Sunday, March 23, 2014

Visions of Etsy Danced in Her Head



About two weeks ago I got the idea to start seriously looking into opening an Etsy shop. This idea has been lurking in the back of my mind for quite a while now, but I have never been able to focus on what I would actually want to sell or taken time to get a solid action plan off the ground.  

Over the last year I have seen friends open Etsy shops and heard examples of people crafting all year and just selling at Christmas, for instance. Some of these stories have convinced me that Etsy is something I can do, and not some far out, unattainable goal.

With the Etsy selling model I can spend a relatively small amount of money creating a few items to have on hand, and if they sell, great, I'll continue making. If items don't sell, I will have nice gifts for birthdays and Christmas. I can't go wrong. 

Before you start raising eyebrows, the point of my starting an Etsy shop is not to get out of the traditional workforce, but to have fun and see what comes of it. 

I will be putting a lot of groundwork into this, and I'm almost looking at it like applying to a job you know you won't get. That sounds a little pessimistic, but hear me out. When you apply for a job that is a far reach, you still have to put time and effort into updating your resume, asking for references, and writing the perfect cover letter to highlight skills and qualities the employer is looking for. All that work takes time, and though you will probably not get the job, you do all you can to shrink the margin as much as possible. 

In the last few years the Etsy marketplace has grown enormously, making for stiff competition. Going into this, I am not looking to make a full time income, but I do want to be able to sell something. In order to sell I have to take the shop seriously. I will write a business plan, spend time marketing the shop via social media, follow pricing equations, and create items that I will be proud to sell. I plan to treat the shop like a part time job, and dedicate a no excuses number of hours each week to it's upkeep and maintenance. 

Be on the looking for a new blog and updates about these ideas in my head. This blog might be sparse until then, as I'll be focusing a lot of my time figuring out the world of Etsy. My current goal is to give myself about two months of prep time and then "open shop". 

Perhaps you are wondering exactly what I will be making? I'll give more details later as I finalize what I want to make, but the primary craft will be sewing. 

1 comment:

  1. I just got into Etsy recently (on the buying side), and I am so impressed with the craftsmanship and the quality of the products as well as the helpfulness of shop owners. It's like shopping at a tiny local boutique except on the internet. I love it. I can't wait to see what you're cooking up, Beth! (And also, I'm so glad you're settling into Florida life!)

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