Surviving the Etsy Madness

Quality versus Price

2012-05-12T21:44:00.000-06:00

People will sometimes hesitate to purchase handmade items because of the price. They may know of a way to buy a similar item for less money. Usually that means purchasing something that is made quickly and cheaply in a country with lower labor costs. Too often we get tempted to devalue our own labor in order to compete with the lower prices available in a factory environment.

All jewelry is not created equally. What I've noticed in wearing some of these pieces is that jump rings aren't fully closed and they fall apart. I was lucky that I found all the pieces to the necklace pictured here when it fell apart.

When I make jewelry, I am only working on one piece at a time and I take care to close each jump ring and secure each connection. My attention to detail is part of why I hope customers will choose to buy something I created instead of a $5 necklace from a mass merchandiser.

Have you ever tried wearing top quality clothing or shoes? They last longer and look better than the cheaper options. It's your choice whether you want to buy a quality item for $100 or buy something similar for $10 that you have to replace over and over again. When my kids were little, I was okay with buying them cheaper shoes since they grew so fast and needed larger shoes about the same time that the shoes wore out. For my own shoes, my size isn't changing anymore and I'd rather have a quality pair of shoes that will last for years and still look great.

As we continue to sell our handmade creations, we will emphasize the caring and the quality that goes into each piece. I hope my customers realize that it's worth it.

Great Pricing Change for Multiple Quantities on Etsy

2012-05-07T22:03:00.000-06:00

I was never a fan of how Etsy charged you a listing fee for each item when you had multiple quantities of the same item. If I make 10 identical pairs of earrings and list them on Etsy with a quantity of 10 being available, Etsy will charge me 20 cents for each, resulting in a listing fee of $2.00. Because of that, I usually just list one item and mention in the description that I have larger quantities available.

Etsy seems to have finally come to its senses with this pricing system and is now only charging the one listing fee of 20 cents, even if you have a bunch of the same item. If you sell more than one of the item, Etsy will add the listing fee for each of them, but at least you're not paying multiple listing fees for something that's just sitting there. If you're confused by what I'm saying, you may want to check out this explanation with illustrations.

It basically boils down to

If you sell all the items you list, the cost to you will be the same
If you list something with multiple quantities and they don't all sell, you will save money

This new pricing policy goes into effect on May 21, 2012. I'm happy I will be able to list multiple quantities without penalty.

More Ways to Accept Credit Card Payments

2012-04-24T22:20:00.000-06:00

Now that I've bragged to you about how much I love using Square to process credit card payments on my iPhone, it's time to tell you about some of the other options out there. It's only recently that I've noticed competition popping up. They include new and revamped systems.

Vistaprint, a company known for affordable business cards and free samples of other custom imprinted items, sent me a postcard advertising Pay Anywhere. Their service originally charged 19 cents per transaction in addition to the percentage-based processing fee when they started up a year ago. Pay Anywhere recently dropped the transaction fee and now charges only the 3.69% processing fee.

Intuit (maker of QuickBooks) has GoPayment. They offer an interesting option that may save money for those who are processing larger amounts of credit card payments. You can pay a monthly fee of $12.95 and the percentage charged for the credit card transactions will drop to 1.7% for swiped cards. One advantage with this system is that it works with QuickBooks. You can also have multiple users on your account so you can have sales going on in various locations, but still be able to track who made the sale.

You may have also noticed that PayPal is finally jumping in. When I first started looking for credit card options I could use for live sales, PayPal was the first place I looked. I figured it would be better if all my credit card payments were coming through one payment system. Unfortunately, PayPal didn't have anything available at the time. Now I face a dilemma over whether to stick with Square or switch over to PayPal's system for the iPhone. PayPal Here isn't available just yet, but you can get on the list to be notified when it's ready.

Which system should you use? Each one offers the iPhone or Android app and the credit card reader for free. They claim to have no extra or hidden fees and each has a slightly different rate for processing the credit cards. Access to your money is same day (PayPal), next day (Pay Anywhere, Square), or in 2-3 days (GoPayment). There are other features that will speak to one seller more than another, so make sure you read up on all the details. Personally, I'm fascinated by how different each card swiper looks. I have to admit that I'm intrigued by the blue triangle for PayPal...it's so pretty. After my experience with Square, I think GoPayment and Pay Anywhere may have the advantage in stability since they look like they'll stay put on the phone as you swipe the card.

