Etsy Tips By Brandi Hussey of Catie’s Blue

Etsy
Tips
By Brandi Hussey of Catie’s Blue
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Page 3
Introduction
Page 4
Before You Start
Page 6
Opening Your Shop
Page 9
Maintaining Your Shop
Page 12
Pricing
Page 14
Photos
Page 16
Shipping
Page 18
Networking
Page 20
General Business Tips
Page 29
Conclusion
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July 2010 marks my third anniversary of selling on Etsy. It's been a rollercoaster ride - sometimes scary,
sometimes exhilarating, but I don't regret one minute. I've grown not only as a seller and small business
owner, but as a person. I've met great friends along the way, built up my own personal artistic
communities, and learned so much.
And now, I'd like to share what I've learned with you!
About me
My name’s Brandi Hussey, and I run a jewelry shop on Etsy called Catie’s Blue. I jokingly say that I play
with beads all day (and it’s true, I do), but there’s a lot of hard work that goes into running my shop. I’m
dedicated to it, I dream about products and goals and ideas almost every night, and I’m constantly
looking for ways to improve.
I’m also a blogger, and I enjoy helping people. My goal with this little booklet (though at 27 pages, it’s
not exactly little) is to put “my experience” and “helping people” together. My hope is that you can find
some inspiration here to help you in your own Etsy shop!
Happy reading!
Brandi
Note:
This is a collection of my own personal learning experiences; Etsy Inc. is not involved or responsible in any
way for the information you’re about to read.
This information is not meant to replace any tax professional information, nor am I an authority on
various laws. So, when in doubt, consult a professional for the area you need more information in. I also
reside in the United States, so some of these tips may not apply directly to international readers; in those
cases, I would suggest you research your country’s laws and requirements.
I am also not affiliated with any of the resources linked in the following pages – I don’t receive any funds
from them. They are simply excellent resources that I find helpful.
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Talk with a tax professional
This is an important step, whether you are looking to sell a part-time or full-time. Your tax professional
will be able to give you information specific to your situation – whether your state requires a tax ID
number, what forms you need to fill out come tax time, what records you need to keep. Even if this is a
hobby for you, it’s worth it to figure out what you need to do ahead of time, rather than scramble later.
And at the risk of sounding like a broken record, everything in this section is something you can and
should talk with a tax professional about. You want to find someone with loads of small business
experience behind them, and someone with small business experience in your state. If the local tax
company has profiles on their consultants online, take an hour and read about who they are and what
they can do for you. Write up questions to ask them, and take notes during your meeting.
Register for a DBA
A DBA stands for “Doing Business As”, and is required if you want to do business under a name that’s
not your legal name. You may not need one if your name is Joe Smith, and you want to do business
under ‘Joe Smith Designs’. But if you want your business name to be ‘Creative Designs’, then you’ll need
one.
DBAs can be obtained through your county office or your state for a nominal fee (they vary state-bystate). You can also hold a DBA for a number of years, rather than renewing year by year – this, too,
varies, so check how often you need to renew it.
Your local county/state office should have records of all the business names in your area, so you’ll be
able to find out if there is a Chaotic Designs already in business in your state. If there is, you’ll need to
use another choice, so brainstorm a few options.
Register for a tax identification number
Why you need one: It classifies you as a business owner in your state.
Where to get one: This is issued by your state, so check your state’s website for information.
What it entails: For a sole proprietorship, it should be relatively easy to fill out and inexpensive to obtain
– mine was a single form that cost me around $20 dollars. It asks basic information like your name,
address, DBA, etc. Having one means you will be collecting sales taxes on every order made within your
state, then remitting them on a regular basis (usually quarterly or yearly) back to the state. Again, this is
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where you want concrete advice from a tax professional for your state; they will know the laws and be
able to guide you.
Why you want one: While not required by Etsy, if you want to buy supplies and materials at wholesale
prices, or if you want to do craft shows down the line, you’ll need this number.
Consider registering for an Employer
Identification Number (EIN) with the IRS
This is something else to talk over with your tax professional. My state doesn’t require an EIN for sole
proprietorships, and I haven’t come across any websites that require it for wholesale purchases (they
just want your tax ID/wholesale number). But some banks require one in order to open a business
checking account, so double check.
Is this a good move for you? I can’t tell you that. I can tell you that in day-to-day life of running a
business, I haven’t come across anything other than a bank or federal tax papers that want it.
Consider opening a business checking account
There are several reasons why this is a good idea. Your business money would remain separate from
your personal money. It makes things easier as far as tax preparation and recordkeeping goes. And
people can write checks to your business for their orders, rather than to you as an individual. Everyone
is different, so this is a big question to talk over with a tax professional.
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Choose your username carefully
Like a DBA, your username is pretty important when it comes to identifying yourself on Etsy and online.
And if you’re just starting, it’s a good idea to keep the same username across all of your sites (Etsy,
Facebook, Twitter, your blog, etc.), so pick something unique and memorable. One quick way to check
and see if your first choice currently in use is by typing it at the end of this URL:
http://www.etsy.com/people/username
It’s not a fool proof method (see below), but should get you started.
Things to remember:
 Etsy usernames are case sensitive. I wish I paid attention to that when I first signed up.
 Etsy usernames cannot be changed. You can open up another account for a completely
different name (not the same name capitalized) and ask for your other account to be closed.
 Unless something has changed since I first wrote this, Etsy doesn’t reuse usernames. So even if
you don’t see someone using CreativeDesigns now, if someone used it at any point in the past
then closed their account, CreativeDesigns will be unavailable.
Buy a domain name for your shop
Even if you have no current plans for a website of your own, it’s a good idea to buy a domain name for
your shop/business. CreativeDesigns.com is easier to remember than your entire shop URL
(www.etsy.com/shop/CreativeDesigns), it looks cleaner on your business card, and you can point the
domain name to your shop without having to set up a website until you’re ready.
