February 2026
Spring Cleaning Market
Does the start of a new year and the
beginning of spring inspire you to clean
and organize your maker area and
supplies? What are you going to do with
the things that are no longer wanted or
needed?
Bring them to the Spring Cleaning
Market March 28th!
You have two options you can donate
your items to ACF. Dropping them off at
the general meeting or bringing them
to the market on Friday during set up
time. 
Or
You can have a table for $25- sell your
own items while donating 10% of your
sales to ACF
Next Meeting
February 19 at 7pm
Doors Open at 6pm
The Community Room
2510 HWY 2 E
Kalispell
Upcoming Events
Membership Deadline - February
28th
Summer Show Application
28th
Deadline - February 28th
Spring Cleaning Market - March
Start Of Summer Show May 15-17
Christmas Show Application
Deadline- August 1
Christmas at the Fairgounds 
November 27-29
Annual Members Picnic - TBD
Do you make stratigic plans
for the year? 
Why Strategic Planning Matters for Craft Businesses
Running a craft business often starts with passion-creating beautiful, meaningful work by
hand. But as your business grows, passion alone isn’t enough to keep things sustainable.  
That’s where yearly strategic planning comes in. 
Yearly planning is simply the practice of stepping back once a year to intentionally decide
where you want your business to go and how you’ll get there. This can be especially
powerful because it helps us balance creativity with clarity. 
Instead of reacting to every new vision, trend or busy season, a yearly plan gives you a
guiding framework. You can decide what new items to launch and when, what social
media to focus on, how many markets or shows to do and when to rest.  This helps
prevent burnout-a very common problem for creatives who wear ALL the hats in their
business. 
Strategic planning also helps with financial stability. By looking ahead at the year you can
make income goals, plan for slower seasons and prepare for larger expenses like supplies,
equipment or marketing campaigns. 
Most importantly, a yearly plan gives your creativity direction. You won’t be limiting your
creativity-you are protection it. When the business side is clearer, you free up mental
bandwidth to create, experiment and enjoy the work that made you start in the first place. 
A craft business doesn’t need a rigid plan. It needs a thoughtful, flexible strategy that
honors both the maker and the market. One intentional planning session a year can make
all the difference. 
This is something I implimented for the first time this year! It is only February there
is still time. I was able to use this planning to find some space that I will be using 
for a new launch!
Protip-A year at a glance calendar is so helpful!!!!
I’m even considering a huge one for my 
studio wall. 
Best wishes 
Shannon Longfield, Recording Secretary