What system looks good to you?

Credit Card Processing on the Go

2012-04-23T00:12:00.000-06:00

If you've experienced selling your merchandise in person, you've probably noticed that people seem to be willing to buy more when using a credit card. At a previous job, we joked about how the payroll deduction forms were the company "gold card" since it didn't feel like you were really spending money.

For about a year now I have been using Square so I could process credit card payments when selling in person. The account and the credit card reader were free and the credit card fees were similar to what I was already paying on PayPal. Since it was connected to my iPhone, I could use it anywhere I had cell phone service.

Some of the things I really like about Square:

Sales tax - You get to decide when to charge sales tax and how much to charge. If you are selling in different locations with different sales tax charges, this is very helpful. Some sellers like to include sales tax in their purchase prices and would want to turn off the sales tax charges.
Entering cash transactions - My friend Brittany at Trinkets and Butterflies told me about this one. You can enter all your cash payments in the Square app and keep a nice record of all your sales.
Photos of items sold - Square likes to market this as a way for customers to remember what they purchased from you. I like it because a lot of the items I sell are unique and the photo helps me remember which item I sold and a photo so I can try to make another item like it.
Easy to use records - Not only can I look on my phone to see how our sales went for the day, but the Square website lets me download records as a spreadsheet.
More personal than a credit card machine - The customer can watch the entire process and receive receipts by email or text message. They walk away with their purchase without having to leave their credit card number with a stranger. I never liked knowing that a merchant wrote my credit card number down to process it or had the imprint on a carbon somewhere.
I get paid! - I don't have to worry about whether the credit card number is any good or whether a check will clear. Square lets me know instantly that the transaction went through. I can't afford to gamble when it comes to having people pay for their purchases.

My friends who own Black Sheep Cafe were recently featured in a news article about Square replacing the cash register for some small businesses. They use an iPad and Square's register app that allows them to enter their menu items (with photos). It turns the iPad into a touchscreen cash register that the server uses to assemble an electronic ticket for the meal and process the payment. The customer can even add a gratuity/tip. As a small, eclectic new business, using Square has kept more profits in their pockets instead of paying for financial services meant for large-scale businesses.

No, I'm not getting anything in return for praising Square. These are my opinions and experiences, free of charge. In my next post, I'll tell you about some other companies who are providing credit card processing via smartphone.

Great Idea Taken Down by Bad Timing

2012-03-23T00:42:00.000-06:00

I recently learned about an amazing product. Unfortunately, I heard about it because they are going out of business. The Swany Walkin'Bag, was designed by a Japanese CEO who is a polio survivor. Etsuo Miyoshi needed a bag that was light, easy to maneuver, and that he could literally lean on for support. With two of these suitcases, he could lean on the extended handles and use them like crutches.

Fortuno

Despite the great success of these bags, the downturn in the economy and then supply problems resulting from the Japanese earthquake and tsunami last year led Swany to close their operations in the United States. It's a real shame since these are really amazing bags/suitcases. They're offering my readers an amazing price on their remaining bags.

More details about the bags and the discount are on my other blog.

Coming up with an awesome and innovative product doesn't always guarantee you success. There are so many variables to success in business that you can't know for sure what will happen. I can think of a lot of examples just off the top of my head. When the home video recorder first came on the scene, the Beta format was the better product, but the VHS format ended up pushing Beta out of the market. Kodak was once king of the photography scene. Unfortunately, they missed the boat on the whole digital revolution. Sony was the top dog when I was a teenager because everyone wanted a Walkman. They were caught napping when more people wanted mp3 players and left CD and tape players behind.

I don't say all this to discourage you. It's just good to know that things don't always work out perfectly. If your efforts don't pay off this time, don't give up. Keep trying. Keep creating. You won't know which one of your inventions, creations, innovations, or dreams will be a hit until it happens.

The Other Side of Me

2012-03-21T21:11:00.000-06:00

I try hard not to go too far astray on this blog. It's important to keep close to the topic of selling handmade items, but I felt I had more to share. To satisfy that need, I started a new blog: The Spirit Bead Journals The name is based on a nickname my husband gave me. There is no particular focus there; just me sharing things I think about, experiences I've had, and (most recently) the agony of my job loss and resulting job search.