Pointing your domain name to your shop is done within your domain name account. You want to look
for ‘domain forwarding’, then follow the instructions (most sites now have them for you).
Decide on your brand
Just like you spent time choosing your business name, your shop name, and your domain name, spend
some time brainstorming your branding.
Branding is a huuuuuge topic. Entire books are devoted to it, so I’ll simply say that branding is your
collective business identity. It includes things like a logo, fonts, colors, packaging, banners, site
backgrounds, site profiles, ads, how you blog, your tone in emails, how you plan to market yourself – all
of it should reflect a cohesive vision of your brand.
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So, take a minute and think about what you want your brand to be. What’s your company about? When
you describe your shop, what images pop into your mind? Use that for a logo idea. What colors do you
see relating to your business? If you’re concerned with the environment, use a shade of green. Is your
business fun and casual, traditional and formal? You can reinforce that with fonts. How do you plan to
package your products and orders? Use your other choices to give you a jumping off point for your
packaging.
Fill your shop
If you're just starting out, I'd say fill your shop with as much as you can (say 20 items), holding back a
few items (say 5 or 6) to list over the next few days as you create more stock.
Full shops give buyers more options and more to look at. Full shops also give the impression that you
care about what you do to give your shop (and business) the attention it needs.
Create shop policies
Shop policies make buyers feel comfortable. As a buyer, I want to know ahead of time what that store's
policies are before I hand over my money. Think of it this way - would you walk into a brick and mortar
shop you've never been in and buy something without checking what the return policy is first?
It doesn't matter if you craft part-time or full-time; writing shop policies is a simple, easy, no-cost way to
make your buyers feel safe and secure, and to show that you take your business seriously. There's an
Etsy forum thread that details twenty things buyers are asking, Kristy from Shiny Adornments has a
post over on her blog about what a jewelry buyer wants to know, and here are my thoughts on the
subject.
Put your location on your profile
I’m not a fan of putting too much personal information online, so I completely understand not wanting
to give out this kind of information. That being said, you don’t have to be your exact town. You can put a
major city instead, or your state or country. Doing so will help buyers guesstimate how far away you are
from them and how long it might take their order to arrive.
Upload an avatar
This is super easy and serves as a little bit of advertising for you as you maneuver and post on Etsy. An
avatar can be either an item in your shop or a photo of yourself – just make it eye-catching since avatars
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are small. You don’t have to resize your photo (Etsy will do it for you), unless you want to crop and
highlight a specific part of your photo. In that case, avatars are 75 pixels by 75 pixels square.
Upload a banner
A banner is your “sign”. It’s also a great place to show a little personality and begin your branding (more
on branding later). Banners on Etsy are 760 pixels long by 100 pixels high, and you should create your
banner to those exact dimensions (otherwise, it’ll be stretched or compressed, and it won’t look right).
If you don’t know how to create a banner, check the Etsy forums for tips. Or, if you’d rather, Etsy is full
of graphic designers who can do it for you.
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List often
List often. If you can't list often, list consistently and regularly. Set a listing schedule you can live with
and that works for you. My aim is to list at least once or twice a day, though I sometimes manage more
(and sometimes I manage less).
The other benefit is that as your business grows, and you start attracting buyers, having a regular
schedule means reliability – shop visitors will then know when to check your shop for updates.
Utilize your tags when you're listing an item
Tags are one way of searching Etsy. They help you because people can type in what they are looking for
and get (hopefully) relevant results. The more accurately you describe your product, the better the
chances are that someone who wants your product will be able to find it. You get 14 tags per listing, so
use them all. Get creative!
DO:
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Say what your product is.
Include the materials you’re using. People search that way.
Include any colors used. People search this way, too.
Include your shop name as a tag, in case a buyer doesn’t choose the right search option (i.e.
they choose "Handmade" instead of "Seller")
DON’T:
 Mistag your listing. Don’t put “clothing” when you’re selling jewelry. Not only can that get you
flagged on Etsy, it doesn’t help anyone – not the buyers looking for jewelry, and certainly not
you (people will see you as abusing the system for a little extra exposure).
Use descriptive language in your item description
Pretend your buyer can’t see a photo – now describe your product. Say what it is (sometimes it’s not
always obvious), describe the color, the materials used, anything you think of. The more solid
information you give, the better.
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Put measurements in your item description
This falls under “the more information you give your buyers, the more confident they feel buying from
you” category. Measurements are important. Lots of people shoot close ups for their products, and
there’s no real way to gauge how big an item is from a photo alone (even with a size reference). By
giving accurate measurements, a buyer can then pull out a ruler and figure out how big (or small) your
product is. This way, they aren’t unpleasantly surprised when they get their order.
Utilize your featured item spots
These are the larger spots that sit below your shop announcement and above your listings. There are
three spots that are always shown, and it’s a great way to highlight what you want buyers to see first.
These can be your best items, the most visually eye catching items, that sort of thing.
To select Featured Items, go to Your Etsy, then make sure you’re on the Currently for Sale page. Look
for the column called Featured then click the gray star next to the items you want to highlight (it’ll turn
green when it’s selected). Consider choosing more than three items; if one sells, then your shop will
automatically update that spot with a new item you’ve chosen.
To change the order of your Featured Items, go to Your Etsy then choose Featured Listings under the
Items category on the left. Use the up and down buttons to rank your items.
To deselect a Featured Item, just click the green star again (it’ll go back to being gray).
Keep your shop announcement short
Etsy doesn’t currently limit how long or short your shop announcement can be, but try to keep it as
short as possible. Why? Two reasons.
One, visitors want to see what you do right away. Put only what's absolutely necessary on your shop
announcement so people can get to your listings faster, and move the rest to your shop policies page
or your profile. Buyers see your shop announcement every time they move to a different page of your
store front, so keeping things simple up top means they don't have to scroll as much as they browse.
