13 Small Business Lessons You Can Learn From My Record-Breaking Year As A Greeting Card Designer

I always like to write an end-of-year blog to sum up how the year has gone for my small greeting card business, Jess A Little Creative, but for 2024 I thought I’d turn it into a list of lessons for creative small business owners, full of useful and interesting nuggets of information.

2024 has been a great year for my small business, and I am so grateful. I run Jess A Little Creative, my small greeting card business, from my home studio in Cheltenham, alongside working as a freelance graphic designer and illustrator.

Juggling the two is a challenge, but I really enjoy the diversity of creative work it gives me. This year I have seen sales of my greeting cards nearly double, as well as bookings for my freelance graphic design work increase. I’ve spent the year working on highly enjoyable and rewarding projects, which has been wonderful. 

I have been running my small business since 2020, and this year I kind of finally feel like I’ve got my sh*t together a bit, and don’t feel quite so clueless anymore. Don’t get me wrong, there is still so much to learn, but I’m definitely feeling less like a deer in headlights. 

And so I wanted to share some of my learnings from this lovely year in business I have had, in the hopes it may help you too (as well as give you the inside scoop on what I’ve been working on all year!) 

So here are some of 2024’s learnings…

 

1. Starting small and making mistakes is not only ok, but totally normal

As small business owners, we constantly have so many ideas, things we want to achieve, goals we want to hit. But when you run a small business alone, you have to accept that there is only so much you can do. And that is ok!

There will also be many many things you don’t know, and sometimes the only way to learn is by trial and error, and making mistakes. This is all a super important part of running a small business, and helps you grow. 

When I started my small business in 2020, I naively set up worldwide shipping on my Etsy store not knowing what I was doing, and after a few orders went missing (whether that was due to my lack of knowledge or an unreliable postal system I still don’t know), I decided to focus solely on UK sales.

But I knew that decision meant cutting off a huge amount of potential customers.

So in 2024, I decided to re-introduce international shipping, but I started small, shipping only to the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, in addition to the UK.

Touch wood, it’s been working and I have gained some very lovely international customers. Starting small meant I regained some confidence, and making the mistakes in the first place taught me a lot. It’s all part of the process.

 

2. Setting realistic goals is vital for success

As a small business owner with big dreams and ambitions, it can be easy to set huge, unrealistic goals, and then feel deflated if you don’t achieve them. And that can often leave you feeling less motivated.

If you keep your goals actionable, and realistic, you are more likely to actually do the work to achieve them, as it doesn’t feel so daunting. Reminder again that you are only one person!

This year I decided to release two wholesale catalogues for my greeting card business; one for Spring/Summer, and one for Autumn/Winter. I had released one wholesale catalogue in 2023, so upping it to two couldn’t be so difficult, surely? What could possibly go wrong? 

Well actually, a lot. 

Turns out trying to design enough new greeting cards to release two wholesale catalogues, while working as a freelance graphic designer during the week and maintaining the day-to-day running of the greeting card business, was completely unrealistic.

It actually did the opposite of what I wanted it to do. I spent less time working on wholesale during 2024, as I was so overwhelmed by the task I’d set myself.

Next year, I’m being much more realistic. I plan to release one wholesale catalogue, and aim to spend 2-3 hours per week sending it to potential stockists. Small, manageable goals are the way forward!

 

3. You won’t be truly prepared for ‘going viral’ until it happens*

I am entering my fifth year in business, so I know roughly when my busy and quiet times will be, and can prepare accordingly. However, Q1 (January, February, March) of 2024 was way busier than other years, and I wasn’t expecting it, meaning I also wasn’t prepared for it. 

Don’t get me wrong, it was fabulous. My Valentine's Day cards and Mother's Day cards were flying out the door quicker than I could restock them! But I quickly had to streamline processes like writing thank you notes, packing orders, and ordering in materials, to keep up with the demand.

It was a lovely problem to have, as well as being a steep learning curve. And one that I think really you can only learn as it’s happening.

*I use the term ‘going viral’ loosely, as I can’t actually pinpoint why Q1 was so much busier for me. I hadn’t had a social media post go viral or anything like that, but by the sudden increase in orders, it certainly felt like a ‘going viral’ moment to me!

 

4. Growth is often messy and inconsistent

Growth often doesn’t look or feel how you’d expect when you run a small business. It’s often lots of small, incremental moments which result in overall business growth, rather than some huge pivotal moment that changes everything. At least, that's how it’s been for me. 

