Being a lifelong student, and a teacher as well, I am a firm believer in the power of research and notes. This comes into play over and over in my life and making lists for bills, chores and groceries, in my world, is a must. That being said- I have been gathering research and making things to sell, so that I feel at least a little bit prepared for this Etsy venture.

To start out, I began searching online for tips and tricks for how to run a successful Etsy shop. There’s a lot out there! Many, many people have opened Etsy shops and written about things that work and things to avoid in order to be successful!

Pinterest is saturated with links to articles like “10 Etsy Mistakes to Avoid” and “How I Tripled My Sales On Etsy.” I started pinning these articles and reading them putting Gloria to nap- Here’s my boiled down, quick and dirty lists (so far) of things to do and not to do while starting and running an Etsy shop. *Disclaimer- I have not actually opened my shop to the public- so I’m sure I’ll be updating these lists when I have some experience under my belt.

Things To Do

• Read and sign up to receive Etsy’s articles for success.
• Read all the information and “house rules” Etsy provides and stick to them.
• Get involved in Etsy’s groups and forums online and in your community.
• Be prompt and courteous with communications and orders.
• Take Good Pictures!
• Write beautiful, clear descriptions of your products (all I can think of here is Elaine Benes writing for J. Peterman- and ummmm- I just might run with that.)
• Package orders with care and include a business card and personal note of gratitude.
• Check out the competition for pricing and presentation ideas.
• Keep refreshing the store and update based on feedback.
• Branch out- get on Instagram and Facebook.
• Just Open Your Shop Already and Don’t Be Afraid to Try!

Things NOT To Do

• Don’t neglect your clientele or your store.
• Don’t post bad pictures.
• Don’t forget to describe the product.
• Don’t give up!

Now then, that doesn’t seem so hard. I think, once I get my ducks in a row here- I can handle this. My only reservation, seriously, is the whole Facebook thing- I am extremely Facebook Shy. I get palm sweaty nervous about Facebook- it’s an issue. I was brave enough to start the blog, get an Instagram going and share this journey with those who care to read it- but I have yet to announce this via FB- the fear is ridiculous.

I need to buck up about that- and I will… eventually.

Wish me luck 🙂

Fancy Elephant Shoppe- March 1st 2017