Today was my second day at a new job. I'm a Development Specialist for the Utah-Southern Idaho Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. It's wonderful to have a new job and a new purpose. The only drawback is that I have to commute for the first time in my working career and that eats into my "free" time. I hope you'll have patience with me. Drop by The Spirit Bead Journals from time to time to see what else I'm doing.

Etsy Wednesday Promote Your Shop Linky Party #39

2012-03-21T20:38:00.001-06:00

Welcome to ETSY WEDNESDAY!

This week I'm featuring Like Mother, Like Daughter hand stamped jewelry. Karen and Kaitlin are a mother and daughter team who have been on Etsy nearly a year. I love that they have more than just letter stamps. Take a look at all the other stamps they use plus fun charms and embellishments. Each piece is custom made for you when you order it. It sure looks like this team is having fun with their craft.

Make sure you link up to the party. You could be the featured shop next week.

Other linky parties say "NO Etsy shops" but we say YES!! Here's your chance to market or promote your online store for FREE. Once you link up your shop, don't forget to spread the word to other sellers as well as your friends who are in the mood for shopping. Don't worry, you can still link up even if you're on Artfire, Zibbet, 1000 Markets, Folksy, etc. Wondering what a Linky Party is or how it works? Read this explanation for help.

Etsy Wednesday Linky Party Guidelines

Remember to visit other shops on the list.
Because this is promoting Etsy shops, I'm not going to require that you add my blog button to your shop (it's not possible anyway). However,I'm hoping you will see it in your heart to add my button to your blog; stay connected to me on Facebook, Twitter, or my RSS feed; and/or promote this link party in your own way.
Share this blog post however you can. We want as many people as possible to look at your shops.
Leave a comment telling the favorite shop you found on the list (other than your own, of course).

TIME TO JOIN THE ETSY MADNESS....

Monday Madness - Etsy Direct Checkout

2012-03-19T05:00:00.000-06:00

Some of you may have already noticed Etsy's announcement about the launch of Etsy Direct Checkout. Only a few select shops are using right now, but you can sign up to be added to the list so you're notified when it's available. This will give you another payment option besides PayPal for U.S.-based sellers. I've really had no problems with Paypal, so I wasn't too interested at first. After I looked at the fees for the service, I was a little intrigued.

Photo by cklausen

Etsy Direct Checkout charges 3% plus $0.25 per sale. PayPal charges 2.9% plus $0.30 per sale. These amounts are very similar, but the fees are slightly less using Etsy Direct until you have sales over $50. A couple of pennies probably won't make a big difference unless you sell a large number of low price items.

Sale	Etsy Direct	PayPal
	3.0% + $0.25	2.9% + $0.30
$1.00	$0.28	$0.33
$5.00	$0.40	$0.45
$10.00	$0.55	$0.59
$15.00	$0.70	$0.74
$20.00	$0.85	$0.88
$25.00	$1.00	$1.03
$30.00	$1.15	$1.17
$35.00	$1.30	$1.32
$40.00	$1.45	$1.46
$45.00	$1.60	$1.61
$50.00	$1.75	$1.75
$75.00	$2.50	$2.48
$100.00	$3.25	$3.20

Etsy will deposit the funds in your bank account each Monday and expects they will appear in your bank account in 3-5 business days. The funds will not be available for deposit until about three days after you mark the item as "shipped." PayPal holds your money until you direct it to do otherwise. You can get a debit card to access your funds. PayPal says that transfers to your bank account take 3-5 days.

Will you be switching over to Etsy Direct Checkout or staying with PayPal?

Etsy Wednesday Promote Your Shop Linky Party #38

2012-03-14T05:00:00.001-06:00

Welcome to ETSY WEDNESDAY!

Tune Tube by relaine

This week I have chosen relaine's shop on Etsy to be featured. The shop description cracks me up:

There are so many fun fabrics that I couldn't possibly make something for myself out of every single one, and yet I want to sew with them all! So I compromise and make things for other people.

That's a great attitude! Sometimes I feel that way about the things I make. It wouldn't be right to keep them all, but I just can't stop creating.

Make sure you link up to the party. You could be the featured shop next week.

