Lessons Learned - August

[#1]

Hi everyone!

I thought it'd be helpful to start a list of everyone's lessons learned. Maybe then we can help others before they make the same mistake.

Here are mine:
- a clear, close photo works well for earrings
- sitting down to make a spreadsheet of costs/overhead/labor is a good idea for pricing
- resin is awesome. but, don't waste it on your blankets, jeans, or carpet.

what are yours?

[Former_Member]

1. Make shop policies clear for international orders. Haven't had one yet, but. have read many threads on customs and deliverer fees. Ahhhh!
2. Create even when there are no sales, and look into local craft fairs....
3. Stop buying materials when you can make 100 hats and 100 bags with what you already have!

[Former_Member]

I learned that it takes a good bit of money to start up even a small online shop like mine....and a good bit of work. I opened in July so August was my 1st official full month on Etsy and I feel I have grown and changed so much on here in that short amount of time already.

I originally thought I would make something list it, someone would buy it, I will make another, etc, all while counting the extra spending money I would be getting, lol! I so didn't think I would be juggling in it full time as a maker, photographer, PR person...all while trying to take care of my kids, lol! This has also catapulted me into social sites (Twitter), which I have always steered clear from in the past, and sites I've never even heard of (Wanelo).

I am still not sure if I want to continue...it is more work than I bargained for...I may give it a year. In the meantime all my personal knitting has taken a backburner (helllooo Quaker Ridge shawlette!! I hear you calling my name!)....so we shall see if I am right for Etsy or not.

[Former_Member]

Aw Genevieve! At least wait until the holiday season is over before you decide. Etsy is crazy during that time! Maybe you should take a mini break before then to refresh :)

[Former_Member]

I learned (mostly from these threads) that
1. a watched pot never boils (referring to sales),
2. that white backgrounds are very controversial, and that
3. I need to make my first few sales so I can buy a better camera to take better pics.
I'm going to try to stick it out through the holidays, but if I don't get any sales I'm going to have to rethink Etsy. :(

[Former_Member]

If you have kids, always give them a project to do so they don't have to "help" you with yours.

[SalemStyle]

What I learned:
-Don't obsess over sales (you won't get any)
-Genuine Favorites are more special than ones forced through teams/games
-Taking breaks is necessary to become excited about your shop during slow parts

[ChristianaOdum]

Biggest lesson learned: STOCK UP INVENTORY FOR THE HOLIDAYS! This includes shipping materials, raw supplies and finished product! I swore to be better about it this year and I'm making good progress! :)

[ArtbySuzanneLaPierre]

Double-check the customer's address - sometimes the customer will have an address listed with Paypal that is different than the one listed with Etsy- if you notice more than one address be sure to get clarification as to where they want the item shipped.

Make sure you are not losing money on shipping and packing supplies but also that are you giving the best deal to your customer. I just changed the shipping on my small drawings so that if a person orders more than one, the subsequent pieces ship free. They are on paper so it won't cost me extra to ship more than one, unlike larger or weightier items or pieces that need bubble wrap, etc.

Great idea for a thread, Brittany!

[StuckOnSilver]

Take a deep breath before convos and two deep breaths before shipping!!

[shaylalynnjewelry]

Love this thread!
I've learned that I really need to add an insurance option and delivery confirmation automatically to my packages so I don't worry about them getting lost anymore..
Don't get discouraged on slow days..the next day will likely make up for it, and it all averages out in the end.
Take breaks from the computer and jewelry making to relief your eyes.
Stay positive!

[PennyBirchWilliams]

I learned that it's not as hard or scary as I thought to get the business side of my shop set up, i.e. registering with the state to collect sales tax, setting up a business bank account, etc. Still need to set up a file system though.

I learned that there is so much I can learn from reading discussion threads, to not make mistakes and improve my shop...I don't have to do it all the hard way. Thanks to all of you!

[Former_Member]

dont use your facebook and twitter page to promote only... people will just look over you

[DecoratingYourself]

I finally signed up for Direct Check-Out....

