The #1 question I get asked is “How were you able to afford to quit your job?” And that is a very long response that I have put off writing about.
Mainly because I can’t decide if I should say how much I made in my previous job or not. Having a banking background makes me pretty transparent when it comes to money. When you are the banker – you sort of know everyone’s finances. Your family’s, your friend’s, your customers, your neighbors, the businesses in your town. You know the good, the bad, and the U.G.L.Y.
So talking about money doesn’t scare me. But moderating all of the comments from people who think I should or should not be talking about it does. So I am going the keep my old salary to myself. For my own sanity.
But blogging and selling paint is not making me a millionaire. And I certainly make less money than I did when I worked a traditional job.
Here is 5 things we shuffled around so I could take the plunge into the self employment pond.
1. We lowered our childcare expenses. We went from paying almost $1,000.00/month in daycare for our ONE child to paying $215.00 for 3-day week mother’s day out. I also have an awesome neighbor who watches my little one for me and I watch her kids for her. So there is about $785.00 that I could add back into our budget.
2. We scaled back our cars. Before I drove an Infiniti and my husband drove a Sequoia. Not cheap cars. Now I drive a 2007 Mazda CX7 and my husband drives a truck. The car payment for the truck comes out of our business account, since there was no other reason for us to have a truck than for our business, and our CPA was 100% OK with that. I don’t care about fancy cars and when I think about it I have no idea why we had such nice cars in the first place. I love my little Mazda and I plan to drive it until it dies. I know exactly how much furniture and crap I can cram into it.
3. I clip coupons. I took a coupon class and I was able to cut back our grocery bill from about $400.00 to about $250.00 month. I always had the perception that poor people clipped coupons. It’s so stupid to even say it out loud! But coupon clippers have money because they are saving so much! I don’t always clip coupons when I am super busy with antique fairs but for the most part I only purchase items that are on sale with a coupon. It’s CRAY how much you can save. Here in Oklahoma I took my coupon class from Coupon Closet. It was free and she does all of the hard work for you! If you don’t live in Oklahoma you can Google for coupon classes in your area. Trust me. There is one.
4. We eat at home a lot more now. Since I work from home I can make more meals at home. This is a huge savings and so much healthier for our family. I use our crockpot religiously and base our menu around what I bought on sale that week.
5. My wardrobe is a lot less fancy. I don’t have to have new heels and new suits. I pretty much wear yoga pants, New Balance jackets, and tennis shoes, when I am out stocking paint and rearranging 3 retail spaces. It’s dirty work and certainly not worth getting dressed up for. I still try to dress up a few times a week so I don’t feel like a hobo. Sometimes you just gotta put some lipstick and cute shoes on to brighten your mood!
I’m not gonna lie. Some months are tight and some months are not. Getting used to the fluctuations of being the boss is hard. 18 months later I feel like I am just now getting the hang of it – and I have a finance background! Either it’s really hard to manage the peaks and valleys of a business or I wasn’t a very good banker! Maybe leaving was a good decision after all! Ha!
What are some ways you cut back? Do you miss the sacrifices or is it totally worth it? If I was being honest I would say I am 80% glad I made the decision. But when are you ever 100% certain about anything?
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving; and had fun with family and friends! Did you get your shopping in? How about decorating for Christmas? All finished? Looks like if you live in Oklahoma or Texas, this weekend would be the perfect time to start a fire and decorate with the crazy weather coming! I’m all decorated at my house and feeling inspired from my post from Thanksgiving day. If you haven’t read it, check out simple decorating tips for Christmas AND see how you can show your house off this next week on the blog and win a prize {hint, hint…I may be giving away some Cece Caldwell paint samples for those that send in pictures of their homes…all the details are in my Thanksgiving Day post HERE!} Okay, okay back to the project at hand…I had some sticks in vases and wanted to put some Christmas ornaments on them. So, I decided to make some homemade ornaments. They’re super easy to create and here’s how…
To start the ornaments you need the following, along with several cups for dumping the excess, and ribbon for hanging.