Two, not everyone reads long announcements.
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If you smoke in your house or have a household
full of pets, say so
It’s not even about personal preferences, though that is a big part of disclosing this information. Some
people have severe allergies, and they need to know this information (or they might have a nasty
surprise when their order comes). If you don't smoke or have pets, say that, too.
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Your pricing needs to cover all of your costs
It’s not just about the cost of your materials; it’s also about your time and labor, as well as about any
expenses you may have. Everyone works differently, and everyone has their own pricing methods. If you
have no idea where to start, I would suggest spending some time figuring out how much your materials
cost you, how much you want to charge for an hourly wage, how much your other expenses cost (like
packaging and shipping materials), and any overhead you may have. To me, it doesn’t really matter if are
you doing this as a hobby, a second income, or a full-time gig – you made a product that people want,
and you should price it accordingly.
Here are some resources to get you started:
 From Crafting an MBA: Pricing Your Products for Growth
 From Meylah: Pricing Your Products – What you need to know
 For jewelry designers: Marketing and Selling Your Handmade Jewelry: The Complete Guide to
Turning Your Passion into Profit by Viki Lareau
 For crafters and artists in general: Craft, Inc.: Turn Your Creative Hobby into a Business by Meg
Mateo Ilasco
Please don't give away the store
This goes for two things: pricing and freebies.
It does no one any good if you're under pricing yourself or including extravagant freebies in your
packages, not you (you're losing out on profits here), and not your fellow artisans (who have worked just
as hard as you in creating their products). These are good reasons, but here's the biggest reason why
you shouldn't do it – most customers just want what they've bought. They prefer customer service and
speedy shipping over something they didn't order and may not like.
The slight exception to this rule would be if you're opening a supply shop, as most supply shops on Etsy
do include a few free beads or a little something extra. BUT, this also applies to those shops, too. A few
extra, inexpensive (for you) beads are fine - adding a $20 strand of beads is not. Yes: including a coupon
for a future purchase (hello, repeat customer!). No: including a $20 pair of earrings when the buyer
bought a $20 pair of earrings.
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Don't apologize for your prices
If you've accurately priced your time, supplies, and overhead costs, your prices are what they are. The
handmade community as a whole strives to promote handmade items as "quality", not necessarily
"inexpensive". This is the cost of your products, so be proud of them.
If your current customers balk at the higher prices, or you’re concerned you may be pricing too high, try
marketing to a different target audience. Then, bring in lower priced items to satisfy your current
customers. You can also offer occasional discounts to your newsletter subscribers, your Facebook fans,
your Twitter followers, and/or your blog readers. This also encourages repeat buyers and loyal fans of
your work.
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Photographs are important
How important? You're selling online, so there is no product for people to pick up, touch, turn over your photos need to sell your work for you. They need to be eye-catching, interesting, and clear.
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If you’re creating small items, the close-up or macro setting on your camera is your friend. This
is the setting that lets you get right up to your item, and catch all the little details. The close up
setting is usually designated by a little flower on your camera.
If you’re selling clothes, use a model or a clothing form to show how your clothing hangs.
If you’re selling artwork or prints, consider showing how it would look framed or on a wall.
Consider “styling” your photos – create interesting little scenarios to photograph your product
in. Browse through Etsy and pay attention to why certain photos catch your eye.
Size references are always helpful. Holding a purse so buyers to see how big it is, for example.
Have a consistent background for your photos. This helps give a cohesive look to your shop
front.
Light your product well. I personally prefer daylight, but if you can’t photograph during the day,
build or buy a light box. Strobist has a fabulous DIY tutorial right here, and Flickr is full of
examples.
If you aren’t confident in your photography skills, just keep practicing. Most of what I know now was
learned through trial and error as I started selling. If nothing else, aim to take as clear a photo as you
can; I’d rather see one clear shot than five out-of-focus shots.
Speaking of out of focus, photos on Etsy should be at least 430 pixels by 430 pixels. This is the size of the
photos on a listing page. If you’re going smaller than that, Etsy will stretch your photo to fit, which will
make everything fuzzy.
Here are some resources to get you started:
 A whole series of photo tips on Handmade Spark
 Photo tutorials on the Etsy Forums
 My photo formula
You don't need a super fancy camera to take good
photos
The trick to any good photo is knowing how to use your camera. It’s not about how fancy your camera
is or isn’t; it’s about knowing what the different settings are and how to make them work for you. Read
your camera’s manual. Search online for tips on how to use your specific camera. Taking good photos is
not hard and it doesn’t demand a high-end camera; but it does take time, effort, and patience on your
part. So, spend some time playing around with the settings, with the lighting, and with your setup. One
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amazing resource is a blog called Digital Photography School – it’s packed with useful information to
help you use your camera, no matter if you’re a beginner or a more advanced user.
Utilize all of your photo slots
Each listing gets five photo slots – use them all, if you can. Show different angles. Show your item laying
flat, show it hanging, show it on a model (if appropriate), show the back, show the inside (if
appropriate). Remember, people can’t pick it up, so you need to show every angle possible to your
buyers. If you still have a slot left over, use it to show off your packaging or show your product next to
something common for a size reference (try not to use coins – Etsy has an international audience, and
not everyone is familiar with the size of everyone else’s coins).
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Do some research on how much shipping will cost
you, then charge an honest amount
Shipping supplies should be factored into each item price, not your shipping charge. Buyers on Etsy are
pretty savvy when it comes to shipping costs; they have a general idea on how much it should cost to
get their order, so they know when they're being overcharged. And if your buyer happens to be a seller,
too? Then they definitely know.
