Your Creative Business: Defining Success

She's Singing Her Own Song Art Print by Chrissy Foreman Cranitch

We recently came across a post on the Etsy Blog called 'Noted: Defining Success as an Artist'. The article talks about how jobs in the arts have suffered sharp falls in the last seven years and how it's getting harder and harder to make a living as an artist. The article got us thinking.....how do creatives define success? Is it being financially stable, is it selling a certain amount of product per week, is it fame or something completely different?

We would love to know how you as an artist/crafter define success and if your idea of success has changed throughout your career. Leave us a comment below with your thoughts.

Your Creative Business: Shop Policies

Ampersand Stud Earrings by Epheriell

When you think of sitting down and writing your 'Shop Policies' the word 'boring' (amongst other words) may come to mind! Shop policies are an important part of selling on Etsy (or online generally) as they allow customers to make an informed purchase from you.

Your shop policies should contain information about:

• Shipping - methods, turn-around, cost
• Refunds/Exchanges - Do you offer them? What is the process?
• Customs/Duty Fees
• Accepted Payment Types - direct debit, paypal, money order etc.

For help with writing policies for your Etsy shop pop over to the Etsy blog and read THIS ARTICLE!

Your Creative Business: Etsy Shop Critique

Inject some life into your Etsy Shop!
Felt Garland - Summer Brights by 3 GIRLS + a goat

At the last BrisStyle 'I Heart Craft' Creative Development Session we had the pleasure of meeting with Etsy's Australian representative, Kirsteene Phelan. She discussed the very popular topic of 'Pricing Your Work' and then gave a very lucky few a quick Etsy Shop Critique!

Conducting your very own critique on a regular basis is an important part of running a successful Etsy Shop! Below are some great articles to help you along.....

• Etsy Success: Critique Your Shop
• Make Your Profile Stand Out From The Crowd on Etsy
• Shop Makeover: itsastitch on Etsy
• Etsy Success: Item Listing Makeovers

:: I Heart Etsy :: Notes :: Part 3

Welcome to the last installment of our :: I Heart Etsy :: Information Session SNAPSHOT notes.  If you missed Part 1 or 2 you can check them out here and here.  Today we will be discussing the ins & outs of getting your shop noticed: listing/relisting, Etsy Communities, telling the world and staying active. We might even include some useful links for further reading! If you're after more info we will be running the :: I Heart Etsy :: Information Session again next year, so stay tuned for all the deets!

Image Courtesy of Wicked Child Designs

 Listing/Relisting

• Uncle Gravy's Renewing Agent - for automated 'hands free' renewing of your Etsy listings or 'hands free' relisting of your sold items.  This article has more info as well as download and installation links. Free 10 Day Trial!
• SimpleList2 is an iPhone/iPad or Android app specifically for Etsy sellers.  There's more info over here.
• Relist to the US market before you go to bed or first thing in the morning.  Between 5am-8am is ideal!
• Relist regularly - hourly, daily, weekly depending on your level of business.
• The more you list/relist the more you will be seen on the first pages of your given category.
• Renew sold items that you make multiples of instead of creating a whole new listing.

Etsy Communities

• Important for support and making connections.
• Join an Etsy team such as BrisStyle. For more details on becoming a BrisStyle member click here.

Tell the World
Spread the word about your Etsy shop via a Facebook fan page, a blog or a Twitter account. There's a great article over on the Marketing to Women Online blog all about why social media is so valuable.

Stay Active
Buyers want to trust you, and the more active you are on Etsy, the more they know you've invested in your new endeavour.  Keep adding stock to your shop and check out other ways to connect with your community.

Useful Links
There's a lot that goes into opening a new Etsy shop but it sure is thrilling! Just take it step-by-step and be realistic with your expectations.  Cherish your first views, hearts, conversations and sales.  Before you know it you'll be a pro and will hardly remember how nerve-wracking these first steps were. Here are some links to help you get started:

• Etsy Apps and Shop Tools
• How-To's about Selling
• Shop Stats
• Etsy Success eNewsletter

We hope you've enjoyed the 3 part :: I Heart Etsy :: Information Session SNAPSHOT notes. For more info on upcoming BrisStyle Information Sessions pop over to our website.