Start by pulling off the tops. You’re then ready to add the Pledge Wood Floor Finish.
After you have the Pledge floor cleaner in the ornaments, swirl it around to cover the entire inside of the ornament and dump out the extra.
You’re then ready to add the glitter. I used gold, silver, and white mixed together. I prefer the fine glitter, specifically Martha Stewart Crafts Essential Colors Glitter Set, 24-Pack
because it comes in a million different really pretty colors.
Once the glitter is in, give it a good swirl to cover the entire ornament and pour out the extra glitter.
Once your ornament has dried, put the top back on, and your ribbon, and you’re finished! This is such a simple, easy project that even the kids would love to get in on.
Be sure to come back Thursday to check out my Cece Caldwell painted ornaments…so pretty!!! And, make sure you read my post about simple Christmas to get entered to win some fun paints!!!
It’s Monday! Which means we get to pick the brain of a fellow creative crafter who is able to make a living and feed their kids from their creative business. And today’s focus is all about branding your business.
I will be the first to admit I am not an expert here. So when I don’t know something, I find someone, who a friend has referred to me, to undo all of the branding damage I did while spending hours upon hours trying to figure it on my own. I finally got smart and hired Christine from Great Oak Circle. And after working with her- let’s just say branding is something I no longer want to DIY. Let the professionals do what they do well and let me go off and paint some furniture.
Hi RMJ Readers! I am Christine, Owner of Great Oak Circle, and I can’t wait to share these little nuggets of wisdom about branding your business.
Allison: We are so happy to have you! {squeal!} Before we get to the really good stuff about your advice for branding a business. We want to know about YOU- your smiley face – and how your business blossomed into what it is today.
Christine:Great Oak Circle is a creative branding studio named after my childhood home, a happy place full of happy memories. I attended school for web and graphic design, started small and worked hard! God has blessed this studio with great growth and new employees. We specialize in creating hand-drawn, custom logos and supportive branding, and smart websites that make money! In 2014, we are launching a new marketing division to train small business owners. This will be a combination of videos and one-on-one mentorship to get business owners headed in the right direction with promotion and marketing. We specialize in small businesses, several of which are creative and handmade. Our products are handmade, so we understand each other well!
Allison:
At what point does someone typically start thinking about branding, a logo, and start taking their business more seriously? When do you think it is the right time to start investing in their brand?
Christine:
Lots of people want to make money before they invest in good branding. I get it. Typically a business starts with family and friends buying and promoting. If that promotion goes out with an ugly logo, it’s not going to have traction. Image and perception is so important, especially with potential clients that you don’t know personally. Good branding tells people that you sell a quality product, pay attention to detail, are serious and know how to run a business. Not only that, just think about the last time you went crazy over a simple product in the cutest, most precious packaging ever. And you shared it on Facebook, and gave it as a gift. Trust me, it matters.
Allison: How is branding more than just a logo? Why is it so important for a small business?
Christine: Branding does two important things, builds brand recognition and develops customer trust. Good branding involves being thoughtful about each thing that exits your studio. The packaging, flyers, website and social pages should reinforce your message. And remember this, the Nike swoosh means nothing without the product, the product gave it an identity. Success is a complete package. Good product and good presentation TOGETHER will lead to success.
Allison: What are the essential branding items you recommend a business to have?
Christine: Our logo designs come with a business card, because we feel it’s the most important next step. Beyond that, I would defer to the type of business. I offer a free consult to each potential client to discuss exactly this! In general, I think packaging and social presence are key. I think it’s less about how many social sites/websites/print products you have and more about doing it correctly.
Allison: What is the cost or investment for hiring a professional branding expert, like yourself.
Christine: I read a quote recently that said, “If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional, wait until you hire an amateur.”
It’s not a secret that you can go to websites and purchase a logo for less than $50, or maybe less than $20! Or that you can hire someone who is questionably cheap. I would advise a business owner to think about the way they shop for clothes. Yeah, I’ll spend $15 on the super-trendy, only for a year item, but the jeans that I’m wearing now are ten years old. They fit great, look great, and have worn and washed well. They didn’t cost $15, they cost several times that much. Your branding is the same, you get what you pay for! With this type of service, prices will vary, but I would look to spend several hundred to a few thousand dollars (with website included).
