How serious are you about your business?

[normasbath]

Some people start their business and sell online, to local gift shops etc. but when it comes a time where nothing is selling anywhere, some quickly give up!

I"ve been making my bath products for seven years now. I've had my shares of hard sweat, tears, smiles, frustration, Exhaustion etc. but at the end of the day I'm not quitting what I do. I love it to much!

so what about you all? are you in this for the Long Haul or what?? do share, and I love this new group:)
~Norma

[WovenByKim]

I am in it for the long haul as well. I have always been creating and selling since I was 10 yrs old. I do shows and festivals and sell at the local school and such. Also at 2 local beauty salons. it is all about the numbers and at the end of the month it is up to me to see that the numbers are what I wanted for that month. All my eggs are not in one basket, but I do take responsibility for the end result. It is not about chance.

Great thread!! Can't wait to hear from others as well.

[normasbath]

OH Wonderful! keep at it.

[normasbath]

Quite around here.

[Former_Member]

hey there i have that feeling that i should give up but i have people round about me telling me my pieces are lovely and i shouldnt give up . i must admit i havent tried selling at craft fairs or boot sales ive tried ebay and etsy as i just havent the time or the transport for a boot sale anything you would suggest to help selling ?? i get the views on etsy and people like my items but no one buys please help !!.

[Former_Member]

I think we all start out saying to ourselves.... I don't want the responsibility of starting a business. But all to many of us are just not "fit" to work for someone else. Here's my path....
1) Quit my real job. 1981. Had a baby.
2) Denial about wanting or needing to start a business.
3) Inspiration.
4) Planning
5) 60+ hr week of work.
6) No sleep. Writing pad on the nightstand.
7) Google searches from 3-5am
8) Failure
9) Failure
10) Success
11) Hyperventilating... for the next three months.
12) Reagan Recession. #1, #2, #3
13) Recovery and growth 8 years of Clinton Admin.
14) GOP returns... Bush/ 9-11, War... Decline
15) Feet on the ground, head in the clouds *30 yrs and counting!
(are growing again?... let you know if a few months...)

Still happy after all these years... ;-}
Wendy Rosen

www.etsy.com/teams/10600/arts-business-institute
www.ArtsBusinessInstitute.org

[Former_Member]

I have also been creating forever, it's definitely a part of who I am. It's becoming clear to me that I need to start my own business and drive it to success because I need to be doing something that satiates me rather than someone else.

[Former_Member]

ARTSYMOM5, your post is too COOL!

I've been designing leather jewelry for about 3 years...with many starts and stops along the way. But since this Spring I decided to give it my ALL. Although I've only made ONE sale online at Etsy I've gotten way further than EVER before.

1. I've improved my designs, found my style and produced many beautiful pieces that I'm proud to show off.

2. I'm getting more experience with marketing.

3. I spend ALL my free time on creating my business...and I can't get enough!

Even though I haven't been successful with sales yet, for the first time I've got a feeling that I will make it and nothing can get me down.

[normasbath]

@Arts,
Thanks so much for sharing that! It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to anything that we do.

@Ashley,
Don't give up.. Ever!

[Former_Member]

While I don't know how serious I am about making a true profit I know it is something that is a good goal to work for.

However, the reason I have my shop is that I can't stop creating these things, and after a point you've given things to family and friends, and then casual acquaintances who mention how nice some things are and you still have a more.

So the shop is more of an outlet for me while at the same time a chance to explore the responsibilities of running a small business and see where things go from there.

That said I take the running of the shop and the creation of the goods very seriously.

[WovenByKim]

Misha Girl.........you have some beautiful pieces.

Hang in there everyone and now is the time to give it all you got. Don't just sit and hope they find your shop for the hoilidays.

[Former_Member]

My business is very new (i.e. just a few months old) but I know I plan to be in it for the long haul. I have never been able to "Give Up." If you plan to do something, you should always follow through, no matter how difficult it may seem.
Yes, it is discouraging not having a single sale, but I will keep trying until something happens. And as ARTSYMOM5 says, you may have many failures before success.
Best of luck to all of you!

[Former_Member]

I'm a lot like ARTSYMOM5 and I would like to share in hopes of it sparking something. I too have been "crafting" all my life, always having little businesses since I was about 8. I never really needed the money but as we know, when we have the gene in our body to "make and create" beautiful things, it never goes away. After pretty much raising kids, hubs retired from his profession in hopes of us both pursing a business together. During our search I started back and making my jewelry and it really took off. I had my own web site and it was working. We finally found a business and now are franchisee owners. This type of business is so different than making things...it is our life blood now. It pays the bills...or not so we really have had to work HARD. After 6 years and surviving this recent recession, I decided to get back to my love of jewelry. Now I see it in a different light. You can't "build it and they will come". You need to get yourselves out there any way you can and never give up if it's what you love. I highly believe in social media. Get a facebook page for your business. Get on twitter. It's what has saved our franchise from going under. I'm new at etsy and eager to get going but I feel confident with time that it will build up again.

