creating easy-to-follow lessons. I’m looking forward to expanding in 2025.
Last week, my uncle asked me why I haven’t retired yet, especially since I am 69 years old! I honestly can’t imagine not working. In fact, I find it enjoyable. I have always loved the design aspect of my work, but I’ve always found the technical side a bit challenging. However, this year, I’ve learned quite a bit, including SEO best practices, what a meta tag is, how to do 301 redirects, and how to add code to my website. Despite this progress, I still have a lot to learn, which brings me to my goals for 2025. You’ll have to wait until next week to hear more about those!
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Thanks for stopping by.
Until next time…