Allison: What should someone look for in finding a professional to help them with their branding? I have heard and seen horror stories of sky high costs to hire someone only to have a logo they don’t like very much. How can someone find a good match for them?
Christine: First, I would find someone that responds to emails or messages in a reasonable time frame and offers good customer service. I don’t think you should have to fight to spend money with a designer. Then I would make sure you like their portfolio and see that they have good testimonials. You might even ask for a reference. Read their about page and get to know them. You MUST trust this person. Look at their terms and conditions, or email them, to see how the design process works. How do they brainstorm your designs? Our process involves phone meetings, sketchbook drawings, and several approvals to ensure we produce raving fans. We do a lot of counseling and brand development in our logo designs. That’s the type of relationship that will lead to success.
Allison: There are tons of websites that can help you create a logo and a free blog, like Blogger. What is the benefit to working with a professional and how do you know if you are ready to take your brand to the next level?
Christine: There are some great free tools for business owners out there, and I would take advantage of them when starting out. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are easy places to begin. Of course I run a business that offers totally custom solutions, and I believe that’s what you should do! But if you are in a financial crunch, I would go about this slowly, but correctly. Spend your money on the logo. Run the free blogger blog until we can switch you to WordPress. Run Etsy until we can move you to your own cart. Better yet, some designers offer payment plans.
In the end, everyone knows you get what you pay for. When you pay for a professional designer, you get more than cute graphics. You get knowledge and expertise, coupled with experience and skill. You get counseling and guidance, availability and mentorship. If you’re serious, go with a pro. Just like you would if your house or car broke. Find the right person, then make the cost work. Skip dinning out, have a garage sale, don’t get new boots this year (yikes)! Be the creative person you are, and make it work!
While I did not know Christine in the infancy of my blog and when I made my logo selection I am itching to have a major overhaul on my website design and you know I will be calling Great Oak Circle. She is hands down the best when it comes to understanding a client in the creative industry. She has helped with me with some backend crisises and Gawd bless her heart, I was so lost and in the wrong direction. Christen held-my-hand the entire time until my website was up and working properly. I will always love Christine for that. Might sound a little dramatic, but it’s true.
And here’s how you can see more of Christine’s work.
Her Blog : greatoakcircle.com Go Visit It! Snoop Around and see what you like!
AND AS AN ADDED BONUS *Now through December 31, any client will get a free Facebook, Etsy or Twitter graphic with logo purchase. ($40 value*) Just mention that Refunk My Junk sent you! Simply contact Christine here and I hope you will love her as much as I do!
Wow! I have learned so much from Christine what about you? The convo doesn’t stop here… Leave a comment, ask a question, or join the convo on Facebook and Twitter. What are your thoughts for branding a small business?
Share your branding successes or fails. What’s worked for you and what’s not worked so well.
Happy Black Friday! Did you go out shopping today? My family is trying to shop 100% local for Christmas this year. So Black Friday isn’t on our agenda.
Anywho, If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook them you might have seen a preview of something I have been working on. It’s a ROUGH draft. But I got so excited I had to share it with ya’ll.
And then a slew of questions from you all followed. So here is a quick Q&A with all of the details.
Is this an E-Book?
Yes. It will be available for purchase on Amazon via Kindle for download (approximate price will be about $6.99 via Kindle) and it will also be available for PDF download which can also be read in iBooks on your iPad or iPhone. The PDF version will be slightly higher priced at $9.95 and include additional worksheets and tutorials that will not be in the Kindle edition.
When will it be available?
I am shooting for January 1st. But definitely sometime in January.
Is this a How-To-Paint Furniture Guide?
No. It is for someone who already know the basics on painting furniture. This guide will give you lots of tips, tricks, and shortcuts to save you tons of time and money in your DIY process. If you are looking for a how-to-paint furniture guide, Altar’d Designs has an e-book just for you. You can purchase it here.
