growing my buisness

[Millennialgirlboss]

I have been running my etsy shop as a hobby and i have been happy with the success i have had so far but now i want to turn my shop into a buisness and sell at craft shows and eventually grow and open my own boutique in 2 - 3 years.

i wanted to find out your honest opinion about my products
do you like the designs on my shop? and why?
would you pay for them at the current price points?
if i could only improve 1 thing what would the most important thing be?

[Former_Member]

1 thing? Honestly?

drop the head bands, Im no fashion type..but unless your stuffin them with lavender and saying it cures headaches and no one would ever see you in bed with it..IDK who would buy such cant even think of the target market there. (Sorry)

As far as the rest, start marketing outside Etsy. Establishing your own site, building back links, selling on Other sites customade is a solid one for high end stuff, contacting and sending samples to shops who's style meet yours to build up regular whole sales.

Craft shows are another beast one I dont know much about... thought of two inventories in glass scares me off. So someone else will have to answer that bit.

[Millennialgirlboss]

thanks for the feedback! ill defiently look into more marketing outside of etsy and stop the headband range

[Millennialgirlboss]

anyone

[TwistedKnickersInc]

i would look at the craft shows, weekly markets, street fairs/fringes and consignment or whole sale with local established shops.

visit a few craft shows or markets to see how people set their displays up and then try a few out. the market i sell at is different every week for each seller, but once people get use to seeing you in the same location they will come back to buy.

and network with the other vendors. if you want to open your own boutique these people could provide extra stock for your shop plus free word of mouth advertising.

on craft show days you can deactivate listings or put your shop on holiday mode for a few hours if you don't have inventory for online and in person.

have fun

[HoneyThistle]

Hi Chantelle,

I agree with Breanna about the headbands... I wouldn't necessarily not do headbands altogether, but maybe modify your design a bit. I think what throws me off about the current design is the fact that the piece of cloth only covers the front of your head, and the rest is attached by a ribbon... whereas for both aesthetics & function, I would want a headband that has cloth going all around the head.

The other suggestion I have is regarding your photography. Your work features very bold patterns, and I would focus on taking photos of them against white/solid backgrounds instead of out in nature or in front of furniture indoors. You have some of this already with some of the more studio looking shots. This will help you with branding a bit more, and also give your shop a more polished and professional appearance.

Hope this helps, and good luck :)

[Millennialgirlboss]

thank you everone for your feedback!

i would love to know more opinions about

do you like the designs on my shop? and why?
would you pay for them at the current price points?

[HildaLea]

This headband = awesome, I want 3 right this second:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/205778598/british-flag-hair-headband-special?ref=shop_home_active_9

This headband = no, not unless it is for a migraine:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/227794348/red-floral-hair-headband-special?ref=shop_home_active_10

As a buyer, I personally find it strange when prices have odd cents (i.e. $12.72). Why not just make it $13? Or $12.50? I understand that maybe you're trying to be very accurate with pricing, but to me it always comes off as a little scam-like, and I wonder if the seller is a creative/artist type or some one who buys things in bulk from another company (say 100 headbands for $50) and then just divides the price they paid by the # of items they got.

Your photography is nice! I like that most of the items have at least one photo of the item in use/on a model. And like others have said, definitely promote outside of Etsy, too!

[ArtisticSideOfLife]

@Bee

I think, because she is based in the UK she is trying to round prices in £ not $.

[Millennialgirlboss]

thank you so much everyone!
you have been a great help, now i know what i should improve on to develope my products.
yes and Maya is correcet my prices are in GBP £ so they might seem and odd number in doller

[PresuttiDesign]

Agree with some above. I would market those as sleep masks, not headbands, and I think they would sell better. Or if you designed they so they had a waterproof liner & an opening people could stick ice packs in them? Thoughts...

[Millennialgirlboss]

thanks for your in put