Posts

Showing posts with the label Handmade Business Growth

My First Month on Etsy: What I’ve Learned So Far

Wow. One month into selling on Etsy, and let me tell you—it’s been a wild ride. I went into this thinking, "I’ll just list my products, and boom—sales!" Yeah… not quite. Turns out, Etsy is its own little world, and I’m still figuring it all out. So, if you’re thinking about starting an Etsy shop or are just curious about what this first month has been like, here are the biggest things I’ve learned so far. 1. Etsy is Not a “List It and They Will Come” Situation I naively thought if I put my tumblers up for sale, Etsy would just magically show them to the right people. 😂 Nope. Etsy is a search engine , meaning you have to help people find you by using the right keywords, updating listings, and staying active. It’s work. 💡 Lesson: I’ve been tweaking my listings, learning about SEO , and figuring out how to get my products in front of the right customers. (If you’re curious about Etsy SEO, check out this post where I break it down! ) 2. Your Dashboard is Your Bes...

Pricing Handmade Products: What I Wish I Knew Earlier

When I first started selling my handmade products, pricing felt like a guessing game. I wanted my items to be affordable, but I also knew I needed to cover my costs and actually make a profit.  Fast forward to today, and I can confidently say I’ve learned A LOT about pricing —mostly the hard way. 😅 If you’re a fellow maker struggling to price your work, here’s what I wish someone had told me sooner. 1. Your Time Has Value (Charge for It!) In the beginning, I priced my tumblers based on materials alone. Big mistake. I wasn’t factoring in the time it took to design, prep, apply, package, and ship each order. If you’re not charging for your time , you’re essentially working for free. And last time I checked, exposure doesn’t pay the bills. 💡 Lesson: Calculate how much time it actually takes to make each item and include that in your pricing. Your skills are valuable! 2. Stop Worrying About Being “Too Expensive” One of the hardest lessons to learn? Not everyone is your cus...