How do you stay organized as far as products you have designed and what is outstanding? I am using Trello currently. I would love to know what you all use to stay organized. I know some designers use Excel spreadsheets, and some Project Management tools like Click up. I have to use something or I’m all over the place. Thank you!
Bev
I use the OneNote notebook that is an integral part of Windows. It allows you to create multiple notebooks, multiple subsections within a notebook, multiple pages within a subsection, and multiple sub- pages.
I use Excel spreadsheets. I like it because I can sort, filter, color code and calculate in it.
I make a column for my designs and then add extra columns next to that for each product I intend to make with that design. This helps me keep track of what products I have made for each design. I also make additional columns to check off whether I have a collection page for it, category page and other things (like a cover image etc.) It also allows me to include links to these.
I use different worksheets for categories such as weddings, home decor, gifts, office, baby shower etc. to make it easier.
I update things on it daily (including sales). It can get a bit tedious when you have thousands of products but for me it is worth it because it allows me to see at a glance what I still need to make and what has sold for each design and stay organized.
I used to use an old version of Excel (2007) but recently I started using the free online version and I like it because the file is stored online so I can access it from any of my devices and not have to back it up so often.
It may be time for me to learn Excel. I have been avoiding it because I can’t stand spreadsheets, but I have quite a lot of products and posting them on the Trello board keeps me focused, but I’m not sure how Trello will work when they are filled with products. Is it going to be more confusing? I have it broken down by category for now and add the products as I make them. Thank you for your reply. I really appreciate you taking the time.
Bev
It really depends on what kind of data you are trying to keep organized and how searchable and sortable you want it to be.
Excel (& other spreadsheets programs - I use the free WPS Office) are great. I love whipping up little spreadsheets to track things and do all the calculating for me. But they are designed for dealing with numbers whether it’s tracking sales data or figuring payroll or making custom invoices. I’d use Excel for working with the .cvs files you can download from your Earnings pages. But if you’re trying to compile other kinds of information in one place, there are better tools designed for that kind of thing.
Trello is wonderful for what it is primarily designed for - list making. I used it in my past life as a home improvement contractor. I could set up cards per room with lists of what needed to be done there and then both us and the customer could access them, edit, check-off, move to Done, add notes etc… It was great for that purpose but seems like it would be rather unwieldy as an all-purpose data storage & organizing tool.
OneNote is fabulous! I use it every day for all kinds of things in my life including Zazzle. As @KeegansCreation said, you make Notebooks which contain Sections which contain Pages. You add your content to Pages and best thing to me is, you are not constrained by any grid or line system, you can drag & drop content anywhere you want including images, which you can easily size by dragging the corners.
You can set up your OneNote structure in whatever way best suits the way your mind works. For me, this one easy-to-navigate app replaces what would otherwise be countless individual .txt and .doc etc files.
I love OneNote for general info. But for searching and sorting more, uhm, detailed data, I go to database programs. I bought a lifetime license to SpeedBase years ago when I needed to create a complicated db system for a business I was involved with. It’s a powerhouse and the owner/programmer was always quick to respond to my SOS emails, LOL. For simpler needs that arose later I installed the free MobiDB Database and liked it so much I bought the paid version. (It looks now like it’s moved to a subscription model where you pay annually.)
Both of these let you build a custom database from scratch, you’re not stuck with templates that don’t fit your needs. The thing with databases though is that what you get out of them is only as good as what you put in to them. This means you really have to pre-think your fields before creating them, have a master plan so to speak, and be very consistent in how you enter data in said fields. IMO the primary function of a db is to find and sort info. So if you were to set one up for Zazzle you could say, OK, I want to see all products I set at 13% royalty, or I want to see all products I used x design on, or I want to see all latte mugs I’ve made or I want to see all products I’ve Pinned … Then from there you can sort the results by whatever criteria you choose. Db’s are an amazing tool because you can view individual records storing however much detailed info you want to include in them, but you also have the main table list view for searching, sorting & filtering by whatever field(s) you’re interested in.
For an existing store with hundreds or thousands of products, building a db and then going back and entering the data for all those products would take a ridiculous amount of time. But for new stores, it would be easy, adding the data for new products to your DB would be just one extra step in your workflow when publishing.
So my tip for staying organized is - first decide what kind of information it is you want to gather in one place and what it is you want to do with that information once gathered. Then you can decide what the right tool for the job is.
“So my tip for staying organized is - first decide what kind of information it is you want to gather in one place and what it is you want to do with that information once gathered. Then you can decide what the right tool for the job is.”-ColsCreations
That’s the bottom line.
I only have one store so I let Zazzle keep track of the data and then I can look in my store’s back end and use filters or download an earnings spreadsheet for Excel. But I imagine with multiple stores, using a spreadsheet program routinely could be necessary because Zazzle isn’t going to aggregate inter-store data for you.
I use OneNote for keeping track of new ideas and to brainstorm expansions on ideas I’ve already had, similar to the example ColsCreations posted. When moderators post things in News that are actionable, I copy them to OneNote which allows you to layer text or simple drawings on top of things you copy/pasted. For example, I copied the entirety of the instructions for making cover photos and then overlaid my own comments about where to get free photo backgrounds or places I could purchase mockup makers.