:: I Heart Etsy :: Notes :: Part 2

Did you miss Part 1 of the :: I Heart Etsy :: Information Session SNAPSHOT notes? Don't fret, you can catch up over here then pop back for Part 2. In this installment we will be briefly covering pricing, shipping/postage, product titles, product descriptions and tagging. Don't forget that we will be running the :: I Heart Etsy :: Information Session again next year so for the full low down stay tuned for the announcement of our 2012 sessions.

Image Courtesy of Wicked Child Designs

Pricing
Your time is valuable and you should reflect this in the price of your items. You might like to read over this useful Etsy article when contemplating the price of your items. For a more in depth look at pricing, stay tuned for details of our October 22 Information Session - Pricing, Wholesaling & Consignment!

Shipping/Postage

• Make your postage as cheap as you can.
• Postage will be cheaper if you keep your packages under 20mm in thickness.
• Take time packaging your items - we all love receiving a nicely wrapped parcel from the postman.
• Add something small in with your items as a 'thank-you'.
• Buy all your postage needs - envelopes/padded bags etc. in bulk to save $$ - they are cheaper by the 100.
• If selling regularly, register at your local post office/business centre for a Business Post account - this will reduce the cost of shipping both locally and overseas.
• A useful link - Shipping How-To.

Product Titles
Titles should be descriptive instead of whimsical.

• Ensure you mirror your description details in your tags.
• Say what the item is first ie: earrings, then colour and materials.
• Keep any whimsical product names to the end e.g. Blue Moon.
• Use both Australian and US spellings - depending on your biggest customer base.

Product Descriptions
Remember to answer all the questions your buyers might have in the description field of your listing.

• Make your descriptions quirky and interesting.
• Put all your descriptions in a word document for easy editing and uploading.
• Ensure you describe colours and sizes accurately.
• When pitching to the US market put your sizes in inches as well as centimetres.
• If selling clothing/shoes then add a conversion link to your descriptions to make it easy for your customer: something like this.
• Your descriptions should be personable, articulate and free from spelling and grammar issues.

Tags
Get specific! Colour, texture, style and size are as important as the type of item it is.

• Use the one tag line to enter multiple words.
• Ensure you are as descriptive as you can be with your colours.
• If you belong to a street team then add their name to your tags.
• Add your location ie. Brisbane Australia.
• Some useful tips for tagging.

Stay tuned for Part 3 of the :: I Heart Etsy :: Information Session SNAPSHOT notes. In Part 3 we will be covering the ins & outs of getting your shop noticed: listing/relisting, Etsy Communities, telling the world and staying active.

Click here for more info on BrisStyle's upcoming Information Sessions!

:: I Heart Etsy :: Notes :: Part 1

The :: I Heart Etsy :: Information Session in August definitely provided plenty of 'food for thought' for all who attended! So much so that we will be delivering a SNAPSHOT of the notes from the day in three lovely parts.  We will be running the :: I Heart Etsy :: session again next year so for the full experience stay tuned for the announcement of our scheduled 2012 Information Sessions.

Image courtesy of Wicked Child Designs

Today we will be sharing a snapshot of the notes on how to make your Etsy shop shine. Before we get started with all the good stuff we would once again like to thank our panelists from the day for sharing their time and knowledge :: Rachael from Penelope and Pip, Rebecca from edward & lilly, Nicole from Hot Toffee, Jess from Epheriell and Bespoke Zine, Melanie from Kimono Reincarnate, Sophie from Strat Designs, Emma from Red Revival and last but not least El from Rock n' Wrap.

Making Your Shop Shine

:: Stand out from the crowd with unique twists on popular items, fabulous photos, a great shop assortment, and lots of items for your buyers to choose from ::

Shop Name

Having a memorable name is one of the more important things you can do to brand your shop and encourage sales. Your name should be easy to pronounce, easy to spell and should reflect your style or what your shop is all about.

