A few days ago I wrote a post that departed from my normal tone. I was a little gruff; a little direct. Maybe even a little condescending. None of those are what I want to be and I thought about deleting my post before too many people saw it!

This quote from that article will give you an idea of the tone:

“Getting a Sale on Etsy Is Like Winning the Lottery”
No, it isn’t. It’s one sale and you should expect it to happen pretty darn quickly. If it doesn’t then you need to go into the bathroom and look in the mirror and have a talk with your staff.

That post is all business and not wrong. Not entirely.

Here’s where it fails: It neglects to talk about the deep non-business connection you have with your Etsy shop. It forgets that your reasons for doing this go far beyond earning some cash.

In short, I forgot I was talking to an artist. A creator. Someone who gets as much joy from the love of making (if not more) than she does from the cha-ching at sale time.

It’s Not All About The Money — Not Even Close

Less than 6 hours after I wrote that bit of greed-laden, heartless, soulless business advice, I was providentially shown the glaring error of my ways.

12 Bones = Happy

Kim and I were on a little husband/wife trip to the stunning, tree-covered mountains of North Carolina to celebrate her birthday. We visited Asheville, ate some amazing BBQ at 12 Bones, and then went to the River Arts District.

The River Arts District is sort of like a little “real life” model of Etsy. Building after colorful building is filled with “working artists studios” where you can not only buy the art, but you can meet the artist and, if the stars are aligned and your timing is right, you can watch the creation process happening before your very eyes.

It’s fun. It’s inspiring. And it is a real reminder that it’s not just about the money.

There are successful artists who will sell you a photograph for a few hundred bucks or a painting for a few thousand. But if you look closer you’ll find that everyone is represented. We found one area that had the work of a budding mixed-media artist, we presumed a teen, who had wonderful work on display priced at just a few dollars.

Shown above is Jonas Gerard whose gallery was our favorite. Photo: RiverArtsDistrict.com

The most impressive thing is that no matter what, whether making $500 an hour or dreaming of making $5, the absolute passion for the art was clearly evident in every artist and every piece of work on display.

The focus on the art was so great at times that sometimes even the customers browsing through were somewhat of an annoyance!

The creation was the main pursuit. The money was secondary; an afterthought.

Etsy Mixes Business and Art

If you’re looking to be a starving artist then my writing probably won’t really be your favorite because, for the most part, I’m talking about how to make money.

I’ve been an entrepreneur since I was about 14 years old when I sold my first house painting job. Before that I cut lawns. I’ve always loved it and the excitement I have about the opportunities online is so huge I hardly sleep at night.

So that’s what I write about here.

But I’ll try to never again sinfully forget that Etsy isn’t eBay. It’s not about selling just to sell. It’s not about marketing for marketing’s sake and accounting as a cure to boredom. Etsy is a place to share your creations and your exciting vintage finds with the world.

It’s a magical and wonderful and inspiring place where you can mix your greatest love with your need to earn a living. You can create and you can sell.

It’s awesome and I hope I can always be helpful on the business side. I’ll leave the whole artsy fartsy thing to my wife, Kim@EverythingEtsy (blog) (pinterest) (facebook), who didn’t need to see a physical Arts District to be reminded… because it’s just who she is.

Me, I’m about the opportunity of it all. It’s just so huge.

Here’s a comment that came in recently on one of our “How-To” business blog posts:

Getting a sale on etsy is like winning the lottery. I’m thinking of closing my shop as its a waste of time and money. I just want one sale. Just to know that it works. Etsy should help with advertising. I don’t understand how to make a treasury. I even googled it and still don’t understand.

You know what… I don’t understand either.

Getting a Sale on Etsy Is Like Winning the Lottery

No, it isn’t. It’s one sale and you should expect it to happen pretty darn quickly. If it doesn’t then you need to go into the bathroom and look in the mirror and have a talk with your staff. Somebody in the room has goofed and it’s time to get it all out on the table (or counter as the case may be).

After your staff meeting it’s time to fix it, so figure out what’s broken.

• Is your product up to snuff? Is anyone else selling something similar? Is it professional quality?
• Is your photography good enough? In case you’re wondering, the answer is no.
• Are your product descriptions helpful and clear and professionally written? All you have to do to understand what works is go find a few shops with sales and look at what they do!
• Is your pricing right? Don’t assume it should be lower, maybe it should be higher if your product and photography and descriptions are great. Maybe your deal seems too good to be true.
• What are YOU doing to market your shop?Nobody is going to do this for you. Etsy isn’t going to help you. It’s totally unrealistic to think that. You market it by:
  • Blogging, a lot, in your niche
  • Paying, a little, for advertising
  • Pounding the pavement – go out and find customers! Email people. Hand out cards. Go to craft shows. Sales offline today lead to sales online tomorrow. Hello.
  • Give away samples – send your items to friends, family, influencers, reporters, whatever.
  • Make a name for yourself – not in the Etsy forums. Elsewhere through guest blogging, commenting in outside forums and on blog posts with helpful tips, through press releases, etc.
• Are you taking good care of the customers you do get? - Service, with a smile.
• Rinse and Repeat – you keep doing this, and doing it, and doing it. You’re never done. This is business.

