A Little Plan for a Big Month

Alright, here we go!  Today is the beginning of Module 2 in Praxis, and it’s a big month.  

If you haven’t already, read my last post, it explains more about what we’re doing. 

Basically, we have to complete a big portfolio project in one month.  I struggled for a while with whether I truly wanted to go with a podcast or open and market a Shopify store.  Even though doing a podcast would still be really cool and I’ll probably do it in the future, I decided to go with Shopify.  

You may be wondering why I chose to go in that direction.  I’m a big believer in listening to your gut.  My gut screamed at me when I almost decided to pursue sales, and convinced me to back out.  My gut was much, much quieter when it came to choosing the right project, and I was almost completely set on a podcast.  There was a little bit of stress and nervousness with that decision, but nothing compared to when I thought I should go into sales.  However, when I settled on opening the Shopify store that little bit of stress and worry reduced.  It’s still there a little bit, but I don’t hear anything definitive from my gut.  

So, a Shopify store.  It’s kinda scary.  What if my shop takes too long to set up?  What if the product/niche I choose isn’t profitable?  What if I spend money on FaceBook ads but no one clicks and no one buys?  That’s money down the drain for me.  What if?  What if?  What if?

What if I just deal with that as it happens?

Yeah, that sounds pretty good.  I’m just gonna do that.

Still, having a plan isn’t a bad idea.  

I’ve almost settled on a product/niche.  I read in one article that you should sell something you’d want to buy.  That way, you already have confirmation from one real person that it’s something people would actually want to buy.

My idea is to open a shop called “CoziGurls” (CozyGirls was taken by some YouTubers).  It will be filled with strictly warm and comfortable clothes for girls.  I personally always shop for warm and comfortable clothes in the winter, as I currently live in Maine and spend a lot of time working at home.  I think it’s a good balance between being a niche product and not too specific.  

Choosing a supplier will be difficult, but I’ve arranged a zoom call with another Praxis participant who’s had experience with Shopify and I’ll get the inside scoop from her.  Who knows?  Maybe there are no good suppliers for quality comfort clothes for women, and I’ll have to choose something else.  

But enough with the “what if’s” and concerns, what’s my plan for the month?  

By the end of the month I’ll have opened 1 Shopify store, have run at least 10 different ads, and documented the whole process through blog posts and screenshots.

This project will give me direct experience marketing, will force me to learn quickly, and to play around with what works and what doesn’t.  There is also a certain amount of pressure that comes with my project, so it’ll show how I perform with a deadline and while under pressure.

1. The first week I will have researched as much as I can, chosen a product to sell, and have opened my Shopify store.  
2. The second week I’ll have perfected the store (content, appearance, etc.) and hopefully designed and run my first ad.    
3. The third week I’ll have run several more ads, done research on how to get people to click, and dealt with any issues in the store, etc.  
   
4. If all is running smoothly so far, I’ll expand the store, set up coupon codes and discounts, and run at least three more ads.  

I’ve done a lot of worrying about challenges in this post, but I expect my biggest challenge will be figuring out how to get people to actually click on an ad and ultimately buy the product.  However, even if no one buys anything, I’ll still have learned a great deal.

Enough with the concerns, though.  I’m fairly confident in my endeavor because I’ve tinkered with FaceBook ads before to market my books.  I’m also a very determined individual, so if something’s not working I’ll find something that does.  

I’ll be posting regular updates here at least once a week, so stay tuned and wish me luck!