Hi there.
It's Sue.
And thanks for joining me for tips and talk day.
These are bite-sized topics that I pull from community questions and
things that I'm observing in the world of handmade small business.
If you'd like to submit a topic,
DME over on Instagram at gift biz unwrapped,
before we get into the show today,
I want to make sure that you know about the newest
thing happening over here.
It's called the gift biz bash a zoom party that turns
into a podcast episode.
Several weeks later,
the party consists of a short training with Q and a
from yours truly.
And then an opportunity for you to give a shout out
about your business.
You can tell us about a promotion you currently have going
on or share a collaboration that you're considering so that you
can find a perfect partner for the event.
A little bit of learning and visibility for your business.
What could be better?
There is a catch though spots are limited to keep the
party to about 45 minutes or so.
That means you should grab your spot right away.
It's totally free to make sure you're included.
Why not do that right now?
Pause this episode,
go to gift biz,
unwrapped.com forward slash bash to sign up and then come back
and listen to the show.
I'll see you at the bash.
Would you categorize yourself as a procrastinator?
When I think about people,
I know I can see how they do lean one way
or another on the extremes.
There's the excessive planner,
someone who has everything buttoned up way before a due date.
And then there's the,
get it done at the last minute style.
I fall fully on the plan ahead side.
I like to eliminate as many surprises and rush jobs as
possible, but of course we come in all shapes and sizes.
I'm not saying one is better than another.
However, I do think it's valuable to consider when not only
is it okay,
but you should ignore your natural tendencies and do things differently.
This topic came up for me as I was observing how
different people prepared for a recent event.
I participated in each of us had roles to play and
responsibilities to fulfill.
We all willingly volunteered for these roles.
So there was no arm twisting or be grudgingly agreeing to
participate. You know how that can be.
Sometimes the event grew near and one person in particular waited
until the last minute to do everything.
It was kind of okay,
since it didn't affect else's participation.
And I just thought,
gosh, not my style,
but whatever,
no judgment at all,
until afterwards,
this person let's call her Janice thought through,
but never fully prepared for her presentation.
Consequently, the result was not what she wanted.
And she was really upset with herself for days afterwards,
just to give you an idea,
the lighting and the camera angles were off and for a
virtual meeting,
that's super important.
Of course,
she never did a run-through to practice her timing.
So she didn't even get to some of the major points
in her program.
And there were other things too,
but you get the idea.
This left her feeling really bad about herself.
She couldn't shake it and as innocent a mistake as it
was, who needs that?
The only thing I can think is Janice has learned through
this crisis.
So hopefully next time she'll do it differently today.
I want to help prevent you from experiencing the horrible situation
Janice went through because these things are avoidable and it doesn't
mean you have to completely switch to being a plan ahead
person. In fact,
there are times when it's important to prepare ahead and also
times when there's an advantage to waiting until the last minute.
I bet you didn't see that coming.
So here are the guidelines for when you should and when
you should not procrastinate,
when it's okay to procrastinate.
The first is when an event is far enough in the
future, that there's no reason to begin thinking about the prep
yet. Maybe you've signed up for a craft show and that
isn't happening until six months from now.
You can set a reminder in your calendar for when you
should start finalizing things,
but it doesn't have to be done.
Now another time when Delaine makes sense is when all the
details aren't available yet you've agreed to conduct a workshop or
be on a podcast.
You don't have all the information yet.
So to plan ahead,
based on assumptions could actually result in rework,
which takes up more time.
Of course you may not know how long you'll have where
the event is to be held yet.
Anything like that in situations like this,
wait until you have all the information you need so that
you can prepare properly.
And only once another time when it's okay to procrastinate is
if it's something that you've done before you have experience with
the task at hand.
So you only need to tweak a few things and virtually,
then you'll be ready to go.
For example,
if you've done shows before,
so you know the process,
you know,
your table set up how you want to display,
how you are going to get everything to this shows,
check out all of those things.
The updates in the final details can wait.
And finally,
you can procrastinate when the cost of error is low,
whatever said project or task is needs to be done,
but it's not something that is significant enough to require a
lot of forethought,
perhaps none at all.
Some things can just be done on the fly.
Now let's get to things when it is not okay to
procrastinate. Number one,
when it's your first time doing something,
you definitely want to plan ahead for your first craft show.
There's a lot to do.
You need to plan your display,
your checkout system,
promotion signs,
pricing. All of these things are a first and you want
time to think through and create also think of networking meetings.
It's a good idea to think through your introduction message.
This is my term for an elevator speech and not leave
it to chance when it's your turn to get up and
speak. You're new at this.
And don't want to miss the valuable opportunity to make a
good impression and present you and your business in the best
way possible.
Another time not to procrastinate is if the tech is brand
new to you,
maybe you're doing your first Facebook live selling show or an
Instagram live where you're going to be bringing on a guest.
You want it to go smoothly.
It makes all the sense in the world to practice the
tech and have your content outlined or even scripted.
You'll feel more confident.
And your execution of the event will come off professional.
How about formal presentations or workshops,
even if you've done presentations before,
if this is a new one,
you'll want to do at least one or two dry runs
to perfect.
Your speaking nuances,
transitions from slide to slide or topic to topic.
Also the timing.
So you get all your information across and leave time for
Q and a.
Here's an important one.
Don't procrastinate when others need your input to move forward on
their tasks.
Have you ever been part of a committee and your responsibilities
can't start until someone else has completed their portion.
If they procrastinate your left waiting.
And when they finally finish their part,
you're scrambling to complete yours.
I've been in this situation a number of times,
and it's so frustrating and disrespectful.
It also left me with a negative opinion and certainly no
interest in doing projects with that person ever again.
Don't be that person.
And finally,
you don't ever want to procrastinate when there's a lot riding
on the project or event.
This can either mean financially or personally,
where performing poorly can risk the reputation of your business or
your image overall procrastination.
It's not a dirty word and there's a time and a
place to go with your natural style and a time to
push in the other direction.
Don't end up like Janice,
kicking yourself for not applying the right actions and leaving your
results up to chance.
It's simply not worth it.
That's a wrap.
I'm a get to the point kind of girl.
And this is what you can expect from these quick mid-week
sessions. Now it's your turn go out and fulfill that dream
of yours.
Share your handmade products with us.
We want them and they bring us both so much happiness.