Let’s face it, when you run your own business it can be incredibly difficult to think ahead to the next seasonal gifting occasion when you’re busy selling your products in the current season. Production planning for seasonal gifts can be crucial to small creative businesses.
You’re the designer, maker, chief of staff, marketer, the buyer and operations manager… to name a few! And you did all this so you could enjoy the freedom of being your own boss, but then being tied to gifting deadlines doesn’t feel so freeing and creative does it?
One way you can meet those deadlines without overwhelm is by building a relationship with your production partners. This will really help you when it comes to planning your production for the year. Here are five steps to help you get started with your production planning for the year and how to start building a relationship with your production partner at the same time.
It might sound like the most obvious first step and one you’ve probably already done but if you’re like me and just added personal dates on like birthdays, any planned holidays and school holidays and then left the rest, you might want to work on your business dates too… maybe even get a separate calendar for your business like I’ve done this year, specifically for marketing from https://www.hicommunications.co.uk/
Take a look at the seasonal gifting dates you’d like to produce collections for and start out by marking them on there to build out your production planning dates for seasonal gifts. Think about your more popular gifting dates for sales and start with your most important occasions.
At what point before that launch date would you need to have photographs and product descriptions ready? Book those photo shoots in if you need someone to help you with product photographs or mark the dates for now.
Then work backwards from the photoshoot date to figure out when you would need to send the initial sample request to suppliers and then the actual larger order once the initial sample has been received and approved.
Don’t underestimate the time that ordering samples can take, overestimate for busier periods, issues with artwork files or even postal issues. If you have a tight deadline, plan the extra time for any potential issues, especially if you have a photoshoot booked in that you’ve paid a deposit on or can’t be moved.
Ask what their current turnaround time is. Join their newsletter or ask if they have a production calendar available or if you could be informed of turnaround times each quarter. Every supplier will work differently, find out how yours works. We have a newsletter (regular updates pending – sign up here) and a production calendar (view this here), the turnaround time is also on our website and on our auto response email.
I can’t speak for every supplier but I want to support as many customers as I can. I really dislike turning people away in our busier times. If I know in advance when you expect to be placing a larger order we can work together to get that scheduled.
Once you have these dates marked on your calendar you’ll have given yourself artwork and design deadlines which really helps when you start to plan in home life, admin and holidays. You can start to see on the calendar in front of you where you’re tight for time and even where you might need to ask for help or design set up from your production partner.
With your plan for the year in place you will hopefully find that it helps to hold you accountable, if that’s something you struggle with. Being a small business owner, you often don’t have the accountability that you might as a designer in a larger business, putting things in place to keep you focussed will mean you don’t miss those cut off dates for production and you get to launch that product you’ve always wanted to!
Once you’ve got your plan in place get in touch with your suppliers to speak to them about any deadlines you’re currently working towards. Have your sketches, dimensions and material information ready and submit the information in plenty of time for your suppliers to review and get back to you.
We put a call out for some tips for production planning for seasonal gifts on Instagram and had some fantastic tips from some of our customers.
Laura Barnes, a textile designer and illustrator who has been working with us on her fantastic range of foodie wooden decorations said “My main tip would be to start early!! Earlier than you think. And also think about what’s done well this year and think about how you can build on that for next year.
Reflecting on your successes and failures from the previous year along with your planning for new designs is essential to work out what worked and what didn’t and how you can build on that each year.”
https://www.laurabarnes.co.uk/
Maura from the Messy Brunette who makes amazing jewellery with our UV printed sheets said ‘plan ahead, like way ahead’.
You can send us any project idea at any time, whether you’re looking at production planning for seasonal gifts dates or not. If you’ve got a project in mind and want a price we’re happy to chat, there’s absolutely no obligation to go ahead with us.
There’s no minimum order quantity with our laser cutting service or UV print and cut service. You can make one off test sample or a order for thousands and anywhere in between.
My main aim when setting up my business 12 years ago was to create a service that was accessible for customers who didn’t have the volumes to order abroad or even didn’t have the knowledge to set up the files themselves.
We work with a variety of customers in so many different ways, we can be flexible to your requirements as much as possible.
Working backwards from a deadline will often give you scope to take pre-orders from customers before placing a larger order with us so you can gauge interest and have a better idea of order quantities to avoid over ordering.
If you’d like to work with us this year and are planning your production for the year, we have a production calendar which we’ve created to show any workshop closures, bank holidays where we are closed and any recommended last order dates before those closures.
This isn’t definitive, but it’s a guide to help, these dates may change.
Here’s the link to our production calendar.
We work with so many wonderful customers that are juggling home life and more alongside their business. Kate from Daphne Rosa is an inspiration, she has built a beautiful brand and the business has flourished (yes pun intended, check out her beautiful flower designs) and grown through planning and hard work. Kate has worked with us since 2018 and said “Start earlier than you think you need to!’. Which I think we can all relate too.
Our last tip comes from Anna from https://andhopedesigns.com/
“My top tip is to at the very least write down ideas of what to make when it’s still Christmas. Because when it’s time to design stuff in spring and summer, you’ll have no inspiration as it’s warm and the last thing on your mind is Christmas. Whereas during December and January, you can see what items you’re missing, what you want to have in for next year, what would fit well with what you already have and what people are searching for. It’s then much easier to get back into the groove of designing and making when the time to do that arrives. In spring, look for suppliers and check turnaround times so you don’t miss the boat. And have everything ready way earlier than you think. People are already Christmas shopping in October.”
Thanks to the lovely women who contributed tips for this post and thank you for taking the time to read my post about production planning for seasonal gifts.
If you have anything to add or any questions please get in touch.
Laura & the Bespoke Laser UK team.
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