Other linky parties say "NO Etsy shops" but we say YES!! Here's your chance to market or promote your online store for FREE. Once you link up your shop, don't forget to spread the word to other sellers as well as your friends who are in the mood for shopping. Don't worry, you can still link up even if you're on Artfire, Zibbet, 1000 Markets, Folksy, etc. Wondering what a Linky Party is or how it works? Read this explanation for help.

Etsy Wednesday Linky Party Guidelines

Remember to visit other shops on the list.
Because this is promoting Etsy shops, I'm not going to require that you add my blog button to your shop (it's not possible anyway). However, I'm hoping you will see it in your heart to add my button to your blog; stay connected to me on Facebook, Twitter, or my RSS feed; and/or promote this link party in your own way.
Share this blog post however you can. We want as many people as possible to look at your shops.
Leave a comment telling the favorite shop you found on the list (other than your own, of course).

TIME TO JOIN THE ETSY MADNESS....

Inspiring My Son to Create

2012-03-13T23:04:00.000-06:00


micro origami crane by Dwayne

I was hanging out on Pinterest one night and had a chance to show my oldest son some of the cool origami creations I found there. He's been into origami for years and has come up with his own dragon design. First I showed him some really complicated origami creations, but it was some miniature paper cranes in a glass bottle that ended up catching his eye. That brought on our first ever mother and son trip to the craft store.

This is not the son I usually pal around with. He's very geeky (even more than me) and is into Magic the Gathering rather than beadwork and crafting. Going to the craft store was fun and he soon gathered the supplies he needed. He got right to work as soon as we got home. In order to fit the cranes in the glass bottle, he had to make them micro sized. Yes, that's a real penny underneath that teeny tiny crane.

He filled the glass bottle with six miniature cranes and then hung the bottle from a necklace cord. It was cute to see him work so hard on it and then anxiously wait for me to add it to our Etsy shop. Interestingly enough, his necklace was viewed 13 times in the first 45 minutes and it was listed in a new treasury within two minutes of being listed.

Origami Cranes in Glass Bottle

Today I saw a great article about how your kids can help you with your Etsy business. Getting your whole family involved in the business can prevent you from burning out. Having the support without feeling separated from your family will keep you going strong. I've also found that fun new ideas can come from all over, even from your kids.

Have you involved your kids in your creating yet?

Etsy Wednesday Promote Your Shop Linky Party #37

2012-03-07T17:38:00.000-07:00

Welcome to ETSY WEDNESDAY!

ratty daddy dinkum

With a name like Ratty Daddy Dinkum, how could I resist? Their Etsy shop with handmade scarves and more was my featured pick from last week's party. Run by a mother and daughter out of Florida, this shop has some fun vintage picks as well as scrappy felt flowers and the scrappy scarves they've become known for.

Make sure you link up to the party. You could be the featured shop next week.

Other linky parties say "NO Etsy shops" but we say YES!! Here's your chance to market or promote your online store for FREE. Once you link up your shop, don't forget to spread the word to other sellers as well as your friends who are in the mood for shopping. Don't worry, you can still link up even if you're on Artfire, Zibbet, 1000 Markets, Folksy, etc. Wondering what a Linky Party is or how it works? Read this explanation for help.

Etsy Wednesday Linky Party Guidelines

Remember to visit other shops on the list.
Because this is promoting Etsy shops, I'm not going to require that you add my blog button to your shop (it's not possible anyway). However, I'm hoping you will see it in your heart to add my button to your blog; stay connected to me on Facebook, Twitter, or my RSS feed; and/or promote this link party in your own way.
Share this blog post however you can. We want as many people as possible to look at your shops.
Leave a comment telling the favorite shop you found on the list (other than your own, of course).

TIME TO JOIN THE ETSY MADNESS....

Etsy Wednesday Promote Your Shop Linky Party #36

2012-02-29T04:00:00.001-07:00

Welcome to ETSY WEDNESDAY!

Iridescent White Porcelain Pendant

After a vacation, it's time to share the Etsy love and get the good karma going again. This week's featured shop is Chiron Creations out of Temecula, California. Chiron Creations is a collective, featuring the work of Tracey Giehl, Jim Lathrop, and Jennifer Donnelly. Jim and Jennifer do the crystal-glazed ceramics, a fusion of art and science. Tracey makes the macrame plant hangers, does ceramic painting, and functions as the shop's owner.

Make sure you link up to the party. You could be the featured shop next week.

