There was definitely a pull-back in spending as the year went on. Several customers reached out to say they weren’t going to be purchasing as much, because of the price of things (I sell hobby supplies with a primarily female customer group).

The past 3 1/2 years, it has kind of been FULL STEAM AHEAD, just shoveling orders out as fast as I can, ordering in huge quantities of things (as all of it would sell), and working so many hours.

Now that I have a chance to breathe, I am starting to go through the adjustment of less on my plate, which honestly, feels really good, as I have free time to make meals, clean and organize, and just relax. I am starting to clear out inventory that is “stale.” And planning what to do next year to keep the business alive (working with creative friends who are going to do exclusive products for me, creating more online content – videos, Instagram, newsletters, and doing more creating myself.

I don’t see all of this as a “problem,” necessarily. Just a new challenge, and I have a lot of ideas for keeping things alive. I have spent the last 5 years really building my brand and reputation, and I believe I can weather a downturn in customer spending just fine.