How to avoid overcharging:
 Weigh a few different sized packages so you can get a range of what it will cost you to ship. Do
this ahead of time (when you open your shop) because this will give you a better idea of what to
charge. You want to weigh a complete package, which means your item plus any packaging
materials.
 Your packaging materials should be worked into your item price (this falls under the “expenses”
category), not the shipping price. The shipping price should be roughly the amount of postage.
How to keep costs down:
 Ship First Class when you can.
 Don't use heavy packaging - it will weigh everything down.
The exceptions:
 Food. Food products are time-sensitive, so this may mean you need to ship Priority or Express –
there’s no way around that, so just state it in your shop policies.
 Heavier or odd-shaped items – again, there’s no way around this, so consider quoting the actual
price and letting the buyer decide if they want to pay it.
If you're in the United States, invest in a postal
scale so you can print shipping labels from home
This saves you time at the post office; most USA/domestic orders* can be dropped off at the post office,
or left in your mailbox once postage is paid. You can use PayPal Shipping, which is essentially free**. It
takes the cost of postage right out of your PayPal account and allows you to print off a shipping label
from your home printer. Simply tape that onto your bubble mailer or box, and then slip your package
into the mail. Other print-from-home services include Encidia.com and Stamps.com, but both require a
monthly service charge.
If getting to the post office is a hassle for you, consider shipping Priority mail. Flat rate boxes are free
and can be ordered from USPS.com. Having just one Priority package to ship means you can request a
free pickup, and having a postal scale at home means you have everything you need to get those
packages ready for shipment.
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* One exception is that PayPal doesn’t allow for First Class International labels to be printed at home.
I’ve heard that Encidia.com and Stamps.com might allow this, but I’ve never tried it myself.
** PayPal Shipping essentially free, in that there’s no charge to use the service. But PayPal Shipping
requires you to pay for Delivery Confirmation at a rate of 19 cents per package. The benefits of this are
that you can see when your package is delivered (and sometimes where it is as it travels to your buyer),
PayPal uses this number to resolve any non-delivery complaints from the buyer, and that Delivery
Confirmation is cheaper through PayPal than it is through the post office. The downside is that you have
to make sure every package follows the rules for Delivery Confirmation – meaning, it has to be at least
3/4ths of an inch thick. If it’s not, your buyer may have to pay for the difference in postage.
If you're in the United States, consider shipping
internationally
I don't know what you're selling, and I can't speak of the rules involved for your items (check USPS.com
for that information - some countries prohibit certain items from entering). I also don't know how heavy
your items are fully packaged. What I can tell you is that a lot of my Etsy friends are sellers living in
another country, and they told me something interesting. They won’t stop to ask for a shipping quote if
it’s not already listed; they face this scenario too often on Etsy. Instead, they will simply leave your
shop and not come back. What this means to you is that you're losing money and you won't even know
it.
The other thing that I can tell you is that international orders make up roughly 40% of my online sales.
That’s thousands of dollars I would not have made had I not made the decision to ship internationally.
Shipping international orders mean you have to physically go in to a post office to mail those packages
(unless you use a print-at-home service that incorporates the custom form into the label – PayPal
Shipping is NOT one of those services). This isn’t a problem for me, but it if it’s a problem for you, then
consider having designated international shipping days (like Wednesday or Saturday, for example). Look
at your schedule and see what days would work best, then make sure to state it in your shop.
The other extra step for international packages is that they require a customs form. This form is pretty
basic, and asks for information like who is sending the package (you), who’s receiving the package (your
buyer), what’s in the package (general description of your item), and what’s the value of the package
(how much your buyer paid).
Is shipping internationally a good option for you? That’s for you to answer, but the benefits for me far
outweigh any downsides.
For more international shipping tips, visit the blog post I wrote about it here. For a huge and invaluable
list of shipping info links, visit Go To Great Panes’ shipping post.
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Build your own community
Find a group of like-minded people. Whether you join a Street Team on Etsy, join an off-site forum, or
start gathering friends across the blogosphere, find an artistic community to join. My own personal
community grows every day, and at the core of it rests a handful of people that I met when I first joined
Etsy three years ago. We all still keep in touch regularly, and we all couldn’t do what we do without each
other.
Networking with people has a ton of benefits, but for me, it’s the moral support that’s the biggest
benefit. My community is some of my biggest cheerleaders and my friends, as I am to them. And the
best part is that they get where I’m coming from, they understand my experiences because they go
through it, too. This is invaluable to me.
Other benefits include helping you spread the word about sales and promotions, helping you navigate
Etsy, and giving advice for supply vendors and other topics relevant to being a seller online.
Blog!
If I had to pick only one social networking thing to do, it would be blogging. Blogging is easy, free*, and
allows me to connect with a whole variety of people – not just buyers, but fellow artists. I can share
stories, photos, experiences, get feedback, and interact with other bloggers. Out of all of my networking
sites, blogging is the one thing that I know for certain has a positive effect on sales. Plus, as blogging
becomes more well known, this is a great way to show that you are a person behind a company.
Want to start a blog? Here are a few free sites: Blogger.com, Wordpress.com, Tumblr.com.
* Free is always good, especially if you’re just starting out, and the three sites above are great places to
start. Some of the other blogging platforms out there require a monthly fee (and have a variety of
features), but are excellent, too. Here are a few blogging platforms that charge a fee: Typepad.com,
Squarespace.com, MovableType.com.
Twitter and Facebook
Twitter and Facebook are another great way to interact with buyers and fans. I see Twitter as a platform
for quick updates, and Facebook as a platform for deeper interactions. Both are good, both are free, and
both can suck up your free time (and your creating time) faster than you can imagine. It’s good to have a
presence on these sites, but like anything else, you should learn a balance between them. Here are two
step-by-step tutorials, courtesy of Meylah: How to Get Started on Twitter, How to Get Started on
Facebook
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Flickr
Flickr is the place to share photographs of your work. By joining a few Groups (there are quite a few
Etsy-based groups), you can share your work, see others’ work, leave comments, and interact. Flickr
offers free (basic) accounts, as well as paid accounts, so you can choose which fits you best.
