It can be overwhelming to get your Etsy shop up and stocked. Perhaps though, waiting for sales is even harder! So what can you do while you wait? Research! Network! Yes!
Become a shopper on Etsy and pay attention to what YOU like and don’t like. What catches you eye, entices you to click heart or even add to cart and especially, was causes you to click away? Now apply what you have learned to YOUR shop!
Go hang out in the Etsy forums. Go to a craft show as both a vendor and a shopper. Chat with everyone you can! Take notes after each conversation and again, apply what you have learned to your shop!
Waiting can be difficult, but you can put that time to good use!
Your host Deborah Carney is joined on this series of podcasts by Esty seller Karen Helmrich, Unkamen Gifts. Follow along as Deborah gets started at Etsy setting up Cool Clay Jewelry, an Etsy shop to sell her own canvas, fabric, and prints on clay pendants and jewelry. This episode covers creating your product listing, which is where you sell your product to your customer.
Your host Deborah Carney is joined on this series of podcasts by Esty seller Karen Helmrich, Unkamen Gifts. Follow along as Deborah gets started at Etsy setting up Cool Clay Jewelry, an Etsy shop to sell her own canvas, fabric, and prints on clay pendants and jewelry. This edition covers the nuts and bolts of setting up your shop.
Beccijo left a great tip on tagging in response to our Etsy Tips 101 Series here and so I thought I would have a closer look at her shop. I was very impressed and so she was selected to be our first Featured Artisan here! She was gracious enough to agree to give us a glimpse into her life and creations!
1.I can see from your Etsy profile that your little creations have their roots in your childhood. When did you first get the idea to make them real?
I have always made them real in stories and in drawings, but only recently in the form of dolls and playsets.
2.What do you like best about making your little people?
They make me laugh! While I sit painting, stories come into my thoughts. Some I write down; others are only for me.
3. What do you like least about making them?
I can’t do anything half- hearted, and all my dolls have details that don’t show up in the photos. The amount of time it takes is down there at the bottom of the list. Nothing about them is really bad, because they are my release at the end of my day. It is a great joy to get to sit at the end of a day, paintbrush in hand ( one behind my ear and another between my teeth, lol) and paint!
4. Do you give your creations as gifts to friends and family?
I started making them as gifts before selling them online. I love to watch kids play with them. Of all the small ones in my extended family, this is the gift they want most of all!
5. We are both members of SHETEAM on Etsy, that is, Schooling At Home Etsyians. How long have you homeschooled and why did you choose to do that?
We started homeschooling from the start. Education starts from birth for us. We provide an educationally rich environment for our children. Before we started our family, we sat and made a plan. Homeschooling was at the top of our list. The school systems are broken and are so outdated. I wanted my children to love learning.
6.How did you hear about Etsy? Do you sell elsewhere?
Someone was having a blanket made for my daughter when she was born. They wanted me to see it and sent me a link that went to Etsy! I was hooked, I was a shopper a long time before I became a shop owner.
7. If price were no object, what ONE item would you purchase from Etsy?
I have 2, I have a Mad Hatter Dinning Room that needs these:
8.If someone brand new were reading this, what ONE tip would you give that person?
If you are going to sell online you need to read and research as much as possible! Knowledge is power!
9.Is there anything else you would like to add?
Know if you are doing it for fun or for a business and make a plan to move in that direction. Ask questions and get help when you don’t know what you are doing.
Thanks for your time! You can find Beccijo on Etsy at TheEnchantedCupboard and TheFairyRing. If you would like a chance to be featured here, leave a great tip or two!