Are these tutorials all from your blog?
No. A few of them have been blogged about here at refunkmyjunk.com but most of them will be brand-spankin’ new.
I have an awesome tip, trick, or shortcut that I feel you must share with the world! How can I submit it for your E-book?
I am planning on featuring reader tips and tricks and I would love to include yours! If you have a tip, trick, or shortcut please submit it to allison@refunkmyjunk.com with the subject line Lazy Girl Tips. If you have a blog or website, please include the links and I will give you proper credit for the tip in the E-book along with links to your website/blog/Facebook.
How can I find out when it is available?
I would recommend signing up for our daily emails or our E-Newsletter. We will have special launch prices at a discount for the first few weeks that you won’t want to miss! You can sign up for our daily emails here or our E-Newsletter here.
I want to be an affiliate for your e-book. How can I get in on the action?
Our commissions on all e-books sold will be 50%. If you would like to be an affiliate please email us at allison@refunkmyjunk.com with the subject line Affiliate Info. As soon as we are ready to launch you will be the first to know.
I am so lazy, I know I won’t read this. Will there be an audio version?
Ok. This question made me LOL. As of right now there is not an audio book planned.
I can’t wait to share all of these jewels of wisdom with you all! It is something that I have wanted to do for over 18 months and just never made the time commitment to do it. December is THE month it is getting DONE! And, when I put that deadline out there – for you all to see – I know you all will keep me even more accountable.
And thank you for being my cheerleaders. At our Thanksgiving table I was very thankful for you all too. If it weren’t for you my soul would be slowly dying, behind my desk working in banking. Ok, not like that’s the worst thing in the world – but thank you for coming to my little spot on the Interwebs time and time again.
On another, unrelated note – don’t forget – tomorrow is Small Business Saturday!
Head on over to our retail locations – where we are having sales, Christmas decor, and lots of stocking stuffer ideas! And if you can’t make it to our locations, please spend your money at a local store or small business. Every dollar you spend is like a vote – supporting that business, what they believe in, and where they buy there products from. Think about it!
The Christmas season is here! And for some of you, you may be reading this outside of a store as you wait for those Black Friday specials!!! If you’re one of them, have fun! Christmas time is such a fun time to decorate for! Each year I look through mountains of things in print and online for new ideas on how to decorate. Seems like there are multiple Christmas themes and colors that surface each year. This year as I began looking at ideas I came across multiple pictures of Scandinavian homes decorated for Christmas and I couldn’t get over how simple and absolutely BEAUTIFUL these homes were. So, here are some of those beauties along with some tips on how to achieve a similar look in your home for Christmas or year round. And also, a fun way to get your home featured on the blog in a few weeks!
TIP 1: Think ‘less is more’.
Pair down on all the decorations and focus on key areas for showing off those special little items. It could be that you use less ornaments and use just the shiny, shimmery ones or just the special shaped ones. Or only put out 1 or 2 of a certain thing instead of 10.
You can achieve the same unified look in your home by choosing all of one color for the tree, mantle or stockings for example. On the tree try using just silver and gold ornaments instead of many different colors and varieties. Just like before, less is more not just in quantity but also in color.
This look is achieved mostly through the use of the white walls, floors, and ceilings in these homes. They make all the other elements, like the tree or mantle pop. But this same tip can be applied to your different accessories that you choose to decorate with.
Everything doesn’t have to be just perfect. Pick up evergreen branches to stick in a glass vase or sticks from your backyard to adorn your mantle. I love the simple, homemade, come home for Christmas look that it gives.
What about you and your decorating style? Are you a less is more person or a ‘must decorate every surface’ person? There’s no right or wrong and I’d love to hear and see how you’re decorating your home this Christmas season! So, let’s to do something fun….
I would like you to send me a picture of your Christmas decor with one of your favorite things about the Christmas season. I will be featuring several homes on the blog…but I can’t if you don’t send anything to me. So, please do the following…
Send your picture in an attachment with your favorite thing about Christmas in an email to havenbyhayden@hotmail.com by Sunday, December 9 at 11:59pm Central Time.
