Three keys to launch

A little back story.

After years of pursuing art as a hobby, creating custom cards for friends and family, and much encouragement, I decided to share my art with the world.

What made me pull the trigger to pursue an online small business? I quit my 9-5 job.

Choosing a new path in life opens up new opportunities. My new path offered me scheduling flexibility and brain space to channel energy into being creative. But it wasn’t an automatic thing– I had three keys to launch.

1) Deadlines. Two weeks before Christmas, I hosted a December pop-up shop, which created the perfect deadline for designing, printing, and staging my cards.

2) Bravery. It felt vulnerable to share my artwork, it felt risky to make an investment in printing, and it felt scary that I could do it wrong. These fears kept from moving forward for far too long. With my newfound deadline, I finally had the courage to visit my local print shop (Peak Printing in St. Paul– they are amazing!). If I didn’t have the deadline, I could keep making excuses.

3) Support. I didn’t do the December pop-up shop alone. I connected with fellow creatives (a jeweler and supporter of artisan women’s goods). It was so fun to partner with these gals and just plain thrilling seeing people walking into the snowy day with new their new, handmade items.

Launching a small, e-commerce business is something I never thought I would do, but I’m finding it to be incredibly challenging and fulfilling.

What keys have worked in your life to start something new?