At the time of writing, I’ve achieved over 2200 Etsy sales, and nearly 800 five-star reviews. To me, this is a huge achievement, but it has not happened overnight, and compared to many other small businesses, these numbers are still tiny.

(I work as a freelance graphic designer alongside running the greeting card business, so my income is not solely coming from greeting card sales).

It would be easy for me to fall into the comparison trap and be disappointed that my sales aren’t higher. But 2024 has been my best year for greeting card sales, and to have had that during a year that has been so tough on so many small businesses, is quite the achievement. 

Don't compare your growth to anyone else’s. Just keep focused on what you’re doing, and celebrate your wins when they happen, big or small!

 

5. Quitting social media did not destroy my business

This is probably one of my ‘biggest’ moments of 2024 for my small business. I quit social media. 

Social media wasn’t a place that made me feel good. I was constantly comparing myself to other small businesses, and feeling on a never-ending hamster wheel of content creation. I was exhausted from it, and feeling stuck.

So I made the rather drastic decision to just not do it anymore. 

And despite this, I had my best year in business to date. 

If you want to read more about my departure from social media do check out this other blog post, where I talk about it in more detail: Why I Quit Instagram in 2024 (And Still Had My Best Year In Business!)

 

 

6. Finding inspiration from the right places is vital for motivation

It is so important when you run your own small business, to get inspiration and motivation from others. We all need some support on this crazy journey, it makes it so much harder trying to do it alone.

At the start of 2024, I started watching a few studio vlogs by other small businesses on YouTube, and I’ve become a bit obsessed!

I find them so interesting and inspiring. They really motivate me to crack on with my own work. They tend to follow other small business owners during day-to-day working life, so you get to see the true reality, rather than just a highlight reel of all the best bits. 

A few of my favourite vlogs are from: Emily Harvey Art, Coconutacha, Katnipp, and Dellie’s Designs. These amazing women are all at different stages of running their small businesses, but it is so interesting to watch and follow along.

Most of these small businesses are far more established than my own, yet it still gives me oodles of inspiration, without a hint of comparisonitis in sight!

So yes, finding your inspiration from the right places is vital. It could come from anywhere: social media, studio vlogs, networking events, there are endless options.

Find the thing that puts that fire in your belly. 

If anyone has other studio vlogs they recommend I check out, please let me know! 

 

7. Your working environment really matters

We spend a lot of our lives working, there’s no getting around it. And so it’s important to make your work environment as appealing and joyful as you can. 

I run my greeting card business, and work as a freelance graphic designer, from my home studio in Cheltenham, aka the spare bedroom. But during 2024, I transformed it from a spare bedroom, into more of a proper studio space for me. 

I finally bought some shelves to organise my greeting cards, and I also moved my desk to face the window. Seeing the sky every day gives me a huge boost, instead of staring at a beige wall like I was before!

I know I am hugely lucky to have a dedicated room to work in, and many do not have that luxury. But no matter where you work from, you can do little things to make it a nice space. Keeping it tidy and organised, lighting some candles, hanging a couple of pictures you like on the wall, to name just a few examples.

Changing up my work space has definitely made me feel more motivated and productive.

 

8. It’s ok to have multiple creative avenues to your business

Since starting in 2020, my small business has had two sides to it. Half of my time is spent on my greeting card business, and the other half is spent working as a freelance graphic designer and illustrator.

For a long time, I kept the two totally separate. I felt like having two different strands to the business was cheating. But this year, I’ve embraced the variety and it feels so good to have everything working together.

I added a page to my website advertising my freelance graphic design work, I talk to my design clients about the greeting card business, and I allow time to grow both sides of the business.

I love doing both, and having them work together has really helped others understand what I do, and allowed me to grow. I’ve worked on so many fun projects this year because of it!

So while a lot of advice out there tells you to find your niche, I’m kind of bucking that trend and saying actually it’s ok if you have multiple strings to your business bow.

(As long as you can effectively manage them both without burning yourself out).

 

9. Working on SEO will never be a waste of time

SEO is constantly on my to-do list, because it’s something that needs active care and attention on a regular basis. SEO is search engine optimisation, which basically means improving your website’s visibility in search engine results, to help you get found by your ideal customers.

My SEO guru is the wonderful Aime from Studio Cotton. I am a member of the Studio Cotton Clubhouse, and as well as being a supportive community of like-minded small business owners who cheer each other on, Aime has such a wealth of knowledge when it comes to SEO and small business websites, it’s been invaluable.

