Hi there. It's Sue. And thanks for joining me for tips and talk day. These are bite-sized topics that I pull from community questions and things that I'm observing in the world of handmade small business. If you'd like to submit a topic, DME, over on Instagram at gift biz unwrapped, I was 12, I think, old enough to plan and purchase Christmas gifts without my mom checking on me, I felt so grown up and particularly loved the wrapping part.
I'd set up shop on a card table in my mom and dad's bedroom in front of the TV and watch a holiday movie while rapping. Of course, I got such satisfaction with folding the paper just right. So the corners were really tight and the best was when I completed a seal with the holiday design that ran seamlessly from one side to the other. Even today, I will say I'm a wrapping pro that particular year.
We had exchanged presence in the morning within the immediate family, my mom, dad, brother, and me, and on Christmas afternoon, my extended family came over and there was a gift exchange. Then to being the youngest, I distributed all the gifts. There were only a couple per person, not huge piles of gifts or anything had there been, my oversight may have gone overlooked, but I wasn't that lucky as we were exchanging gifts, my mom asked, what did you give uncle Jack Sue?
The whole family turned and looked at me. And then at his small gift stash, I looked under the tree for my gift to him. Perhaps I missed it when I was passing out presence, not there. Did I forget to wrap it? I quickly ran up to my bedroom closet where I had stored my holiday gifts. Not there either. My heart started racing. Is it possible that I didn't get uncle Jack that traditional holiday tie I had intended? Okay. No judging my gift choice.
This was years ago and my uncle was a lot older than me. Horror of horrors. Sure enough. There was no present for my uncle and I had to go back downstairs and confess that I'd messed up. I was mortified and right then and there decided this would never, ever happen to me again. And it hasn't little did I know back then, but at that young age, I created my first process, a system to run through each and every holiday season to ensure all gifts are purchased, wrapped and ready.
Over the years, it's been perfected and adjusted to include more adult elements of gift giving and holiday planning, but it's been a lifesaver. And I want to share it with you today. You may not think this is a very business related topic. As most of the things that we cover here on this podcast are, but it really is. I'm sure you've heard about the value of adding processes and systems in your business. So things run smoothly.
And if you haven't, I bet you have them set up without even knowing it. When you make your products, you follow a step-by-step process, same with filling orders and a number of other tasks that you do that are necessary for your business to function properly. You may just not have them formalized and written down right now. When you do have a structured process, projects become so much easier because you don't have to rethink your steps. You only have to follow them.
I have processes for lots of things in business from order processing to blog writing and promoting podcast creation and production. And of course, social media posting. So you're probably not surprised. Now, when I tell you that I have a process for holiday gift planning, and guess what I want to share with you? The holiday gifting worksheet I created and use every single year. It keeps me organized insane. When it comes to holiday presence, this is totally free.
My gift to you, and you can download your worksheet at gift biz, unwrapped.com forward slash gift planner, no opt-in or anything. The link send you directly to the worksheet when you grab your copy. Here's what you'll see first, right at the top is a place for you to put your holiday gifting budget. I've found. I stay way more in control of my expenses. When I start out with a solid number in mind of what I'll be spending, do I always stay in budget?
Not always, but I don't get way out of control either. And then spend months into the next year scrimping to cover my holiday generosity. Next comes a form where you can list all the people who will be receiving gifts from you this year, family, friends, even your employees can go on this list or you can make a separate worksheet entirely for your business. If you'd like after each name comes my estimated dollar amount of what I'd like to spend for each gift next, the actual cost.
Once it's purchased a description of what the gift is, and then a place to keep track when the gift has been ramped, mailed, or otherwise completed, I don't have to tell you how satisfying it is to mark off progress. By checking these boxes, continuing down the form. There are also sections for gifts for those who provide services throughout the year, think of your mail carrier, yoga instructor, or whoever you choose to acknowledge with a holiday gift.
Even if it's an added holiday tip, this is still a holiday expense that you may forget about. And finally, I also include a category for holiday decor. Okay. Admission here. My house looks like a Christmas gift shop. I don't even know how many trees I have up only one main real tree, but others throughout the whole house and decorations in every corner when Hanukkah and Christmas fall at the same time, I admit it overboard.
But my treat to myself is to add something new to the house every year, sometimes it's little last year, it was a photo of Santa where it lights up from the back. Have you seen those photos that are popular now with all the little lights? They're almost like little Christmas lights that show up within the imprint of the photo. It's so cute. It sits on my kitchen counter and just makes me smile. There are other items in my decor category too.
This is where I put things like holiday cards, wrapping paper and bows hostess gifts. Oh, here's a hint. I always buy a number of hostess gifts early in the season to have ready and waiting. So I don't need to go out the day of a party and find something. If I have hostess gifts left over after the holidays. Well, I always find some way to use them. Also. I always have a gift or two ready, wrapped and waiting.
If someone gives me a present that I wasn't expecting, I can say, oh, I have something for you to let me go get it. I just add their name to the gift tag and I'm offering it to them in seconds. It's a great backup plan. Listen, anything done in advance that can avoid potential. Embarrassment is the way I roll. This was my commitment to myself. Way back when I was 12 and to saving and referencing the prior year's gift planning worksheet is also really helpful.
You can adjust your gift giving easiest when you know what you did last year and let's face it. You aren't going to remember 12 months later. So having this worksheet to reference is great for moving forward for the current holiday season. Anyway, if you'd like to use my system here, it is for you for free. Just go to gift biz, unwrapped.com forward slash gift planner. Oh, and happy holiday gifting. That's a wrap. I'm a get to the point kind of girl.
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