Other linky parties say "NO Etsy shops" but we say YES!! Here's your chance to market or promote your online store for FREE. Once you link up your shop, don't forget to spread the word to other sellers as well as your friends who are in the mood for shopping. Don't worry, you can still link up even if you're on Artfire, Zibbet, 1000 Markets, Folksy, etc. Wondering what a Linky Party is or how it works? Read this explanation for help.

Etsy Wednesday Linky Party Guidelines

Remember to visit other shops on the list.
Because this is promoting Etsy shops, I'm not going to require that you add my blog button to your shop (it's not possible anyway). However, I'm hoping you will see it in your heart to add my button to your blog; stay connected to me on Facebook, Twitter, or my RSS feed; and/or promote this link party in your own way.
Share this blog post however you can. We want as many people as possible to look at your shops.
Leave a comment telling the favorite shop you found on the list (other than your own, of course).

TIME TO JOIN THE ETSY MADNESS....

Feature Friday - FantaSea Jewelry

2012-02-24T00:16:00.000-07:00

FantaSea Jewelry - Dragonfly

Have you ever been browsing online and stumble across a photo that just makes you stop and stare? I'm going to share the one that caught my attention the other day on Etsy. It's a sterling silver dragonfly with blue topaz.

I love dragonflies and I grew up on the ocean. FantaSea Jewelry's Etsy shop is absolutely breathtaking with its silver creations beautifully photographed over driftwood.

When I look at an Etsy shop, I like to see what they put in their shop announcement, shop policies, etc. It gives me an idea of how professional they are about running their shop. FantaSea Jewelry does an excellent job of making customers aware of the time it will take to receive their orders:

Please keep in mind that I am shipping from the Caribbean, and although we are part of the US, shipping will still take LONGER than shipping stateside and I have no control over this! Please expect delivery between 5-12 days from the day I shipped your item out. Most items are handcrafted at the time of purchase so please expect 5 days for production. If an item is ready to ship, I will email you and let you know when I receive the order. Thank you!!!

You can avoid negative feedback and unrealistic expectations by letting your customers know what your process is like. Some friends of mine recently opened a wonderfully original restaurant and art gallery. Because they make all their entrees and sauces from scratch, it takes some time to get your food. On opening weekend, our server was apologetic about the delay. I later talked to the owner and told her that instead of apologizing, the server should let the customer know that the food is being cooked from scratch at the time of the order. Customers just need to know what to expect. Not everyone is in a hurry and many things are worth the wait.

FantaSea Jewelry - Octopus

I'm so glad I stumbled across FantaSea Jewelry's shop, especially since I never manage to get to the Caribbean to go shopping. In addition to sharing my favorite items on Facebook, I pinned them on Pinterest so others can admire their beauty. My husband may be getting tired of all my hints, though...

FantaSea Jewelry - SeaHorse

Let Facebook Help Promote Your Etsy Shop

2012-02-20T15:53:00.000-07:00

Can't afford to advertise your Etsy shop? Neither can I. Fortunately, the growth of social media has provided some great opportunities to share information for free. Right now I have a Facebook page for this blog, but I haven't set up a separate one for Native & Pilgrim. The Etsy Madness page basically serves to promote the blog and the shop.

Worried about the time investment of an additional Facebook page? It doesn't have to take a lot of time. I post the latest blog articles by clicking the button below the article to share on Facebook. Etsy has also made it easy to share your product listings on Facebook. I wouldn't necessarily post every item in your shop on the FB page, but posting new creations, sale items, and holiday-specific items will keep your fans connected. Make sure you do some status updates about what you're working on or asking questions of your customers so its not just product promotion.

Mashable recently posted this article on hot tips for small business marketing on Facebook. I recommend following Mashable for their posts on technology.

Another great article comes from Outright's blog, The Bottom Line. Justine Smith shared the top 10 marketing tips from full-time Etsy sellers. You may have heard some of these tips before, but I like having a refresher and each person will explain it a little bit differently.

Postal Rate Increase

2012-02-15T16:32:00.001-07:00

Some of you have probably already noticed the latest rate increase from the US Postal Service (USPS). This rate increase happened on January 22, 2012. Although the difference in rates isn't huge, it will certainly add up as you ship multiple packages.

