Running a Small Business - July Update 2025

Hi, I'm Susie, the face behind Cards and Crafts by Susie, a small handmade card business based in Australia.

This month I'm sharing a behind-the-scenes look at what running my small business has looked like throughout July, from improving my website and growing wholesale opportunities to creating new products, preparing for a new shop, and enjoying a few family adventures along the way.

July began with some exciting business news after a meeting at the end of June. We looked over my website's SEO results and discovered that my search volume had increased from 9.4k to 23k and was still climbing. One of my biggest-performing keywords was Advent Calendar, which reminded me that investing time into SEO really does pay off.

Search engine optimisation isn't always the most exciting job, but it's one of the best long-term investments I've made for my business. With more than 100 products on my website, updating keywords takes time, but seeing customers find my products through Google makes every hour worthwhile.

• What I'm learning: SEO isn't an overnight success. Small improvements made consistently can lead to big results over time.
• Tip: Research keywords before listing a product. Using relevant search terms in your product title, description, image alt text and URL can make a real difference to how easily customers find your products online.

• What I'm learning: Business isn't only about sales, it's also about finding communities that support and encourage one another.
  
• Tip: Build relationships with the people around your business. Supportive communities often create opportunities you never expected.

This month also brought plenty of new product ideas. I began designing new gift boxes, created some large number cards, and started working on an exciting wholesale project with a chilli sauce distributor to create a range of Father's Day chilli-themed cards.

Developing something completely different challenged my creativity and reminded me that sometimes the best opportunities come from saying yes to something outside your usual product range.

• What I'm learning: Trying something new can open doors to opportunities you never planned for.
• Tip: Don't be afraid to adapt your creativity to suit different customers or businesses. Custom collaborations can be incredibly rewarding.

School holidays arrived, bringing a slower pace and a chance to spend time with family. I looked after my niece, enjoyed a trip to the movies, and at the same time continued working on my wholesale Father's Day card collection. Thankfully, my customer loved the designs and ordered four of each card, giving me another exciting project to work on.

Later in the month, I travelled to Port Pirie to visit my husband and also spent some time in Waikerie with my sister. Even while travelling, I packed card-making supplies so I could continue creating along the way.

Back in the studio, I was working towards having 36 handmade cards ready for the opening of Lemon Fizz Blackwood. Reaching that goal felt like a huge achievement, but another important job was waiting, creating individual product codes and entering every card into my Square checkout system.

Although it wasn't the most creative task, it has already made managing stock much easier. Instead of guessing which card had sold, I can now identify every sale instantly and replace stock much more efficiently.

• What I'm learning: Good systems save time, reduce stress, and make running a business much smoother.
• Tip: Even small organisational improvements can have a big impact. Investing time into systems now can save countless hours later.

Alongside preparing for Blackwood, I continued working on my chilli-themed gift tags, received another order for Christmas chilli tags, and even helped a fellow small business owner by creating vinyl decals after her supplier unexpectedly let her down.

It's moments like these that remind me how supportive the handmade community can be. Sometimes helping someone else is just as rewarding as working on your own business.

Towards the end of the month, I also created a very special custom thank you card for one of Mum's friends who was stepping down from Elf Magic. The brief was simple, make it sparkly, include her Elf name "Sparkles", and feature the Elf Magic logo. Custom orders like this are always a lovely reminder that handmade cards become part of people's most meaningful moments.

Looking back, July has been a month of growth, learning, and building stronger foundations for my business. From improving my website's SEO and preparing for a brand-new shop to creating wholesale products, refining my stock systems, and spending quality time with family, it's been a month that has reminded me that success isn't built from one big moment, it's built from lots of small steps taken consistently.

I'm finishing July feeling proud of how far my business has come and excited to see where the next opportunity leads. Thanks for following along with my small business journey, and I'll see you in next month's studio update.

Susie x