One thing about Flickr you should know: Flickr is for sharing photos, not for selling your work. You have
to be careful not to include links to your shop in any of your photo descriptions; that sort of selfpromotion needs to stay in your profile only. This is one area that Flickr is very sensitive about.
Want to get started? Check out this step-by-step tutorial on Meylah: How to Get Started on Flickr
Creating treasuries is a great way to involve
yourself
Creating treasuries on Etsy is easy and fun, and promoting others not only helps them, but helps you,
too. People are always flattered to be in a treasury, and showcasing others is a great way to involve
yourself in the community. It also gives you something to promote on your social networking sites: your
blog, your Twitter, and your Facebook.
The Etsy Forums contain a lot of useful
information…
…because Etsy sellers are generally a really helpful bunch of people. We genuinely want to help each
other because we’ve all been new, we’ve all had awkward selling experiences, so we know how you feel.
So, the Forums are a great way to help each other out, to network with people, to ask questions.
That being said, the Etsy Forums are also a place full of opinions. Tread carefully, maintain
professionalism, and take what you read with a grain of salt. If nothing else, don't post in the forums
when you're angry, especially when it's about a fellow buyer or seller. One, it's against the Terms of
Service, and two, it doesn't make you look very good.
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Communication is huge part of customer service
Communicating with current or potential buyers is so key, and so easy to do. A quick convo after a sale
lets a buyer know that you appreciate their business and provides an opportunity to tell them when
they can expect their order to be shipped.
Communication doesn’t have to apply just to a sale. Respond promptly to any inquiries – you never
know when a sale or a commission might come from it. And if you offer (or plan to offer) custom
products, responding promptly to your buyer is necessary; you need that open line of communication to
get the job done, and the buyer needs to know you’re there listening to what they need.
Buyers will always remember how you treated them, whether it’s good or bad. So, provide good
customer service, and give your buyer a good impression of who you are and what your business cares
about (you should care about quality service as much as you care about quality products).
Extend your brand onto your packaging
What is packaging? It’s the bag, the box, or the wrap that your products come in. It can include labels on
jars, customized ribbons on boxes, customized boxes, bag tags (the little paper tops on cellophane bags),
mailing labels, or hang tags (the tags hanging off of clothes or purses). These are all great places to put
your brand and logo.
Packaging is important to creating a consistent brand image. If your brand stays consistent from start
(when a buyer first visits your shop and sees your banner, avatar, and products) to finish (when they
receive their beautifully presented order), then you’ve created a total shopping experience for your
buyer. Consistent packaging can only help your brand, and unique packaging can help you stand out.
One thing you want to do is make sure your packaging is durable enough to survive shipping. It can be
the cutest packaging in the world, but if it can’t stand up to shipping, it won’t matter (and your buyer
won’t be happy).
Need some packaging ideas? Check out the Nice Package Flickr Group, the Etsy Packaging Flickr Group,
and three posts on Meylah: The Whole Package: How Creative Packaging Can Set You Apart, How to
Package Flat Products Beautifully blog post, and How to Package Your Product Tutorial
Thank you notes are a big hit
While we’re talking about packaging, let me say that thank you notes always go over well. It goes back
to why people choose to shop handmade – they want a personal touch and a personal connection with
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artists. What’s a better way to connect with your buyers than by taking a minute to handwrite a thank
you note? Super personal, super easy, and really nice to receive.
Thank you notes aren’t a requirement at all – but I’m always impressed (and touched) when sellers take
a minute to write “thank you for your purchase”. I appreciate it, and it goes a long way towards giving
me a positive feeling about that particular shop.
Thank you notes can be bought, or you can make your own out of some pretty cardstock (like this stepby-step tutorial on Meylah). I actually have my thank you notes printed out on larger postcards then cut
them down myself. I like this because it matches my branding and it saves me time and ink. Here’s the
link to my tips if you’d like to do the same: Tip Share :: The Many Uses of Postcards
Business cards are a must
Business cards aren’t too expensive, and are great to hand out and to include in every order. If you’re
working on a limited budget, start with 100 business cards. Give yourself some time to figure out if your
first branding choice is the right choice for you. When I first started, I ordered 1000 business cards…
then I completely changed my branding. I was stuck with 800 business cards that I couldn’t use, and that
was just money down the drain. Now, I order 100 at a time, so that I can change the information on it
when or if I need to without losing a ton of money.
So, start with business cards; then, as you grow, consider adding things like printed thank you notes,
postcards, and coupons.
How do you go about getting business cards? If you used a graphic designer to create your logo and
banner, ask them to create a matching business card if they don’t offer it. There are tons of graphic
designers on Etsy offering business card designs. You can also design some yourself using a program like
Photoshop and the dimensions from a printer. One popular idea is to use Moo.com; they offer regularsized business cards as well as smaller, half-size business cards. Moo is great because they can pull your
photos right from your shop or from Flickr, and you can crop and customize each individual card
(Meylah’s got a great tutorial about using Moo). Other online printers include Overnightprints.com,
GotPrint.com, and Vistaprint.com.
Keep it professional
And here’s why: everything you do online reflects on you as a business person. You are your brand
online.
Beyond that, buyers don't really care if this is a part-time job, a full-time job, or a hobby of yours, and
frankly, it doesn't matter, either. What they care about is getting what they ordered in a timely
manner. They trusted you with their hard-earned cash, so do your best to respect that by acting
professional in every business transaction.