New domestic retail pricing for Priority Mail Flat Rate products:

Small box — $5.35
Medium box — $11.35
Large box — $15.45
Regular envelope — $5.15

If you haven't done it already, head over to your Etsy shop and update the shipping charges for your items. I used to use the Craftopolis website to quickly edit prices and shipping charges. They're renovating their site right now, so I'm going to have to make the edits on Etsy.

One of the easiest ways to handle your shipping amounts on Etsy is to create Shipping Profiles. Go to https://www.etsy.com/your/shops/YourShopNameHere/shipping/batch. You can created and edit shipping profiles there. I have one for digital items (free shipping), one for very small items (1 oz or less), and one for items that are a little larger and need more packaging. You'll choose all the same options you would when listing a new item for your shop. Once you save it, you'll be able to select that shipping profile when listing or editing items in your shop. Over time, this will be a great shortcut.

On the shipping page, you can apply shipping profiles to many items at once. The only negative I've found is that changing the dollar amounts in the shipping profile doesn't change anything in the items in your shop automatically. For example, I decide to change the shipping profile for very small items. The shipping charge is now $2.25 instead of $2.00. I will now need to go in and edit the item listings to apply that shipping profile. Shipping information for items doesn't change until you apply the updated profile. That's definitely an area that Etsy could improve on.

Please share any tips on making this an easier process. Good luck!

Handmade for the Holidays

2012-01-23T01:45:00.000-07:00

I know that Christmas was a month ago, but I was impressed with news about how a lot of consumers chose to buy handmade items this year for gift giving. BusinessNewsDaily talked about the trend toward purchases of one-of-a-kind handmade gifts over the mass-produced gifts of the past. Etsy's CEO remarked that average sales per shop on Cyber Monday increased 11 percent.

This information is good to know as we launch into a new year of selling. I know that the items we make are unique and made with care in a way that can't be done in a factory. Whenever we sell in person, we are able to talk to our potential customers about what went into the creation of the piece, the inspiration, and more. I honestly believe that when customers buy from me in person, they are purchasing the background or story as well as the actual item.

One of my friends posted on Facebook that she was doing a "pay it forward" activity and would send a handmade item to the first five people to comment. The only catch was that you had to do the same thing - post the pay it forward status and make something for five people. It didn't matter what the handmade item was - cookies, greeting card, jewelry, etc. My friend sent me a crocheted dish cloth and I am just finishing up some tatted hearts to send to my five people. I also decided to make one extra to send to the friend who connect me with this effort. I encourage you to consider participating in this to keep handmade items in the spotlight. Here is the text for your Facebook status:

Pay it forward 2012.... I promise to make something handmade for the first five people who comment. They must in turn post this and make something for the first five who comment on their status. *The rules are it has to be handmade by you, and they must receive it before 2012 ends.* Craft, cookies...who knows what you might receive..

Inexpensive Help for Your Business

2012-01-21T20:21:00.000-07:00

You can do it all yourself, right? Create products, photograph and list them online. market your products and your business, create logos/labels/packaging, etc....I didn't think so.

I recently stumbled across a website based on the concept of "What are you willing to do for $5?" Fiverr allows you to search for the type of work you need done. You can also request your own specific "gig" and hope for someone to respond. You can sign up to offer your own services as well.

For only five dollars, it's not much of a risk. What can you get for your five dollars? Here are a few that I thought would be helpful for Etsy sellers:

Critique your Etsy shop
Create a banner for your Etsy shop
Tweet about your shop (some do this several times per day without end)
Edit your product photos
Design a logo for your business
Set up your blog
Record a video promoting your product/business
Create backlinks for your site
Review your product on my site
Write the name of your business on a sign, lips, fingernails, face....

There are some very entertaining things on there. You could get a video of somebody in a hot dog costume dancing for two minutes to the song of your choice or have someone do some of your computer programming homework. Like with any online purchase, you should read reviews from previous customers before committing to pay. I paid for someone to tweet two messages a day to her 32.000 Twitter followers every day, forever and ever. She had me send her the two different messages to tweet and the messages were sent within minutes. Those messages continue to be tweeted daily and I have seen an increase in visits to my shop and new Twitter followers.

Althout you can't expect an awesome logo or banner design for five dollars, this is an inexpensive way to get started. If you decide to sell your own services on Fiverr, you'll want to read this article that explains how much you actually make after fees. I'd love to hear from you if you decide to use Fiverr.