Then be watching to be featured on the blog in the next week or two! I think it’ll be fun to see how everyone is decorating their homes all over the place! And for those that send in your pictures, you will be entered to win 3 samples of your choice of Cece Caldwell paints!!! So, get to decorating and send in your favorites!
I love when I get goodies in the mail. And when the package says it’s from the CeCe Caldwell’s Paint plant – well… Let’s just say I wouldn’t want a witness to spy me tearing open the box. I had heard rumors of CeCe developing a metallic wax. I am here to confirm those rumors are true! I love working with a company who values their retailer’s and distributor’s opinion about new products before they hit the market for the masses.
The first two colors to debut are Eldorado Gold and Sierra Silver. Eldorado Gold is a bright and vibrant metallic gold.
I quickly painted a sample board with a mixture of half Destin Gulf Green and half Emerald Isle.
Once it was dry I applied the metallic wax in Eldorado Gold and wiped off the excess. The results were easy and yummy.
Next up to bat was Sierra Silver. It looks almost white in the package but it is a brilliant silver tone.
I painted my sample board in Pittsburgh Gray using a stipple technique to create lots of texture.
Once I applied the Sierra Silver I knew I was in lurve! Like, love at first sight, Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks movie love. A lasting love that makes you laugh and cry with joy at the same time. This is “You Got Mail” – the Metallic Wax edition, folks. Oscar nomination worthy – if there was such a thing in the paint world.
Just like CeCe’s other products these waxes are 100% natural. I love them so much I might just rub them on my body! Totally kidding. But if you see me walking around looking like the Tin Man, just nod and pretend it’s totally normal.
I don’t think the metallic waxes will be available until mid- December, but CeCe knows here retailers have a hard time keeping quiet about her amazing products, so she let us spill the news early. Helllllo stocking stuffers!
You could apply the wax over Clear Wax for a more subtle effect, with your finger to highlight the edges, or like I did – straight up on the piece of furniture directly over the paint.
And to help spread the metallic joy even more, CeCe is giving away a pot of each wax to one lucky winner! Head on over to Redoux Interiors and enter to win! How jealous will your painting friends be if you are the first person to get these waxes? If you win, can I come over?
Christmas is upon us…even though Thanksgiving hasn’t quite made it here yet; the Christmas tree is up, lit, and decorated. Even right now as I write this, Christmas music is playing in the background. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Thanksgiving, but I do love Christmas time and enjoy getting to see the twinkling lights of my Christmas tree for as long as possible. As I peruse catalogs, magazines, and Pinterest I find that there are a thousand and one ways on how to decorate a Christmas tree. One such trend that I absolutely love is ditching the tree skirt in lieu of a basket, tin, or ‘tree collar’. Check out these awesome trees and find out where you can pick up your very own or DIY it.
Whether a little tabletop tree or a full size tree these looks are great for all sizes and shapes of trees.
I’m loving the look…basket for a country, classic look or a tin basin or wood crate for a more rustic, vintage look. Love them all! If you want the same look you can buy them ready to go at Crate & Barrel, Terrain, or The Loaded Trunk. And if you’ve never checked out Terrain or The Loaded Trunk…check them out…pretty, pretty stuff!!!
Want the immediate look? Why not measure your tree base and hunt at Target, Walmart, TJMaxx, HomeGoods, World Market, or flea market/garage sale to find the same look? You never know…you might even have something sitting around the house that would be perfect! Just cut out the bottom of the basket and you’re ready to go! Or grab that wood crate or metal tin basin and get to decorating!
Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving and a fun time decorating for Christmas!!!
A few weeks ago I threw my two-cents out there about mentors. How to have one. What to look for. How to not ask someone to be your mentor and make it feel like you are asking them to the prom. And get rejected. AWWWKWARD!
Having a mentor is important yet can be rather difficult to find; in a creative industry dominated by women. If you want someone to be your mentor, chances are they are extremely busy. They are successful. They are a master at their craft. You don’t want someone to be your mentor who sits on their couch all day and isn’t moving and shaking in their field. It can be a mom-to-mom-mentorship, a business mentorship, a blogging mentorship. It’s dang HARD to find success in whatever you are doing without a mentor. Mentorships are crucial.
