Tools For Staying Organized Without Going Crazy

It's easy to become overwhelmed with promoting yourself and your business, especially with all the social media outlets which are supposed to make your life easier.  When I create a listing on my shop, I share it with Facebook and Twitter, pin it to Pinterest, upload the pictures to a online fibre community which I then link back to my listing.  Share the listing with relevant groups within the community, post about it on Instagram and update my website.  This takes a colossal amount of time and that's just for ONE listing.  I really needed a quicker way to share my updates so that I could get back to creating.

There are several programs and apps offered that will schedule posts for you or share on Pinterest, or tell you who to follow - or unfollow on Twitter.  Etsy also has a page devoted to apps that will help.  If you go into your "Shop Stats" and scroll down, to the right you will see a section for Education and Support and in this area, there is a lot of useful information.  If you click on "Shop Apps", you will be taken to 10 pages worth of helpful tools to make your life easier.  

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I also find it helps to keep an agenda or planner handy.  I can keep track of my schedule, and see what is coming up a week or so in advance.  I can also plan my week ahead of time in case things start piling up on me come Tuesday. Planners are also great because if a new idea comes to me, I can quickly jot it down and have all these things in one place.  I used to grab little bits of paper to write down my plans or to-do lists but once I tucked them away in my purse, I forgot about them or they got lost in the shuffle and when I wanted to know what that great idea was - poof, it's gone.  The notes I have left, I have pinned on my bulletin board above my desk.  

It also doesn't hurt to sit down and think of a few things to keep your Facebook page or Blog active.  I found this list on Pinterest that might spark a few ideas for you.

Most importantly - take time to relax.  This will probably be the hardest part.  You don't want your passion to become a burden.  If you miss updating your shop with your newest product one day - it's ok. 
~ "It doesn't matter how slowly you are going, as long as you don't stop" Confucius