Improving How You Use Facebook

2012-01-20T23:40:00.000-07:00

If you're selling on Etsy (or have a business of any kind), you need to have a Facebook page for your business. Originally, Facebook was set up more for individuals. It has adapted over the years and has what it calls "fan pages" that are great for businesses. They're also good for celebrities since they don't set a limit on how many people "like" you (yes, there are actual limits to how many "friends" you can have as a person on FB).

When I first set up a business Facebook page, I created it to support this blog. Sometimes I wonder if I should have a separate page for the Etsy shop. More work, but targeted to different audiences. The debate is still going on in my head for now.

Mashable had a great article about some of the metrics (statistics) that Facebook can provide you for your page. Knowing where your fans are coming from and how they are engaged with your information will help you not only to improve how you market your brand, but will also give you opportunities for keeping your biggest fans engaged with you.

Another great thing you can do with your Facebook page is to add a Welcome tab using an app called iFrames. I'm working on the one for my Etsy Madness page, but you can take a look at the one I made earlier this month when I was working for Heritage School.

In looking at the statistics for my Etsy shop, I've seen that a lot of people are linking over from Facebook. So many people comment on and share their favorite items that it really pays to be on Facebook. I've been hearing a lot lately about how Pinterest is boosting traffic for Etsy shops. I'm hoping to start on Pinterest, but the one drawback is that you have to receive an invitation to join. My request for an invitation put me on their waiting list, but I don't know how long it will take.

What are your Facebook tips? And could someone please send me a Pinterest invitation....thanks!

Without a Day Job

2012-01-17T01:19:00.000-07:00

I'm a little shaken at the moment. Just as I was gearing myself up to be super positive and have a great year, my day job was eliminated. January 20, 2012, will live on in my memory as the day my job quit me.

Not having a full-time job provides me with more time for other things, but I really need to treat my job search as my new job. I've found that I actually thrive on being overly busy, so having my days less full is difficult. Getting myself organized and establishing a new schedule is going to be essential if I want to get anything done.

Today I found myself catching up on photographing and listing some of the items we've made recently but never managed to get into our Etsy shop. I also looked over some of the applications for upcoming farmers' markets and boutiques. Without a job to support me, it's even scarier to risk the money some of these places are asking from vendors.

As I move forward, I will still keep up on the blog. It's nice to have an audience out there and I hope you are all faring well in the new year.

Great Mailing App Helps You Keep Track

2012-01-09T05:00:00.002-07:00

When I ended up with a last-minute order from a customer in Florida who needed the items to arrive in time for Christmas, I started checking the computer obsessively to see where the package was. I started wondering if there was a way to track packages from my iPhone....and yes, there was.

USPS Mobile (no, they're not paying me) has apps for the iPhone, Android, and Blackberry phones. You can scan the bar code or type in the tracking number and see where your packages are. It also connects you to USPS resources, post office locations, order supplies, schedule pickups, and calculate shipping prices.

Thankfully, the package arrived in Florida in plenty of time to be wrapped and placed under the tree. This is such a time-saver for me since it connects so quickly and gives me my answers without having to hop all over the Internet. My iPhone has become my favorite business tool, using the USPS, Etsy, Square, and Paypal apps along with my email. Are there other great apps out there that I've missed?

January Calendar - Better Late Than Never

2012-01-08T14:44:00.001-07:00

At the end of 2011, I decided I wanted to create a tatting themed calendar page for each day this year. I had been using other people's calendar backgrounds as the wallpaper on my computer at work all year and wanted to do a tatting one to share with my fellow tatters and crafters.

Getting this first page done took longer than expected, so I hope you'll forgive me for being late. I'll start working on future months sooner so I can keep up. I designed it to fit a regular size sheet of printer paper (8.5" x 11") so it can be printed. My plan for using it is to have it be the wallpaper background for my laptop. You can usually tell your computer to stretch it to fit. Clicking on the photo will take you to where I uploaded it on Flickr.

Since I didn't want to infringe on anyone's rights by using photos from online, I took photos of my own items. If you have photos of tatting that would be work for future months and you're willing to share them, let me know.

The background of this photo is a beautiful original painting by Gwen Montgomery. This painting hangs in my office and is a source of inspiration with its look of hope and new beginnings.