 

 

Shop Banner

Choose something that looks professional and sets the mood for your entire shop! Make it interesting so shoppers are tempted to keep on scrolling down. Hot link for banners!

Avatar

Share a sneak-peek into your personality with a well-lit, well-cropped 75 x 75 pixel photo of you or your most interesting item.

 

 

Shop Policies and Profile

Policies define the rules for your shop and can answer buyer's questions.  Your profile page 'personalises' you. Etsy shoppers love that they buy directly from the artist, so tell them about yourself and your craft to get them interested in your work. Check out this link for some great ideas on crafting a profile page.

 

 

Products

Etsy shoppers connect with items that tell a good story, have a unique point of view, and are quirky, uncommon and beautifully made (or for vintage and supply sellers, thoughtfully curated).

• Make original products that stand out.
• Do your research to make sure your original product isn't already being made by somebody else.
• Take a popular trend and put your own twist on it so it's unique and totally yours!

Photos

Get out your digital camera and start taking photos - hundreds of photos! Photography is the most important aspect of selling online and the most important aspect of your shop.

• Photograph like you have no description/write like you have no photos'.
• It's your images that grab people first.
• Your lead photograph needs to be just a little bit of a tease.
• Keep backgrounds simple - not too busy.
• Keep the look of your photographs consistent.
• Use natural light.
• No flashes.
• Photograph the same time and place each time.
• Photograph in batches - multiple products at the same time.

Useful Links 

• Beginner's Guide to Starting an Etsy Shop
• Shop Makeover

Tune in next week for all the goss on pricing, shipping/postage, product titles, product descriptions and tagging! For a full list of upcoming BrisStyle Information Sessions click here!

:::: August 13 :::: BrisStyle Information Session :::: :: I Heart Etsy :: Building an Online Relationship with etsy.com

This is the first in the series of Q&A information sessions where a panel of creative experts will impart their knowledge on various industry and business related topics in a forum based setting.

In these interactive sessions you'll gain insight into the different practices of each panelist and then have the opportunity to ask questions directly to them . After the main section of the forum Q&A each panelist will be on hand to chat about any other burning questions you may have related to the topic.


So with no further ado, here's all the info you'll need to share a fun morning of crafty goodness with creative like-minded souls...

I Heart Etsy :: Building an Online Relationship with etsy.com ::

Falling in love with Etsy is so easy and discovering all her secrets can be the start to a beautiful relationship. Get some heart-warming advice from our panel of BrisStyle experts on how to get intimate with the largest online marketplace for everything handmade… etsy.com

Whether you are just starting out or have been an Etsy seller for some time, this session will give you basic tips and tricks on making the most of this global online community to further your Etsy experience.

The who's who of your panel ::

These gals have been rockin' the Brisbane craft and market scene for some time now, all the whilst cultivating their relationships with etsy.com. Collectively they have a wealth of knowledge not only about the practicalities of using Etsy to nurture their practices but also to build relationships with lovers of handmade the world-over ::

Rebecca Cason from Edward and Lilly
Rachael Smith from Penelope and Pip
Nicole Lacey from Hot Toffee
Jess Van Den from Epheriell and Bespoke Zine
Melanie Gray Augustin from Kimono Reincarnate
Sophie Straton - Ferrier from Strat Designs
Emma Gascoyne Red Revival Design and Indie Laser
El Holland from Rock n Wrap

Date: Saturday August 13 2011

Time: 10am - 12noon

Place: St. Augustine's Church Hall, Racecourse Road, Hamilton, Brisbane

Price: Free to BrisStyle members. $20 for non-members

Bookings open from: Now - 1st August

RSVP by emailing: brisstylemarketing@gmail.com
with your name (s) and business details (if applicable)

Non-member payments due: 4th August

Bring along:

• Your sense of adventure and humour
• A notebook and pen
• Your business cards to leave on our 'networking' table

Tea and Coffee are provided but please feel free bring along a small plate of goodies to share for morning tea.

