Tis the Season to be Jolly

Are you looking at this tree and thinking has she gone nuts? It's 90 degrees outside and I am sweating in the shade. I'm thinking about pools and sandals, not Christmas trees and scarves.

Time to wake up then. If you are selling online, actually the holiday season starts toward the end of August, if you include Halloween, even if you don't, by mid October your store should be fully packed with all your Christmas goodies. Truth be told, even though you'll find a few last minute shoppers, most people start earlier to allow for shipping just to allow for shipping. They are also willing to snatch up holiday items early just because they hadn't thought of it.

This doesn't just mean holiday themed items. Sales really can go up in that last quarter of the year. If you have some special pieces you've been postponing, now is the time to get them posted. Don't let the holidays find you with an empty studio.

My experience last year wasn't the pattern I was expecting. Even though I've sold online several years and last year was the first time I got involved in the actual holiday selling-wise. My sales peaked through October and November, with a only a few going into December. Last year Artfire gave Black Friday a big push, those trending categories are still there; I'm sure they will again this year. They can do so much, like promo labels and making trending categories- it's up to you to use them.

So even though it is August in the real world, in the virtual world, the Christmas season is almost here!!!