I've linked this up to Skip to My Lou's Made by You Monday and found that she has a printable calendar set for 2012 on her site.

Other People are Thinking Like Me

2012-01-05T21:41:00.000-07:00

If you truly knew me, the title of this post might scare you a bit...

Seriously, though, it's always a little weird when you're cruising around the world wide web and you bump into ideas that you were sure nobody else but you would think of. My dad once told me that there is no such thing as original music anymore. It's all been done and anything "new" now is simply an adaptation of other works. Perhaps this is true of the handmade world in some way.

earrings by KnotTherapy

With my talent for tatting and living in a Native American family, I'm always thinking of ways to combine the two worlds. On a whim, I decided to do a search on Etsy for "tatted feather." Two of the results surprised me. They looked like things I had thought about making.

Tatting with real feathers attached? Dang...KnotTherapy did that!

necklace by FrogHoller

Tatted necklace with dangling metal feather charms? Frog Holler beat me to that one!
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Maybe we're all tuned into the same inspirational feed from the universe..

I Bet You'd Love One of These

2012-01-04T19:42:00.000-07:00

There are so many great contests online and sometimes they have amazing prizes. The Silhouette Cameo is one of the latest and greatest in the world of cutting machines. So many people want it that it's now on backorder. I found a site where you can win a Silhouette Cameo:

Hop over there and enter. I'd wish you luck, but I want to win it, too.

Sharing Talents

2012-01-03T00:10:00.000-07:00

This Christmas, I participated in a tatted ornament exchange.It was set up through a tatters group on Facebook. Each of us was given the name and address of another tatter to send an ornament to. I received a red and white candy cane and silvery tree from Barbara. The organizer of the exchange also sent me a cute little tatted wreath.

The ornaments I tatted

For Nancy, I tatted an Asian style tree and tatted over a small glass ball ornament. We all posted photos on Facebook of the ornaments we received. It was fun to see the variety.

Exchanges like these not only develop friendships, they also expose us to the work of others. I find that it helps me to open my mind to new possibilities and to see the techniques of others.

Tatted ornaments from Barbara

As I took some time off from work, I had a chance to go through all my tatting patterns and supplies. I found an old envelope from an exchange done many years ago. It was organized in an online forum, but it was well before the days of social media communities. We exchanged stationery that had some tatted element. Each person in the exchange sent twelve items to the organizer and we received an envelope with a sample of each person's work. There were cards, postcards, and sheets of stationery. Some had simple tatted motifs and others were fancier.

I highly recommend finding ways to socialize with others who share your talents. There are Facebook pages and groups as well as bulletin board forums and blogs. Some Etsy teams focus on specific types of products as well. You might be amazed at the questions you can answer for each other in these groups and the resources and instruction that are shared.

The End of 2011

2011-12-30T00:01:00.000-07:00

Here we are winding down another year. Native and Pilgrim, my humble Etsy shop, only had 17 sales during 2011. Despite how dismal that sounds, several of the sales had great stories behind them and left me feeling pretty good. One sale was to a childhood friend and her compliments on the earrings she bought really lifted my spirits.

The last sale of the year (so far) was to someone in Florida who was giving the jewelry as gifts to foreign exchange students who love Native American items. I joked in a post on my Facebook page that I hoped they didn't expect it in time for Christmas. This was before I read the anxious note from the buyer about wanting them for Christmas gifts...Note to self - remember to check Paypal AND Etsy for notes from the buyer next time.

You may have noticed (I really hope you noticed) that I've been absent the past month. My bout with illness (sinus infection, pneumonia, etc.) went halfway into December. I barely made my deadline for designing the playbill for Heritage's production of A Christmas Carol and then was backstage during the show to help with props and costume changes. Then came preparations for Christmas...time really does fly! For my own sanity, I just had to let the blog take a break for a bit.

Despite slow Etsy sales, we had some luck with selling at boutiques, markets, and other events this year. We failed to discover any guaranteed formula for success, but we still learned. Talking to and making connections with your customers generally pays off. Pricing things too cheaply is a bad strategy (customers assume the item isn't worth much), but grouping items by price gives the feel of a sale and customers seem to like that. (All items in this basket $5 each works great.)

Will next year be better? Who knows...
We've learned a lot and it's enough to keep us going for a little bit longer.
How was your year?