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Does this mean you can’t joke or play around? Absolutely not! That’s not only endearing but engaging,
and people loving knowing more about that honest, personal side of you. Just remember that you stand
as an ambassador for your business. So, when you’re mad, don’t post online. When you’re upset, stick
to private conversations and emails. Take a break, vent offline, think it through, and then come back.
Do what you say you're going to do
If you promise to ship out the next day, ship out the next day, period. If you say a commission will be
done in a week, get it done in a week. Know your own limits and plan accordingly. When in doubt, give
yourself a buffer of a few days, and then surprise your buyer when you're "early".
It's okay to stay small for as long as possible
That may sound weird, but it’s okay to stay small. I don’t see it as missing out or holding back when you
stay small; I see it as not taking on too much before you’re ready for it. Beyond that, you can take the
time to continue learning – learning your craft, fine tuning techniques, learning about business, learning
how you work. Staying small gives you the time to make sure you’re ready for the next step, not just as a
business person, but as a family person and an individual. Business owners are jacks-of-all-trades, and
tend to work and do everything themselves because they have to; so consider what your next step is
and how that will affect you, your life, and the people in your life.
Giveaways and special sales are great – but don't
overdo it
If you constantly give away your products or are constantly having a sale, it makes people think a couple
things:
 They won’t buy it full-price because they know if they wait a few days, you’ll have another sale.
 They wonder about your pricing structure. Discounts should be an occasional thing; don’t price
up to mark down intentionally. This doesn’t help you long-term.
 They wonder how much confidence you have in your products if you constantly have to give it
away or discount it in order to sell anything.
In my experience, giveaways don’t translate into sales. Giveaways translate into views and short-term
interest. People don’t want to buy anything until the giveaway is over, because they are hoping that
they win. Once the winner’s been announced, people forget they even entered. I look at giveaways as a
form of short-term advertising.
My trick to giveaways and special sales is to do them infrequently. I know at the beginning of the year
how many special sales and giveaways I’m going to have, and it’s usually no more than 3 or 4 per year.
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Then, when I do have a special sale or a giveaway, I’m getting quality traffic from interested people and
long-term fans.
What do I do when I have a sale? I tell everyone – I announce it to my mailing list, say it on my blog, post
it on Twitter and Facebook, and put up sale notices in my shop and on my website. I start spreading the
word a few days or a week in advance, and I keep talking about it till it’s over. I tend to do a sale for no
longer than a week – my energy starts to lag after that, and people start getting tired of hearing it.
What do I look for when I do a giveaway? I personally have better luck sponsoring a giveaway on
another person’s blog than I do my own. So, when I go looking for a blog, I look for one with a bigger
audience than my own and a steady stream of readers. I also pick a blog that I’ve read for a while. I like
knowing who the blogger is, how they write, what they focus on. If that blog matches my interests,
excellent.
One thing I absolutely don’t do is give the blogger hosting the giveaway a sample or a freebie. I’ve been
asked to do that before, and my response is always a polite “no”. Why? Because the big bloggers, the
professional bloggers don’t ask for a freebie; they host giveaways to increase their traffic, not to get
free stuff. So, I’m immediately wary of someone wanting a freebie in exchange for a review or a
giveaway. Is everyone who asks for a freebie looking to take advantage of you? No, probably not, but I
have to protect myself first; I can’t always afford to give two things away (which is essentially what they
are asking you to do).
Newsletters are a great way to keep in touch with
your fans
Newsletters and mailing lists are excellent marketing tools. You get to talk about your work to a captive
and interested audience. You don’t have to win them over first – that’s already been done, and they are
ready and eager to hear more about what you want to say! Plus, not everyone has a Facebook or Twitter
account, but chances are, everyone’s familiar with email. So, go to them. Bring your business to their
inbox.
Here are some quick tips:
 Set a consistent and regular mailing schedule, whether it’s a month or once every other
months. This way, people know how often they’ll receive a newsletter from you.
 Ask people to sign up; don’t sign them up without their knowledge or permission. It’s
tempting to take all the email addresses of your past buyers and put them on your mailing list,
but this is a big no-no. Not only is it irritating to your buyers, it’s considered spam (and
spamming me is a good way to get me never to shop with you again).
 How long or short your newsletter is depends on you. Mine tend to vary. Sometimes, I’ll share
information about what I’m working on; other times, I’ll simply announce a sale. If you’re
familiar with blogging, think of having two or three short blog posts about different topics that
relate to your business.
 Use a few product photos.
 Include links to your shop and other sites.
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
Consider offering a discount to your mailing list, either as incentive for signing up or randomly
as you go along. I do this from time to time (and I consider this a private sale) with fabulous
results.
I wrote a post about newsletters earlier this year, so stop by my blog to read more information about
starting a mailing list.
Advertising isn't a myth, it's just misunderstood
Lots of people think advertising is about getting immediate sales; it isn’t. Advertising is about brand
recognition. I read an article that stated that a person has to see your ad over and over and over again
before they actually click on it, so keep that in mind when you begin to advertise. Advertising doesn’t
bring immediate sales – it can’t; no one knows you yet.
Does this mean it isn’t valuable? No. Advertising is absolutely valuable, and you should absolutely do it
when you’re ready for it. I think the best time to advertise is after you’ve established your shop and
other sites for a few months. Take some time to build up stock (so people have a lot to look at) and to
get into a steady business flow, then advertise.
Where should you advertise? Wherever you can afford it. Aim for bigger blogs with higher traffic
numbers. The downside to those sites and blogs is that they tend to be more expensive, but it’s almost
always worth it. If I had to choose between one blog charging $100 for a month of advertising versus
five blogs charging $20, I’d go for the bigger blog because the bigger blog has more traffic than probably
all of the other blogs combined. More people seeing your product more often means that they would
become familiar with that ad faster. You get more bang for your buck with the higher traffic blogs.
