Work Hours + Etsy Updates

This email contains referral links. See my disclosures.

In an ideal world, how many hours a day would you work in your business?

This is a question I ask myself at the close of every summer as I plan my fall work schedule. It’s a challenge to balance the demands of running a business and managing the needs of a family, but I’ve discovered that a little planning and intentionality can go a long way.

Each fall, I create an ideal time blocking schedule where I carve out time for myself, for family, and for work. This year the ideal time blocking schedule looks something like this:

As you can see, I’m setting aside less than 5 hours of “work time" a day – and that includes squeezing lunch in somewhere.

Seeing my time blocks reminds me that I can't do all. the. things. I have to make choices.

I also have a work hours goal in mind for the week. If I’m not hitting that goal, then my business plans will suffer, and I need to re-evaluate how I’m using my time.

I’m sure you’re wondering: Does life happen exactly this way every day? No, but it gives me a framework for my day rather than just winging it.

I first learned about time blocking from Amy Lynn Andrews' book, Tell Your Time. You can find it on my Amazon Influencer Page under Business Books. It’s only $2.99, but it provides a helpful introduction to the concept of time blocking if you haven’t tried it.

If you do time blocking, hit reply and let me know. I’m curious to hear about it!

Small Business Updates and Tools

Etsy Sellers and Shoppers

Etsy has announced steps to keep the shopping platform “special.” I am very much in favor of this! Sellers and shoppers alike don’t want Etsy to become just another platform full of mass produced goods.

Everyone

I love Loom, and use it all the time to film YouTube tutorials, document training materials for my bookkeepers, and create instructional videos for clients. But Loom costs almost $200 a year.

If you need a tool like Loom, but don’t have the budget to spend that kind of money, consider Konvey, a featured product on AppSumo. A lifetime subscription to Konvey costs way less than only one year of Loom, and the reviews are amazing.

This Week's Featured Business

This week’s featured business is Tina of Wreaths of Bloom. Tina makes beautiful wreaths, many perfect for fall.

Which one is your favorite? This has to be mine! Forget Target, support a small business for your fall decor!

If you would like to sponsor the newsletter and have your business featured, please fill out this form.

On a Personal Note

As you can see from my time blocking, I love to read! If you love to read too, follow me on Goodreads to see some of my favorite books.

Talk soon!

Sarah