While for most people the build up to the holidays is about decorations, party planning, shopping, baking…and all sorts of other fun things…for me it’s about getting ready for cyber week and the flood of sales that come the weeks leading up to Christmas.
I have four vacation rentals properties that wrap around my house…that business keeps a roof over my head. But my online shops are how I support all of my Misfits. Last year my holiday season sales raised enough to cover nearly a years worth of vet bills (which is no small thing when you have senior and/or special needs cases).
I am so blessed to be able to work from home. It is rare that I ever have to leave my dogs
for more than a few hours. When I do head in to my home studio…all the babies come with me. I can take breaks during the day to get all the dog walking/play breaks done. I can always run out for vet appointments if I need to…it is really the best of both worlds. I couldn’t have scripted a better situation for all of us and I wake up every day excited to do my work and grateful for all the opportunities we have been able to take advantage of. I work hard; running multiple businesses, managing a very large property and caring for my rescues is like working 3 full-time jobs; I rarely rest. I also love it and couldn’t imagine my life any other way…
Learning to sell (well) online has taken years of hard work. I have had to learn product photography, online marketing, sourcing, branding, trademarking and more. I use professional business coaches that coach specifically online sellers; I never could have figured all of this out on my own. I have a fabulous group of cyber colleagues that I can
lean on for advice and moral support. Working alone from home can be…well lonely…(even when you have pets!).
I have two shops; Etsy and Amazon. The last two years my businesses have really transformed; in part due to starting a shop on Amazon…which has been a game changer for me. I never dreamed I would do the kind of volume I have done the last two years (especially for art). It has also connected me with a lot of really cool customers for my art. My anti-dog fighting art now hangs in several police stations around the country. I have also had several really neat features of my products done by bloggers and also HGTV (for my Pawty supplies).
I don’t even mind that my holiday season gets over taken by the busyness of my shops. There are a lot of fun things that I have to pass on this time of year because my shops often require 12+ hour days. But I still plan breaks to go see lights and to several of the outdoor holiday festivals in the area. I also find a lot of joy in wrapping up my holiday sales. Most of my sales this time of year are personalized pet ornaments or ornaments for dog moms. I enjoy making and sending little packages of joy to dogs and their moms.
If your looking for a gift ornament for a pet or pet lover in your life; check out my shops! You can use coupon code “PAWSOME” for 10% off your order.
Here is a gallery of some of my holiday ornaments they are all available for $14.99 (free shipping) at my shops:
Rescue On!
Nancy