Ahh the New Year. A time when sales are slow and businesses begin to redevelop their lines. Some dive in wholeheartedly while others just flop on the couch, exhausted from the boom every craft business goes through during the holiday season. But how do you get up off the couch when you can't even bring yourself to look at another skein of yarn? Here are some tips:

Learn from the past. The best part about doing what we do is that there's always room to learn. Take a look at your leftover inventory... what sold out? What's still lying around? Ask yourself if its worth stock piling... or perhaps Spring Cleaning came sooner than you thought! Take a look at your sales over the past year and learn who your demographic is. Is your customer base Ladies Who Lunch or Indie Girls with dreadlocks? Look back and figure out how best to cultivate that knowledge.

Cultivate New Crafty Friendships. Nothing gets me more excited to craft than when I'm around other crafters. Look in your area to see if there are already craft-minded groups that you can join, like a Craft Mafia or an Stitch N Bitch group. Hearing what other people are up to will bring that drive right back and have you running home to start up all over again!

New Craft Angle! Learn a new angle to your crafting! When I started, I didn't make soaps... everyone makes soaps, why should I? Then I decided to give it a go and I have to say it's now one of my more creative outlets. I'll get into this Zen-like state when I'm "soaping" and I can't imagine not having stacks of soaps around me ever again! Are you a knitter? Learn to crochet! Do you make stationary? Why not learn letterpress? The opportunity to expand your craft is endless!

Just Learn a Whole New Craft! Why not? It could be the motivation that brings you out of a rut. Learning a new craft can be great for escaping the frustrations of your business. I like to take a step back from b&b every now and then and just knit. I don't knit anything in particular; I just enjoy the act of doing it. It helps me clear my mind and is very relaxing. Try something new, it may just be the thing to get you crafting again.

No matter what route you take, you're sure to get over your crafting hangover in no time. As long as you keep crafting in some aspect of your life, you'll find the motivation you need to get back into the swing of things. Best of luck, and I'll see you in the next issue!

Megan is part of the Pittsburgh Craft Mafia and runs her own craft business, Disquieting Designs.