My Shop Is a Waste of Money

How much money? Seriously. What does it actually cost you to run an Etsy business? It’s so cheap that it’s almost free. Of course you can spend money on things but if you look back at the list above and ask yourself “is there a free way for me to do this?” on each item, you’re going to see that there is very little you have to spend money on.

My Shop is a Waste of Time

Only if you don’t do it right. Cooking a Turkey is a waste of time if you don’t prep it right and cook it properly. Washing the car is a waste of time if you don’t use anything but a dry rag. Going to school is a waste of time if you sleep on your desk all day and don’t listen to the teachers.

So, I guess, if you want it to be a waste of time it can be. But it doesn’t have to be. It can be the best time you’ve ever invested in any business or job. It’s really up to you.

I Don’t Know How to Make A Treasury

Who cares? Is that on my list? Do you see post after post here (or anywhere) about how to make a great treasury? Or how to be the most influential person in the Etsy Forums? You can get into treasuries later. They aren’t worthless. They do have business value for a well established shop and they have definite social and community building value.

But making treasuries as a strategy to get your first sales on Etsy is about as efficient as getting out from behind the wheel of your car and pushing it up the street. Uphill. In the snow. At night. Point is, there are easier ways to get where you want to go.

Now don’t get me wrong. There’s a place for treasuries after you get all your ducks in a row. It does you very little good to get an item on the front page of Etsy if your whole shop isn’t up to snuff. Your item may get lots of views and you may even get a sale or two. But then what?

You aren’t looking for a “sale or two”. You need sustained sales. You get that by repeating the items in the bullet list above. When you get to that point, then getting featured in a great treasury is going to bring you actual customers. It’s going to get you noticed by people who can spread the word.

Why Am I Being So Direct?

When I read the comment first listed above I pretty much had this whole blog post flash in an instant in my mind. This is just how I think.

But I did have to stop and ask myself this question…

Do people just need someone to be nice to them and encourage them? Maybe the “direct” answer will do more harm than good.

I thought about that a little bit and decided, as you’ve seen, to go the direct route. I want this blog and the community of readers to be about real success. REAL SUCCESS.

I’m talking about Etsy shops that pay school tuitions, or car payments, or the grocery bill. Even more, I’m talking about Etsy shops that grow into businesses that support entire families both now and far into the future. I’m talking about real business.

What about you? Are you really in business or are you playing games?

PS - I almost deleted this post for being to grouchy… instead I wrote another that shared the rest of the story: The Beautiful Mix of Business and Art

This post is written to the dreamers and doers out there. If you get a little bit excited at the idea that the little Etsy shop you started could be just the beginning, then this is for you. If you’re young, or young at heart, and you love to imagine a wonderful future beyond your wildest dreams, then you and I are on the same wavelength right now.

What Does the Future Hold?

It’s no secret at this point that the Internet is changing the world. We are hyper-connected through smart phones, tablets, laptops, computers, and more. Even our newest cars and televisions are connected to the world, through the web.

While there seems no shortage of people warning of the dangers of all this, and there are certainly many of those, I can’t help but be mesmerized by the opportunities. Limitless, amazing, heart-pounding opportunities.

What will you do, five years hence, when your tv is seamlessly connected to an endless supply of quality video content about every conceivable subject? Will you still watch whatever happens to be on at the moment, or will you search for something of particular interest and relevance to your life?

Will you choose to listen to one of three or four offered voices for news and opinion, or will you find that voice which resonates most deeply with you as a person?

Will you feel limited in what new skills or knowledge you can gain? What about what kind of job you’ll have, or what you consider yourself to “be”?

I don’t think I’m going out on a limb when I say that these things and many more are in the process of changing, fast.

Etsy is Just the Beginning

Dreamers like you want to be more than a spectator to this future. You want to be in the game. You want to take the bull by the horns and go for it. I – heart – you.

Etsy is Internet. It is selling online. It is eCommerce. When you have an Etsy shop, you have a web page. You have an online business.

Just claiming a stake in the new frontier is a huge-mega-jumbo step in the right direction! You can’t help but learn when you do it. You expand your knowledge massively as you progress. With each item listed, you grow. With each sale, you become more confident.

Each sale. More confident.

Do the math… what happens if you keep going and don’t quit?

Extreme confidence and utmost competence is what happens. If you keep going and DO NOT QUIT you will become an online professional. You will own a recognizable and tangible piece of theinternetisthefuture real estate.

And then you’ll keep going. Further still. Step by step, day by day.

You’ll start to see opportunities in areas you never expected. You’ll become one of those voices I mentioned that people listen to. You’ll produce one of those quality video programs. You’ll become something new, something more you. Something so beautiful it excites me just to write about it years in advance.

Don’t Lose Sight of the Road Ahead

Years ago I had a friend who mentored me in business. As with all mentors, some of what he said was right, and some was wrong. But one of the things he saw in me that needed to change was right on.