Good luck to everyone...and I need good luck too! I'm so glad to be a part of this whole etsy process! And yes, I'm in it for the long haul too!

[Former_Member]

I, too, am new to Etsy, having opened my shop in August. Although I have a lot of competition and haven't sold anything yet, myself, I have high hopes that it is only a matter of time before I do and refuse to give up. I received affirmation of my hopes yesterday, when one of my recently listed crocheted afghans was featured in a Treasury listing (On the Fringe). How cool is that?!

Before I understood what Etsy Teams were all about, I found making friends with other Etsy members and asking questions and advice from them very helpful. I even asked one of my Etsy friends to critique my shop. Following her advice, I revamped my shop, replacing my original profile picture and banner as well as redoing my original listings' photographs (too dark, definitely use natural lighting as suggested). Literally overnight, views of my shop soared.

So, my advice to all newcomers is don't give up, Don't Give Up, DON'T GIVE UP, and as to the question, "How serious are you about your business?", DEAD SERIOUS! If you love what you do and find enjoyment, great satisfaction, and a sense of accomplishment in doing it and do it well, it is well worth your time and effort to pursue what fulfills you and share/sell your talents with/to others.

V

[Former_Member]

I am serious about my jewelry. It takes time to learn how to market it, to learn photography and to find you niche. So be patient in building your business and keep learning new skills and trying new things. I love making things, but sometime a break is needed. Today I took part of the day off.

[Former_Member]

here is my newest treasury! please heart and leave a nice comment!
my goal is the front page!
www.etsy.com/treasury/MTIzNzEzODR8MTA0MDQ3Nzg3OQ/a-walk-through-the...

[Former_Member]

Artsymom I hope your business includes writing a comedy.... But seriously, the fact that you have tried and failed and tried again is the only way to keep going forward - to keep trying to perfect the process and the business. I don't think we should give up because we are doing something that makes us happy. But I do think we need to constantly learn how to run a business and how to market ourselves. We definitely need to network with each other. Check out Sandler's Rules online. Check out some other successful entrepreneurs and see what they have done. That's what I'm doing.

[Former_Member]

My shop will show that I have been on Etsy since 2006, but I haven't sold anything through Etsy because I keep working at a full time job and I have been going to school, so I haven't put anything into the shop to sell! I keep making things at home and mostly give them away for gifts. I wasn't serious about my business, but now I am serious and I am using Etsy as only one place to sell - or rather for my customers to buy from. My things sell much more quickly in person than they seem to do online. When I have my degree in December I will be able to concentrate more on my business. I really like this forum! It feels like there are other real people out there in Etsy-land. And we all need to network with each other.

[Former_Member]

I, too, am more serious than ever about making jewelry. That being said, I have to sell to make more. I hate to sell anything:) I want to keep it all. BUT, I want my work "out there" worse; so I will put my all into selling. I am disabled, so giving shows, etc. is not in my future. Online is all I have.

I was eager to join a group and found this one - looks like my kind of people. Don't ever give up!! I just put out my first $5 for Etsy "Search Ads", and I am getting more activity on my shop since I added items to my Facebook account.

Do y'all have a business license? Collect sales tax?

[WovenByKim]

Paula........yes I have a business license and I pay taxes like all red blooded americans.

But as I read all that has been added to this I realize more and more that we are all in this together and we have to look at our business as a journey. One that has each day bringing us closer to the destination. i have been on etsy for a while but did not get serious till last year and my sales have rocketed and I also do local shows and festivals. I love doing those because I love the numbers at the end of 2 days but i am working at having the steady numbers on here as well.

I love hearing what everyone has to say and I am going to peak in all your shops now!!

[Former_Member]

So serious that I have to force myself NOT to work 7 days a week.

[DesignsbyBellas]

I'm in this 24/7 if possible ive been selling items at markets and bizarres but that's over for the season now it's back focusing all i have to lauch my shop. i have a concern about one thing that is freaking me out. I started in aug. 2011 and when every i had a chance i would search on google images to see how unique my kelp baskets were from the rest but i did my weekly search and found two sites that had mad my style of kelp baskets and the retangle shape was my new idea to expand my item and someone made one two months after i did so does this make my shop in some serious problems or am i just freaking out over nothing. i know i have to get more items up and my the end of the month i'll have at least 2 pages, well that''s my goal. i'm also trying to make so items like necklaces and charms out of sea shells who knows but please help me when it comes to others copying my item what to do

[Former_Member]

A friend once told me to do what I love and the money will come. And it did. That was my last career. Then I retired and lost almost everything. Not defeated, I returned to an old flame: textile and sewing.

I do love what I am doing. I have only had 4 sales since I opened in May. Yet, I feel confident that my style is just beginning to surface, designs swirl through my head. And though I offer a product in a very competitive area, I believe I have a found a niche within it.

So I'm taking the tortoise approach: slow and steady. My immediate goal is to make enough to pay for materials and a new sewing machine. But my long term goal is be the best I can be in doing what I love. The money will come.