I regularly commit time to writing thorough product descriptions, interesting and useful blogs, and ensuring my website is kept updated. And the results are paying off, which is wonderful to see.

It is such an important task for any small business owner, and it’s not as difficult or scary as it may sound. I would highly recommend following someone like Studio Cotton who makes the whole process way simpler. 

 

10. It takes time to develop your style

As a freelance graphic designer, who also runs their own greeting card business, I often put a lot of pressure on myself to create 'perfect' greeting card designs. But finding and evolving a unique style takes time, designer or not.

I have been going back through some of my older greeting card designs during 2024 and updating them, as my illustration style changes and evolves. 

I have finally found my groove with my typographic greeting card designs, and to ensure the whole range feels cohesive, they need to be consistent. It's time-consuming, but so worth it. 

And I’m so glad I didn’t wait for my style to be 'perfect' to start. Spoiler: it will never feel perfect, so just go for it, and enjoy watching your work improve and evolve over time. It's a beautiful thing.

 

11. You have to run your business in the way that is right for you

I saw a lot of advice that a monthly email newsletter was a waste of time for small businesses as no one reads them. So I never used to send them. But that meant all my emails were 'sales-y', and I found I had more meaningful content to share than that.

So in 2024 I started a monthly ‘Little Creative Catch-Up’, where I fill my email subscribers in on the behind-the-scenes of my small business, and what’s been happening. 

It’s been a great way to keep my subscribers informed, and these emails tend to have the best open rates of any I send, so I’m hoping that means people enjoy reading them too.

You have to find your own way and figure out what works for you. You won’t know until you try these things. I’m not saying a monthly newsletter will be right for everyone, but for me it works, especially now I’m not on social media.

If you’d like to be part of my mailing list and receive my behind-the-scenes updates, please sign up here.

 

12. It’s never too late to start 

There is truly no better time to start, than right now.

It can be hard to find the ‘right time’ to do things in your small business. Anything that feels a bit different or scary can have excuses attached to it.

But just go for it and see what happens.

I’ve had Pinterest on my to-do list for years. I knew it would be a great place to market my small business, but I was pretty clueless about it, and already overwhelmed juggling everything else.

But this year I’ve finally put some time into learning and getting gemmed up on Pinterest, and 2025 will be the year I hit the ground running with pinning, and I’m super excited about it!

I may be ‘late’ to the Pinterest party, but I’m doing it anyway, as I know it's a good step for my small business.

 

13. You have to make the investments that feel right for you

Running your own small business often comes with risks, including financial ones. They can be scary to make, especially with the economy in its current state.

But trust yourself, that you totally know which are the right investments, and when is the right time to make them. No one else can make those decisions for you, and no one else should make those decisions for you. It’s far too personal and important.

I wanted to make a huge investment in my small business in 2024 by having a stand at a trade show, to help grow the wholesale side of my business.

I had visited some trade shows, chatted to other exhibitors, and really wanted to do it, but deep down I knew it wasn’t the right time - the financial investment was simply too big.

So I didn’t do it.

And I’m so glad with the decision I made. Maybe one day I will exhibit at a trade show, but right now I’m happy running my small business and growing my wholesale from my home studio. 

On the flip side, one investment I did make was finally buying a label printer. For years, I had handwritten all the addresses on my orders, which takes so much time. But not anymore! My label printer has made things quicker, easier and more streamlined.

It was a much smaller investment, but it was the right one, at the right time, and felt good. 

You’ll know which decisions are the right ones for you.

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I really feel like I’m entering Phase 2.0 of Jess A Little Creative in 2025. This year I have learnt a lot, seen some great growth, as well as having way more focus, motivation and a clearer plan of how to move forward with my small business. 

I’m so proud of myself for the decisions I’ve made this year. I’m entering my fifth year of running my small business, and part of me feels I should be further along by now, but I’d always said I was happy to grow my small business slowly. It’s what I want to do for the rest of time, so I’m in no rush. I am loving the journey, and all the learning along the way. 

I really hope some of these lessons have been useful for you too. It can be so hard running your own small business, so hearing from someone in the same boat is often very beneficial and reassuring. Please feel free to get in touch if you want to chat about anything more.

You can also sign up to my mailing list if you want to stay in-the-loop with all things Jess A Little Creative in 2025, I’m excited to see what the next year brings! 

Wishing you all the happiest of New Years, and sending lots of love.

Thanks for reading. Love, Jess x