If you are searching for the perfect mentor – start with who you know. – More on that here.
Recently during a message at our Church they mentioned mentoring and I grabbed a nugget of advice from the panel of High School Students doing a quick Q&A with our lead Pastor and his wife. “If you have a mentor you would like to work with here is my best advice: GIVE BACK TO THEM.”
If you mentor is local, drop by a meal or help them set up their Antique Show Event without asking for anything in return. Ask if you can guest post for them. If they paint a lot of projects, help them paint. And here is the part that has been so hard for me to wrap my mind around. Do this for free. No compensation. Nada.
My friend Cara, from The Little Golden Fox, drove all the way from Madison, IN to Pike Road, Alabama to help Miss Mustard Seed at The Chapel Market Antique Fair recently. She drove 519 miles to help her sweep floors, check her customers out, and just be available to help during a chaotic day of sales.
And I secretly wondered if I was the only selfish person who thought: WHY. IN. THE. HELL. would Cara do this for free? Why would Marian not compensate her?
Now it makes sense. Because she was able to learn so much in the process. I haven’t spoke to Cara about this but I can only imagine what you could learn from working with Miss Mustard Seed at an Antique Fair.
The displays. The Pricing. The merchandise – what’s hot and what’s not. The interactions with customers.
I then remembered I did the same thing at Haven this past summer. I went the the Advanced Furniture Painting Class early to help Marian and Shaunna set up. I wish I could say it was 100% out of the kindness of my heart. But I really wanted to learn from them. I wanted to glean some inspiration from their techniques. Their set-up. Their attitudes about teaching. And then maybe 25% of it was kindness. Hey, at least it wasn’t 0% kindness, right?
I have had many offers from customers wanting to just stay and help me with a project. I have even had some offers to for unpaid interns. I should have jumped at the chance to do so! But I didn’t. I declined those offers and I am sad I did. At the time it didn’t feel right not to pay someone for their time and talent. But what I didn’t realize is that those women were looking for a mentor. Not someone who was looking to give away their talents for free. They genuinely wanted to learn from me.
So the moral to the story is: If someone wants to work for you for free – say yes. Not out of greed – but out of the pure joy in helping mentor someone along their own journey. And if someone won’t let you work for free (like a ding dong like me!) Remind them that it’s not free because you are gaining knowledge that took them years to define. And if they still decline. Well, they are not secure enough in their talents to share them with others.
And if you are looking for a mentor – give your time – you will both learn something in the process. For those of you I have turned down in the past. Come on over. I would welcome you with open arms!
How do you feel about giving your time to receive a mentorship? It is breaking labor laws or feeding a labor of love?
Foxes are everywhere these days and on everything…from lamps to wine bottle tops to fox clothing. Not to mention, that fox song…you know the one, ‘What Does the Fox Say’? My children are obsessed with it! Singing it around the house, reenacting the video, and most recently wanting a fox costume or shirt. So, I decided I would give it a go. So, here’s a simple tutorial for making your very own fox shirt.
What You’ll Need:
-Shirt
-2 different, coordinating fabrics
-2 small buttons
-1 large button
-Sewing machine for zig zag
-Scissors
-Thread
-Pellon
-Paper for tracing pattern
-Pencil/pen
Begin by tracing your pattern. Once you have your pattern you can trace it on to the Pellon and fabric and then cut both the Pellon and fabric to shape.
Once Pellon and fabric is cut, you can peel backing from Pellon and adhere it to the fabric and then follow directions on Pellon to iron on to shirt using steam iron and damp cloth.
To give the shirt a little more interest and finished look, we decided to add a black zig zag line around the outer edges of the fabric…starting with the fox face, then ironing on the top fabric and then zig zagging around that.
The last detail was to add the eyes and nose by sewing on buttons.
This would make a great gift for Christmas or just a little happy! I’m planning on making some for my nieces, but with bows on the fox {pictures to come}.