When I look for blogs to advertise on, I’m looking for blogs that match either my style or that would be a
good fit. Lots of times, advertising can feel like it’s hit or miss because what works for me may not work
for you, so go into it with an open mind and try a few different sites. When you can afford it, set aside
an advertising budget and have a plan. Popular months, like October through December, fill up quickly,
so you have to plan ahead. Remember, it’s not an immediate thing – advertising is about long-term
brand recognition, so you may need to stick with one blog for a few months to see the overall effect.
One month advertising spots aren’t going to help.
Also consider stepping out of the normal craft blog arena. If you sell children’s clothes, look at
advertising on mommy blogs. Or, if you sell eco-conscious products, look at environmental blogs. These
are great crossover opportunities, and may pay off big (both in a lower cost as well as a new target
audience for you).
One thing I want to mention about advertising is the ad opportunities on Etsy – the Showcases, the
Sponsored spots, the Storque spots – it’s been hit or miss for me. The one that worked the best is the
Daily Showcase, as it’s right on the front page, but even that had a 50% success rate. If you’re willing to
spend $15 a day for several days, take that money and go advertise on a bigger blog. Bring customers
into your shop that way, rather than competing for attention on Etsy.
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Another Etsy trick is to constantly renew your items. Though not technically an advertising opportunity, I
treat it like one. Renewing constantly bumps your listings to the top of the search pages. Since the
search pages list results on listing time, a lot of people swear by renewing. The thinking is that closer you
are to the front of the search pages, the better your chances are of someone clicking on your product.
My opinion is that if I’m going to renew three items during the day, I’d rather just list something new. I
tend to only renew something when it’s close to expiring (or when I haven’t had a chance to make new
products) because renewing constantly for jewelry is an uphill battle – the category is so saturated,
renewing only brings me from page 25 to page 15 on the search results. Instead, I focus on having good,
specific tags for each item so I have a better chance of showing up that way and advertising my shop off
Etsy. Renewing constantly doesn’t work for me, but it may work for you, so give it a try. If you plan on
doing it regularly, remember to factor in the constant renewing fees into the item cost.
Diversify your income
Relying on just one revenue stream (like Etsy) is hard. Brainstorm other ways to bring in income, like
wholesaling, consignment, craft shows, trade shows, and trunk shows. There are pros and cons to each,
but lots of creative people have several streams of income.
Wholesale: Wholesale means you have a retailer who is buying your product to sell in their store. They
are giving you money upfront for a selection of products. A wholesale price is generally half of your
retail price, so you need to make sure you can make enough profit on a wholesale order to survive. The
positive part of wholesaling is that it’s steady work once you have a few wholesale accounts, and you
generally get paid up front. The downside is that you have to be willing to fulfill those orders, which
means making multiples (sometimes a lot of multiples) of a single design over and over. For more
information, check out Crafting an MBA’s Guide to Wholesale and Trade Shows ebook or Megan’s
Wholesale vs. Consignment post.
Consignment: Consignment means that you are essentially renting space in a store. There’s no money
exchanged upfront, but the store takes a percentage (usually 50%, sometimes lower, sometimes higher)
when your product does sell. The upside to this is that the store can take a chance on your work and test
the waters with their customers. The downside is that you won’t get paid for your items until they sell.
For some consignment tips, check out my interview with Vicki Potter of Orion Designs.
Craft Shows: Craft shows are a great way to get yourself out there to your local market. There’s a good
chance your local area (or closest bigger city to you) has several craft shows throughout the year, so
spend some time visiting them. Notice things like how many people are at the show, how organized
each space is, what booths catch your eye. You should also keep in mind that a lot of craft shows require
an application to be submitted months in advance, so do some research now, and plan ahead.
For more tips, check out the craft show posts on Buzz Blog, the How to Set Up a Craft Show Booth that
Customers Can’t Resist post on Meylah, and of course, the Etsy Forums.
Trunk Shows: Trunk shows are similar to craft shows, but on a smaller scale. The advantage of a trunk
show is that it’s up to you on how it’s organized, and is usually held in one day for a few hours (versus 10
hours per day for an entire weekend for a craft show). Generally, a trunk show features either one artist
(yourself) or a few artists selling different products. So that there’s no direct competition, pick friends
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where your styles go well together, but where you’re all selling something different. Trunk shows can be
held anywhere – in your home, at a restaurant (you have to plan ahead and talk to the restaurant about
your show), a store, an office – anywhere. My first trunk show was in a candy shop, and it went over
fabulously for me as well as the store owner. You can Google “trunk show” or “home party”, but the
Etsy Forums are full of good information, too.
Find a balance
When you first open up a shop, there really isn’t a balance for a few months. You’re adjusting to a new
stage of your life, you’re creating stock, ordering supplies, and chances are, you’re doing this alone
(unless you have elves, and if you do, feel free to send some my way!). Everything feels exciting because
it is.
That being said, you need to find a balance between “You as a Shop Owner” and “You as a Person”.
Family time is important, as is getting offline every once in a while. Breaks and days off may feel like a
luxury, but it’s a luxury you need to take because breaks are important to your sanity.
Let me share something with you – fall of 2009, I had a nervous breakdown. I was tired, depressed, and I
had run myself into the ground. I hadn’t taken a day off in weeks – it was all work, work, work – and it
showed. I looked awful, felt worse, and couldn’t function. It took me months of just attending to me to
even get back into a creative groove. I lost my muse, my creative desire was nil, and it was because I
didn’t give myself time to relax.
You need to do the same. Schedule a day or two off each week, and stick to it. Spend time with your
family, relax and watch TV, work out, do something for you to unwind. You need this, and not only is it
helpful to your health, it’s good for business, too. You’ll come back to your projects with a renewed
sense of energy.
On a similar note, you don’t need to do it all. Check out two really inspiring posts, one by Tara Gentile
and one by Wendy Brightbill (both on Scoutie Girl) about how they do it all.