I tended (tend?) to look at what was happening directly in front of me. Right now. Today. I often failed to lift my eyes up and over the events of the day so that I could see further down the road. He urged me to look further and set my primary focus on that which was coming a year, two, or ten years ahead.

I find that advice even more relevant in today’s fast changing world.

How can you change your focus? Realize that every step is progress even if it doesn’t pay cash money today. If you’re late on the rent and your Etsy shop isn’t making money, then you probably need to divert your attention for long enough to earn a few bucks. But then come back. Keep taking steps. Make progress.

Try and learn something new each week. Learn a little about SEO, set yourself up with a WordPress website, get better at photography, learn what works for others in social media.

And stay motivated! I’ll do my best to help with that part.

~Tim

Image – Original source image by Frank Vincentz, Etsyfication by Tim Layton

Tall, Grande, Venti, or Mega-Jumbo?

The list of amazing advantages to an online business is a long one, but the following fact is one of my very favorites:

You can make it whatever size you want.

Tall

We’ll gracefully ignore the language choice or word meanings for Starbucks sizes. Let’s just run with the analogy and consider this equal to “small”.

A small handmade business can be a total blast, a creative outlet, and a “spare-time” entrepreneurial endeavor that puts a little bit of money in your pocket.

Chances are, if you love what you’re doing and put any marketing effort forth at all, you’ll be able to buy yourself quite a few Caramel Macchiatos each month.

Ingredients:

• Approx. 1 Dozen nice products that you love to make
• A selection of good quality photographs of your products
• An Etsy Shop to sell them from
• Social Media outlets to share them in (Facebook & Etsy work great)
• One hour daily working on promotions and sharing
• One hour daily making your products
• Takes about three months to get momentum

Grande

Not unlike the sales at Starbucks, Grande is a popular choice.

You want something you can really think of as a job, not a hobby with benefits. You need to do more than just buy yourself some beverage treats. Real bills need to be paid and you need to find a way to pay them!

Full-time isn’t an option due to another job or a house full of kids, or both! But you’ve got a great idea and you love to make something people will buy.

At this level you’ve got to step-up the marketing and you’re not going to get by with a dozen products. However, the benefits at this level can cover a car payment and even put some gas in the tank too.

Ingredients:

• Approx. 4 Dozen nice products that you love to make
• A selection of good quality photographs of your products
• An Etsy Shop to sell them from
• A topic-focused blog from where you can build a loyal following
• Social Media outlets to share them in (Facebook & Etsy work great)
• Two hours daily working on promotions and sharing
• 1-2 hours daily making your products
• Takes about six months of consistent effort to get to this level

Venti

Now we’re talking full-time job. This is taking your love of handmade, vintage, Etsy, online marketing, blogs, social media, and entrepreneurship to the next level.

This is FBO. (Facebook Official – Time to change your status!)

At this level, you’re a pro. Chances are you’ve found out some ways to diversify. You don’t have to earn every dollar just from sales on Etsy. There are lots of ways to diversify:

• Make money from your blog by selling advertising
• Create downloadable products such as eBooks, printables, audio and video
• Add a few dollars to your flow through affiliate marketing products you use
• Maybe offer services to others using the skills you’ve learned

And – sell – a ton – on Etsy!

At this level the rewards are pretty nice. You work from home at hours of your choosing. You can stop what you’re doing at 10 in the morning if the weather seems nice and you want to go for a walk. If the house is quiet at 10pm and you feel like putting a few hours in, go for it.

You are your own boss.

You can make a good living, depending on your standards. If you’re currently a cardiologist, you might want to think twice before going this route. But for most of us, the money is decent.

The catch? This doesn’t come easy. You have to want it bad.

Ingredients:

• Minimum of 100 nice products that you love to make (or vintage)
• A wide selection of professional quality photographs of your products
• An Etsy Shop to sell them from
• An advertising budget to bring in traffic
• Attention to detail in Product Descriptions, tags, and SEO
• An established topic-focused blog from where you have a loyal following
• Five or more Social Media outlets to share in. All established.
• Four hours daily working on promotions and sharing
• Four hours daily making/finding/inventing/packing/shipping your products
• Can take up to two years to get to this level, depending on time invested.

Mega-Jumbo

This is where I break from the Starbucks analogy. Because this is your own dream. Name it what you want. Invent it however you want to see it.

If you make it to the level of truly being full-time selling online, then the reality is this:

Nothing can stop you from going further. It’s your choice.

That’s the beauty of the Etsy centered business. You can make it whatever size you want it to be and there really is no upper limit.

Once you reach a certain level of skill and professionalism, and your brand is widely known, the options available to you open up beyond comprehension. You won’t even know how to choose which opportunity to pursue first.

So if Mega-Jumbo is your dream. All you need to do is look at the above ingredients and replace the last line with this one:

• Cooking time varies. You’ll know when you get there. Don’t give up. Don’t quit.

You can do this. At whatever level fits your life and your dream.

Isn’t that exciting!