PLACES ARE LIMITED SO BOOK NOW!

To get all the news on the upcoming BrisStyle Information Sessions
subscribe to our Monthly eNewsletter ( via the little box on the side bar)

Etsy 101: Writing a Winning Profile!

Your personal 'Profile' is one of the most important parts of your Etsy shop. It is the only part of your shop that makes your customers online shopping experience more personal. If your customers feel like they know you, they are more likely to trust you and ultimately make a purchase.

Original Watercolour Painting of Victorian Woman in Profile by Giselle Nolan

Some important things to include in your profile:

• A little bit of information about yourself. Let your personality, experience and thoughts shine through.
• Contact information. Make it easy for your customers to contact you.
• Links to your Facebook page, Twitter page, blog or website.
• Product information. Talk about what you make, how you got started, what materials you use and where you get your inspiration.

The above information was taken from this great 'Sellers Assisting Sellers' article. For more tips and tricks, check out this Etsy article.

Etsy 101: Useful Resources

Writer's Quote Letter Set by Loose Leaf Paper

When it comes to running your creative small business there is an endless supply of information available on the web offering advice and telling you how to run a SUCCESSFUL business. Each week Etsy puts together an 'Etsy Success Reading List' which contains links to great web and blog articles useful for creative small business owners and hobbyists like ourselves. Today, we thought we would share some of our favourite 'Etsy Success Reading List' links:

1. Taking the Leap: When to Start Selling Your Work
2. Stop Making Average Products for Average People
3. 9 Creative Women Share Secrets to Succeeding with Social Media
4. Pimping your Business in 5 Steps
5. The Little Book of Procrastination Remedies

If you've come across a great article that you would like to share please feel free to leave a comment below. Have fun and happy selling!

Etsy 101: Coupon Codes!

‘Coupon Codes' are one of the newest tools to be added to Etsy. Gone are the days of revising PayPal invoices to reflect shop discounts! ‘Coupon Codes’ make having an Etsy shop sale hassle free and a whole lot more appealing!

Ticket Bundle from Beca Runs

A little bit about ‘Coupon Codes’:

·    A ‘Coupon Code’ applies to all items in your Etsy store.

·    The ‘Coupon Code’ discount is automatically applied at checkout. No need for revising       PayPal invoices!

·    Etsy’s 3.5% transaction fee applies to the discounted product price, not the original price!

·    You can create and change the status of a ‘Coupon Code’ by going to ‘Your Account’ and ‘Coupon Codes’. Codes can be easily de-activated and activated. Deactivated codes cannot be used at checkout.

·    Once a new ‘Coupon Code’ has been created, the name and discount amount cannot be altered. If a ‘Coupon Code’ is deleted you cannot re-use the same ‘coupon code’ in the future.

To find out more about creating your own ‘Coupon Codes’ and ways in which they can be used, read this useful Etsy article. 

Have you used ‘Coupon Codes’ in your Etsy shop? Let us know what you think of them by leaving us a comment below.

Information for this post was taken from this Etsy article.

Etsy 101: Promoting your Etsy Store

Promotion! Promotion! Promotion!

Promotion is the key to getting your Etsy shop known and making it a household name. There are plenty of 'Quit Your Day Job' interviews and 'Featured Seller' posts on the Etsy blog that profile established Etsy sellers who share their journey to success.  Below is a list of great promotional ideas for your Etsy store taken from some of these great 'Quit Your Day Job' and 'Featured Seller' articles:

• Use social networking outlets such as Twitter and Facebook.
• Start a blog.
• Write a monthly newsletter to send out to your fans/followers.
• List new items in your Etsy store regularly and renew items so that they stay at the top of search lists.
• If you make jewellery, clothing or accessories, WEAR THEM yourself! It's free advertising and it will often end up prompting a conversation about your shop.
• Attend markets and craft shows.
• Pay for a small advertising space on a like minded crafty site.

Happy selling crafty peeps!