Shop Girl: Etsy, Anyone?
To keep our Shop Girl series rolling, I had to post this letter from Alicia today because I think opening an Etsy shop is on the minds of many lately. I receive a steady stream of emails on this very topic each week, so let's open it up as a discussion to see what your experiences with Etsy have been, as either a shop owner or buyer, and hopefully, answer some of Alicia's questions below.
"You write about different Etsy shops a lot, which I love, and I was thinking eventually I would open one. I wondered if you knew anything about having a shop in general. I'm concerned that perhaps a lot of sellers make stuff that just doesn't sell, probably due to lack of buyers or publicity, or, how do you even know if your product is interesting to others? Anyway, do you know how well the average seller does? Is there a website that discusses this? I think Etsy is so amazing because there is so much inspiring stuff to buy and I can't resist being so inspired as to do it myself." -Alicia
Okay gang, we need to help Alicia out. Anyone have some advice to share? (If you're a freelance writer, take this as a cue to write your next "How To" guide, there's certainly enough books about eBay out there - someone write an Etsy book - quick! Even if you self publish on Lulu.)
Psst: If you'd like to read more small biz related posts, click on the words "shop girl" or "small biz" below.
Thanks for writing in Alicia!
(image from etsy store owner munieca)