Now to build your main office binder using a 3" binder. You can use this binder for all of your shops, or make one for each shop. I'm going to start with one main binder.
The Sections I Use:
I. Important Info
business EIN, business name info stuff
account passwords log {link will be in printables post later}
II. Finances
=supplies bought invoice subsection
receipts for supplies {Walmart, Joanns}
invoices for supplies bought online
=monthly invoice subsection
bank statements
Etsy bill invoice
PayPal monthly invoice if any supplies or transactions
= Items Sold subsection:
{{ create this section for each shop }}
each transaction= 1 page protector
Etsy invoice
Etsy listing page w/ supply info wrote on back
PayPal invoice
USPS receipt
USPS tracking receipt
info about supplies + costs wrote on back of last page in protector/item listing page
=profit/loss page of bookkeeping
printed yearly
*ex. business income & expenses for the month
*ex. business income & expenses for the year
III. Marketing
=Packaging
page protector of examples from items you buy
page protector of examples of packaging you have used for your shop
ideas lists, drawings, cost comparisons
=Promos
sales, coupon codes, giveaways idea list
sales, coupon codes, giveaways you've done list; print the page with your example
like print your giveaway blog post you did on your/someone else's blog
or your blog page for the free pdf for signing up with your newsletter
=Newsletter
=advertisements
=social media
IV. Suppliers
could divide by item type or just list them, and items you usually buy from them
V. Branding/Brand Building
subsection for each shop
media kit, shop design, your voices, ideas
VI. Fairs/Craft shows
booth decor/setup ideas
Document your experiences
what you used, how to setup, what you brought {non product wise-like tools, tables, sheets, etc}, products your brought-what sold, what got attention, what was frowned upon, price reactions,
how was the show- slow/busy/fun, interactions you had, booth pictures, test setup at home
VII. Shop Statistics
overview by the years
(( most of this i keep on the computer {and burn to dvd monthly} since each file would be 13+ pages printed out, but the year by year overview is good to print for here ))
VIII. Business Recipe book {standard operating procedures}
shipping
marketing- giveaways, social media, advertising, media kit
networking- Etsy teams
creating
photography
etc
the steps you take for each task that has worked for you!
IX. Shop Inventory
X. Shops Planning + Goals
ideas about the biz {not product ideas, that goes in the workshop binder}
where you want to end up
to do lists
year by year: thoughts {what worked/didn't work, enjoyed, hated, wishes, etc}
Tips for Use of the Main Binder:
-As this binder gets full move the older stuff to your Main Decade Binder. Like the item financial invoices, old blog post planning pages from previous years
-You don't have to use the exact same categories as me, you can pick and choose. You are also free to change the font styles.
Your Assignment This Week:
1. Print the dividers that you intend to use, or design your own.
2. Gather supplies in front of you.
binder{s}, plastic dividers, printed dividers
3. Gather all paperwork for this binder.
doesn't have to be every piece right now, just what you already have on hand
4. Start sorting!
-Lay out all your printed paper dividers on a clean table or floor
-then place the plastic dividers over them
-start piling your paperwork on their appropriate pile
This method lets you see everything, and it gets sorted now.
For a quick assembly just put your dividers in order now, then add your paperwork as you can.
5. Put everything in the binder!
This binder system won't work if you don't keep everything in one spot.
6. Now that all your papers + dividers are sorted, lets print up the tabs for the plastic dividers.
Change the words if you like. Then put them in. The Avery website has the templates for the tabs.
Come back next Monday to work on the decade version of the office binder!
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