[Former_Member]

Lessonds learned:
- Don't let sales (or lack thereof) dictate how much work you put into your shop. Keep a strong steady pace, even through sales lulls, and you up your chances of getting more sales in the future.

- Don't be afraid to take a vacation. The world will not end in the meantime, and when you get home, you'll be even more motivated to do more and better. I got back from vaca this past weekend and have been in a productive frenzy ever since.

- Never use jet glue (super crazy glue) until you get all the dog hair off your sleeves. It will get stuck and ruin the piece.

Love this thread!

[MagicMoonPottery]

@ Paula.. Work on shipping costs so you don't lose $ in that area! I invested in a small scale, so hopefully that will help
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
YES! I had my very first order and lost money on it because I didn’t do enough research with shipping costs. Pottery is heavy LOL!

~Creating better keywords/tags makes a huge difference
~Step AWAY from the computer and take a break! It's too easy to be consumed by the shop, activity, threads and articles.
~ Discussions from teams are incredibly helpful to a newbie like me :)
This thread is a perfect example!

[Former_Member]

1: Photos. Clear photos that make the item you are selling stand out.
2: Know the Etsy photo sizing so you can crop the picture in such a way it will work for all the picture sizes on Etsy.
3: Research pricing of similar items on Etsy and look at the # of sales for the shops. If someone has a lot of sales their pricing is probably in a good range.
4: Participate in discussions, treasuries etc. It helps to bring in customers.
5: Don't be afraid to rearrange your shop or prices or try to re-photograph items to better show them off. Just don't do this all the time. If you try something new give it time to work.

Good luck!

[PaperFlora]

Lots of great ideas here!

1. Know how much it costs! Keep a close watch on every penny you spend it adds up quickly and will cut into your profits.

2. Don't be afraid to take a break. I'm doing it right now and I feeling restored and refreshed. Your shop will survive! It will ALL be there when you get back.

[TheRubyBelle]

Such a great thread!

So many people have the same lessons learned that I have also had, so I won't repost those. Here's a new one though that I have truly learned...

*Make something you LOVE and would buy yourself

Cheers,
Sandy

[Former_Member]

I learned if I don't make it I can't sale it, as much as I like to do items as made to order most of my customers prefer ready to ship or at least a very fast turnaround.

Don't be afraid to tell people what you do. You never know who may be looking for exactly what you have to offer.

[SesenDesign]

I finally realized that if you have good tags and titles, you do not need to re-new or buy into advertising ( here). Relevancy does indeed rule and when I re-jigged the above, after giving myself a fortnight. not only did the views improve but my costs went down.

[Former_Member]

Oh I have learned so much:

Pictures are the first impression so make them look good.

Spending time on etsy tweaking, posting, and managing your page pays off.

Packaging is as important as the product.

Be organized in your shop, studio, and your head!

[Former_Member]

1. A separate business bank account is a good thing.
2. Don't sew when you're really tired because simple, routine tasks become difficult and mistakes are made which means much ripping of seams and re-cutting of fabric.

[lippybrand]

As someone else said-
DONT respond to convos before drinking coffee in the morning! I made a total fool out of myself dealing with one customer. Good thing she was sweet and patient. :)
And CHECK supplies before you agree to a custom order!

The best lesson learned this month for me was; do not stress over slow days. The business will come again. The first week of august I thought my etsy career was over. :) But its actually been a good month, who really cares if I get 4 sales in one day, then 0 in the next four days. It all evens out.

[Former_Member]

Don't let Etsy rule your life or your mood. It's great to do something you love, but don't measure the value of your product or of you as a person because of lack of views or sales. There is more to life than Etsy. Don't forget that. . .

And making sales is whole lot more about photography, SEO, and good titles and tags than the actual product.

[ElectronicGirl]

i've learned tons of stuff over the last year from these forums. too much to list.
but one major thing i learned....i needed to quit my job. for too many reasons to list. and my experiment here on esty has showed me a different direction my life could go in...and im gonna follow that path and see where i go with it.

biggest lesson...get out there! it's never a failure to keep getting your name and product out into the world. :D
rock on y'all