Monday, May 26, 2014

Finding Etsy and Opening a Shop

Hi, I'm Mary and the owner of an online shop on Etsy called Purse O'Nality by Mary. Never in a million years did I ever think about opening an online shop. But here I am. I would like to tell you how it all began. This is part 2 of a two part series.

In the first part of this series I talked about how I started making purses and how surprised I was when my prototype was sold on the spot followed with 2 more orders. Well, I have to say that really inspired me to continue making purses. 

I had heard about Etsy  a couple of years before I started making purses. I was in the Purple Iris Yarn Shop and it was knit/crochet night. There was a group of us sitting around a table talking. Someone mentioned Etsy. I had never heard of it and asked her about it. She told me that it was an online shop for individuals who wanted to sell handmade goods.  I have since learned that it's a place to find great vintage and supply items as well.

 Sweet County Girls Talks
                                                 about Purple Iris Yarn Shop                                             


So when I sold my first purse, I decided that I would make a few more and display them in the yarn shop. I remembered the conversation about Etsy. So I decided to check it out. There was a link that said: Open a Shop. Of course I clicked on it. I was curious. It took you through the steps of how open a shop. I decided to upload a picture of one of the purses I had just finished making. It was a cute crochet pink purse. I really wanted to see how it all worked. It was an experiment so to speak. Actually, I was a little nervous and wasn't sure if I really want to open up a shop. So I left it all in limbo for 9 months. 


Crochet Pink Purse



During that time life went on; events happened and things changed. I started to get more serious about it. I still continued to make purses and also added some knit ruffled and jersey scarves.
I began putting more items on the shop page, but I still didn't open up my shop. I wanted my shop to look inviting. There was also a lot to learn. I tried to learn as much as I could, and I figured my business degree would serve me as well. Etsy has lots of good information about selling in general and how to sell online. In addition, you can always ask other Etsy members for advice. After all, some members have been on Etsy since it opened in June 2006. 

Finally on September 20, 2013, I opened my shop and was ready for business. I listed nine items. Today I have more than 50 items in my shop and made a total of 7 sales as of this month. I didn't get my first sale until mid December.  

My first sold item


 I have found out that an online shop takes a lot of time, patience and determination if you want to succeed. The saying, "If you build it, they will come." is a fallacy in one way and extremely truthful in another. If you think that by opening your shop, you will get sales without doing anything more then you will fail. However, if you work hard building up everything in regards to your shop, including good customer service, then you will succeed. In addition, a successful shop will continue to learn about how to succeed with an online business.

So if you are considering opening an online shop, even if it's just a hobby, you have to be committed. As I stated in the beginning, never in a million years did I ever think about opening an online shop. But here I am and this is how it all began. Etsy has some really interesting shops. You can check it out by going to www.etsy.com. While you're there, take a peek into my shop and tell me what you think at www.purseonalitybymary.etsy.com. I'm always interested in feedback.

Here's a peek at what coming up in the next few blogs.

1 The Ladies of the Purple Iris Shop
2.What is Search Engine Optimatization (SEO)?
3. A featured Etsy shop.


* Video by Jeff Rouse





















































No comments:

Post a Comment