The kids are in LOVE with the shirts! The only request now is that they need tails! So, guess that will be next on my list!!!
Oh, and we couldn’t forget the bashful birthday boy…4 today!!! How time flies!!!!
Welcome back to our Pro Crafters Series! If you missed the first two installments in the series you can find them here. Have you ever wondered what it takes to run an Etsy Shop? Today we have Lynette Luedecke, owner of Two Girls Who Make Crosses from the great state of Texas, sharing her insight on running a successful Etsy Store. Lynette has sold over 1,100 items on Etsy this past year – so in my book that makes her an Etsy Pro Crafter! Lynette also has two store-front locations in Frisco Mercantile and Doozie’s Corner in McKinney, TX.
Hey Everyone, I am Lynette! I am so excited to share with you all that I have learned running my Etsy Shop! A friend and I started making wire wall crosses and cross pendants. At first we sold to friends, family and co-workers-we both worked at our church’s preschool. Then we did a few craft shows. Each time we added new merchandise-shirts, hats, paintings, various home décor, etc. It all pretty much remained with a cross theme (thus the name!). In January 2011 we opened our Etsy Shop.
Allison: Why Etsy? Why was this a better option than having an online shopping cart or selling on Ebay? What makes Etsy the right fit for you?
Lynette: A lot of other crafters told me about Etsy. I do like the handmade aspect of it. It was easy to start a shop on Etsy. I looked at Ebay but it seemed so commercial and a bit overwhelming. I felt like my customer would appreciate Etsy because it is geared more towards handmade items.
Allison: What do you think makes a successful Etsy store?
Lynette: You have to promote your store. I personally use my Facebook following. You have to let people know you have something to buy and a place to buy it. I also think you have to offer a good product, good communication and reliable service.
Allison: What are the fees to list on Etsy? It is worth it?
Lynette: It is .20 cents to list an item and then when an item is sold, 3.5% of the item’s price is the fee. I think it is fair and definitely worth it!
Allison: What are some of the challenges and benefits to selling on Etsy?
Lynette: I guess the biggest drawback is that I can only sell handmade. I do supplement my storefronts with items that I purchase to resale, but I can’t list those items on Etsy, because they require everything that is sold on their site to be strictly handmade. I think the benefit is the ease of listing items, shipping items and communicating with my customers. Also when I post a new handmade item on Facebook, the people who are out of my area, can go online to a reputable venue and purchase my stuff. It is also very convenient to print my packing labels and ship my items directly off the Etsy site.
Allison: What is your advice to someone who wants to start an Etsy Shop?
Lynette: I was fortunate enough to already have a large following before I started Facebook or Etsy. I can only speak from my own experience. It has been a nice addition to my business. It could be more, but having two shops to keep stocked, I don’t have enough time to dedicate to doing more. I would advise people to work it and promote it. You can’t just put something out there and expect people to buy it. You still have to “sell” it.
Allison: How important are quality photos on your listings?
Lynette: I am sure better photos would be great, but I think as long it is clear and shows the item well, it does not have to be professional. I do admire those artsy people out there who do the really cool artsy photos. My background is in art so I do appreciate it. That is just not where I am with it.
I also don’t know if that really means a lot to everyone.
Allison: What kind of camera do you use?
Lynette: I use my iPhone 4s and use the Instagram app to “enhance” some of the photos. But I always include a photo without the enhancing so it is more clear.
Allison: You have 1,328 sales on Etsy. What percentage of your sales is on Etsy vs. sale in your traditional retail stores.
Lynette: The majority of those 1328 sales are from this year-I really promoted selling on Etsy this year. I would say that about 25% of my sales are from Etsy. And then almost all the rest are from my retail stores. I do a few craft shows in the Fall that account for about 10% of sales.
Wow! Lynette, thank you for sharing your knowledge on selling on Etsy today! I know I learned a lot! It’s so nice to know that you don’t have to be a professional photographer or have fancy camera equipment to have a successful business!
Check out more of Two Girls Who Make Crosses on their website, their Etsy Shop, and their Facebook Page.
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