4 Tips for Anyone Who is Considering Starting an Etsy Shop
Trying something new can be scary. Or if not scary, then intimidating at least. When I first decided I wanted to sell my artwork, I had no idea where to begin. Did I need to register myself as a business? Would I make my own website or would I sell through Etsy? How was I supposed to price my work?
Although my business is still small, I've learned a lot since those first few weeks (months?) of chaos and confusion. And as I went along, I discovered new aspects of running a business that I hadn't even considered when I started. I could spend hours talking about starting and running an art-based business, and diving into my own experiences, but on this post I'll focus on 4 tips for anyone who is considering starting their own Etsy.
1. Keep track of your sales and expenses right from the start.
When I started selling my work, I was making a sale through Etsy every 6-10 weeks or so, and a sale via Instagram (mostly through friends and family) every 6 weeks as well. Tracking my sales hadn't even occurred to me, and why would it? With sales that slow it seemed unnecessary. And expenses? LOL. I was frequenting the art store every 3 days. I was experimenting with mediums and products and papers. It seemed less like expenses and more like I was just spending (wasting???) my money experimenting with a hobby.
But the thing is, it never hurts to track those things. When you eventually become more busy and start selling more, you're not going to remember how much you spent 6 months ago. You might not even remember who you sold to, or for how much, or how much you paid for shipping. Sure, Etsy tracks all of that for you, but if you're selling outside of Etsy (which is common now with Instagram), a spreadsheet will keep it all in one place.
And the bottom line is that staying organized will always be beneficial for your business (no matter how small):
- to make sure your sales add up to money received
- to try and reduce material and/or packaging costs
- to average shipping costs
- to see where most of your clients are located
- to track price changes, sales and coupons
I personally use excel for tracking. Not in any fancy way, just as a basic table spreadsheet.
2. Figure out shipping before your first sale.
This part was so confusing for me. I mean, it's 2019, I never even send lettermail anymore, let alone PARCELS. What's this business about shipping labels? Can't I just use postage stamps?
In reality, Etsy makes it super easy. You enter the weight and dimensions of your packaging when you post the listing (so when you post it, don't estimate; measure it exactly!!) and they calculate shipping costs for you. They collect the shipping payment from the customer when they order it online, and then you can print out a pre-made label, stick it on the package, and just drop it at the post office. Easy-peasy.
BUT (and I speak predominantly for Canadian citizens here, I'm not positive how other countries' postal service works) - if you are shipping small artworks within the oversize lettermail dimensions, then you can ship it cheaper through Canada Post. This is because Etsy doesn't give the option for lettermail, only the option to ship as a parcel (which is more expensive). One suggestion though: do not ship actual objects as lettermail, especially if they are somewhat fragile. Even if the post office accepts it, you may run into some bumps along the way that will extend the shipping time.
The maximum dimensions for oversize lettermail are: 380 mm x 270 mm (15 inches x 10.6 inches), 0.8inches in height/thickness, and 0.5kg (500g). You can buy a 'Slot of Doom' online to test the thickness, or you can make your own :) Also, Dollarama sells white bubble mailers that are just within these dimensions (Canada Post does not - it's either 9x12 or 11x14).
Head over to https://www.canadapost.ca/cpotools/apps/far/business/farLetter?execution=e1s1 - it's the Canada Post calculator and it is the BEST.
3. Consider how you will package your product.
Maybe you've already thought of this. But to be honest, it never occurred to me that I could (or should) be neatly packaging up my artwork. My first 2 orders were shipped out bare-naked in a stiff mailer envelope with a thank you note I made out of watercolour paper.
It wasn't until I stumbled upon a YouTube video titled 'How I Package my Etsy Orders' that I realized (like, seriously, it was a lightbulb moment) my shipments needed a little T.L.C.
For my packaging, I shop at www.clearbags.ca or I drive to Creative Bags in Toronto. I buy stiff cardboard inserts + clear flap seal bags in matching sizes, so I can slip my artwork in to prevent bending or damage (and honestly it looks so lovely and professional). I also use this to ship my coasters as oversize lettermail: I stick 6 coasters to a 9x12 cardboard insert and slip it in the bag. In addition to the packaging, I also use www.vistaprint.ca to print Business cards and 'Thank You' cards. I will post another blog and give you the details on how I package and send my orders.
The packaging you use depends on what you're shipping, how you're shipping it, and how fragile it is. But whatever you choose, make sure to give it some consideration before you make your first sale.
4. If you're debating it, just go for it. Etsy is worth the very small investment.
If you don't already know, Etsy is essentially free except for a $0.20USD charge to post a listing. They also collect a percentage once you make a sale, but to post a listing (i.e. without any sales or revenue) is very inexpensive. The bigger investment is the time it will take you to learn about how to use Etsy and create your shop.
Now don't let that intimidate you! Etsy is fairly straightforward, and they offer a lot of resources online (https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/115014502448-Beginner-s-Guide-to-Selling-on-Etsy?segment=selling - This is their Guide to Selling on Etsy). I will also be making another post shortly about steps to take when starting your Etsy, so stay tuned for that! In addition, you can find so much information if you research about it on YouTube or Google. And the fact that you're reading this means you're already starting your research - so you're already on the right track!
You have the option to decide how many business days it will take you to ship an item, so if you're worried about being busy with work or kids or anything else, you can increase that turnaround time to give yourself more of a 'cushion' until you're more comfortable with selling on Etsy.
Even if you never make a sale (which is unlikely, if not impossible if you dedicate time to marketing yourself), the process of setting up shop will teach you so much that I know you won't regret the $0.20 lost, or the time you took to learn about it.
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