If you're just starting out, don't jump into
wholesale or consignment immediately
And here’s why: you need some time to figure things out on your own first. Give yourself that
adjustment period – it’s okay! You need time to decide on your brand, find your niche, set up (and get
used to) a creating schedule. Those first few months are key to learning how you work and what your
style is. Don’t rush things; let it happen organically.
But when you are ready, do some research. Cold calls aren’t always effective, so if you’re approaching a
store, you want to have things in order. Review my consignment post with Vicki to get an idea of how
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the consignment world works and check out Crafting an MBA for excellent wholesale tips (like the
Wholesale vs. Consignment post I mentioned before), as well as general business advice.
First thing for me would be to visit the shop I’m interested in. I want to check out how their store is set
up, how they display everything, and how well my work might fit in. One great bonus is if any employee
(not just the manager) can give a little information about each artist they represent – to me, that means
that they really love handmade, and are willing to promote it well.
Then, I would ask for the manager’s name and number then call them directly a few days later. Most
store employees don’t have the buying power, so they aren’t going to be familiar with what the store
owner or manager wants as far as product lines go, nor are they going to know what that store’s budget
is. The manager or owner is the one you need to contact and deal with.
Finally, I would put together a portfolio with maybe 10 or so samples, an artist bio, an artist's statement,
an info sheet with all my contact info on it, a line sheet with prices, and maybe a CD of selected work
available. If you’ve made connections with fellow artists, then I would ask them if they have any advice
for you on what to bring and what to expect. Again, Megan at Crafting an MBA put together a Guide to
Wholesale and Trade Shows ebook, so you may want to check that out before doing any approaches.
One thing to watch out for is wholesale or consignment offers via Etsy convos. I’m not saying that
honest people wouldn’t contact you that way (they might if you don’t have a website, a blog, or clearly
post your email address somewhere), but I am saying that people have run scams that way. They have
taken advantage of hard working artists over and over, so educate and protect yourself. A real offer will
not ask for expedited orders or shipping, and will include contact information (like a website or phone
number). I’ll be honest; I'm wary of any offers via convo and even email – scammers are shifty – and I
check out each site before making any response.
Don't overbuy on supplies
It’s so tempting to have a huge stock of supplies, just in case, but I would caution against it. Buy what
you immediately need and a little more, but keep your supplies to a minimum – it saves on space and
your checkbook. Instead, challenge yourself to plan out pieces before you shop – you’ll be surprised how
quickly you can save money.
The other side of this is experience. The more you work, the more you learn how you work. You’ll learn
the supplies you love, and the ones you don’t. As you go along, keep a list of your most-used supplies
and the vendors they come from. This way, when you run low, you know where to go to order more.
Learn time management skills
I’ve touched on this a little before, but let me come right out and say it: you need some time
management skills. Just like the business owner needs a day off every once in a while, the artist needs
to actually create, too. How long does it take you to create a piece? How much time do you devote per
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day to social networking? There is a balance here, too, that you need to learn for yourself. How do you
work? What is your day like?
For example, I know I’m not a morning person. It takes me a while to get going, so I don’t create in the
mornings; I create in the afternoons and evenings. I mentally wake up in front of the computer – I check
my email, check my sites, respond to comments, blog, place supply orders, that sort of thing. Then it’s a
lunch break before a creative session. That goes through to dinner, when I take another break, check
everything again, then get back to creating. This schedule works for me because I only have me to take
care of and worry about, and because by the time I get to the studio, I’ve been thinking about the
projects I want to tackle and I get them done.
In order to sell something, you have to create it first. Brainstorm a schedule, then stick to it. If it
doesn’t work for you, change it to something that will work. Keep refining till you have something that is
the best of everything (creating versus promoting). Find the best use of your time and run with it.
Create a game plan
It doesn’t matter how small you are; setting goals for yourself is always a good thing.
Business plan, game plan, plan of action – whatever you call it, you need one. Spend some time defining
your target market, defining your business goals, and tying everything you do back to your business
mission. Once you’ve got your business goals written down, how do you plan to meet them? How can
you meet the needs of your buyers? How will you advertise yourself? How will you generate revenue?
It may be a little left-brain for right-brain creative types, but it’s not a waste of time. It’s actually worth
it to think analytically about your business, and setting goals for yourself, as well as a plan to meet
them, can only help you.
Having a plan to refer back to makes me feel comfortable. I like putting my goals and dreams down on
paper, and brainstorming the different steps to get there. I not only love knowing what my next step is
going to be, I like knowing that I’m making progress towards a bigger goal (because I am).
Not sure where to start? Check out Crafting an MBA’s Business Growth Planner or search Etsy for some
printable worksheets.
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Learn patience and persistence
The last, and probably best, thing I can share is learn how to be patient and persistent. Just like learning
your craft is a process, selling on Etsy is a process, too. It can take some time to really get going, and
that’s okay. Define success for yourself, create a game plan to meet your goals, then go out and do it.
I’m not going to lie – there are going to be times that are hard, and waiting for sales can be painful. Fill
that time with other things – create new products, work on packaging ideas, work on your photos,
research new advertising venues, figure out social media, take a class, or start a blog. Fill those down
times with proactive tasks to help grow your business. Be patient with yourself, and always keep
pushing forward.
The best thing I’ve learned over my three years selling on Etsy is that persistence is important. If I didn’t
push through my fears, push my limits, and really expand myself, I wouldn’t be here today. My business
has grown because I worked to make it grow. My business has grown because I didn’t give up.
And you can do it, too, because it’s not about luck – it’s about working hard and sticking with it. It’s
about learning everything you can, and testing what works for you. It’s about being patient with yourself
as you learn, create, and grow. It’s about taking a calculated risk and creating a niche for yourself. It’s
about action.
Wishing you success,
Brandi