Allison Strine

Article / Updated 10-31-2017

Etsy Promoted Listings is one of two tools to Etsy offers to help you advertise your shop. Etsy Promoted Listings, is, to quote Etsy, "good for improving discoverability within Etsy search results." With Etsy Promoted Listings, you simply note how much you want to spend each day on Promoted Listings, and Etsy does the rest — propelling your listings to the top of the heap (or close to it) when prospective buyers type relevant keywords. To set up Etsy Promoted Listings, follow these steps: Click the Shop Manager link along the top of any Etsy Marketplace page. The main Shop Manager page opens. Click the Promote link on the left side of the page and choose Advertising Options in the pane that appears. The Etsy Advertising page appears. Click the Start Advertising on Etsy button. The Promoted Listings page opens. Enter your daily budget. This can range from $1 to $10. (The more you spend, the more impressions you'll get.) If you want new listings to be automatically included in your ad buy, toggle on the Automatically Advertise New Listings setting. Click the Start Advertising button. Etsy sets up your Promoted Listings campaign. Then it displays the Advertising dashboard with the Promoted Listings tab displayed. From here, you can view stats on ad performance and sales from ads. When you launch Promoted Listings, it will remain in effect until you discontinue it. To do so, click the Manage link near the top of the Promoted Listings page of the Advertising dashboard. The Manage Promoted Listings page opens. Then toggle the Advertise with Promoted Listings setting off to disable it. (To re-enable the feature, you simply toggle the Advertise Promoted Listings setting back on.)

Article / Updated 10-31-2017

Honestly, nearly everyone on Etsy is great. For real. But every so often, you're bound to run into someone who, well, isn't. Whether someone on Etsy is rude, demanding, or simply a pain in the patootie, keep these points in mind: Polish your policies. Clear, concise shop policies can go a long way toward heading off problems down the road. Be sure that your shop's policies are as clear as possible. Don't take it personally. If, after receiving your beautiful baubles, your buyer doesn't appreciate their magnificence, that's on him, not on you. Be professional. However tempting it may be to uncork on a difficult buyer, don't — at least, not where that person can hear you. Keep all communications firm, polite, and to the point. Oh, and resist the temptation to air your grievances on the Etsy forums. Everything you write there is visible to anyone on the Internet — including your grandmother. Plus, calling out a buyer by name is a violation of the site's policies, which can lead to your expulsion. Extend the olive branch. Most buyers aren't evil. They just want to feel like you're willing to work with them to achieve a happy, speedy transaction. Kindly communicate to them that you'll do everything possible to make that happen — and then do it. If you feel that you've done all you reasonably can to rectify a problem with a buyer to no avail, don't be afraid to cut your losses by refunding the buyer's money. Better to get a problem buyer out of your hair than to kill yourself trying to make him happy.

Article / Updated 10-31-2017

A convo — short for "conversation" — is a communication with another member using Etsy's internal messaging system. You can use convos to communicate with any other Etsy member. To access your convos, click the Shop Manager link that appears along the top of any Etsy Marketplace page, and choose Conversations in the main Shop Manager page. The Conversations page appears, listing your convos. If you use the Sell on Etsy app, you'll receive a notification on your mobile phone when you receive a message via convo. To make sure you don't miss a missive, you can also set up Etsy to email you anytime someone sends you a message on the site. Here's how: Click the Settings link in the top-right corner of the Shop Manager Conversations page. The Emails tab opens. In the General Notifications section of the Emails tab, click the Someone Sends Me a Convo check box to select it. Click the Save Settings button at the bottom of the page. Etsy saves your settings. Set up a separate email address for correspondence on Etsy. That way, you can keep all your business-related messages in one place.

Article / Updated 10-31-2017

If you're starting your Etsy shop as a hobby, you probably haven't given much thought to the structure of your Etsy business. It's just you, creating or curating stuff and putting it up for sale. But if your Etsy shop grows into a full-time operation — or if you want it to — you'll need to consider what business structure is best for you. The structure that you choose affects both your personal liability if your business is sued and the taxes you'll have to pay. Depending on your location, you may be required to obtain a business license to operate your Etsy shop in an aboveboard manner. You may also need a business license to open a business checking account. You can find information about business license requirements in your area online. When it comes to business structures, you have a few main options: Sole proprietorship: If you're just starting out with your Etsy business, odds are you're running a sole proprietorship, sort of by default. That is, you own your business outright and you're solely responsible for all decisions and debts that pertain to it. This type of business is by far the easiest to start, but it's also the riskiest type to run. This is because you'll be held personally accountable if something goes wrong. For example, if someone using your product becomes sick or injured, that person could sue you, personally, placing your assets (and any assets that you hold jointly with a spouse) at risk. You're also personally accountable for any debt that the business assumes. General partnership: A general partnership consists of two or more co-owners. Typically, the parties in a general partnership split the profits from the business equally, although that's not always the case. For example, if you and your friend go into business together but you invest more in startup costs, you may agree to a different split of the profits — say, 60/40. General partnerships are similar to sole proprietorships in that you and your partner(s) are personally responsible for any debt that the business incurs. Limited partnership: In addition to general partnerships, limited partnerships exist. In that case, one partner contributes funds and shares in profits but assumes no role in the workings of the company. Corporation: A corporation is a legal entity all its own, separate from its founders (you), managers, and employees, and owned by its shareholders (again, you, along with anyone else you decide to bring into the fold). Operating as a corporation means, among other things, that your personal assets are protected in case the company is sued. Two types of corporations exist: C-corporations and S-corporations. Although C-corporations provide the most financial protection to shareholders and offer other advantages, many small businesses go the S-corporation route because they're cheaper to start and easier to maintain. To avoid running afoul of the IRS, speak to your accountant in detail about how to deal with profits if you opt to form a corporation. Limited liability company (LLC): A popular choice for many business owners, a limited liability company (LLC) is a sort of hybrid between a partnership and a corporation. An LLC not only limits your liability for business debt but also allows you to choose whether you want to be treated as a partnership or as a corporation, depending on which has the lower tax burden. So what type of business structure is right for you? That's an excellent question — and one that you want to direct to a lawyer or accountant. (Also, be sure to seek the help of a lawyer or accountant when it comes to actually setting up your company because the precise steps for doing so differ depending on where you live.)

Article / Updated 10-31-2017

You manage your Etsy shop from . . . well, Shop Manager, which enables you to manage your listings, convos, and orders as well as your promotional activities. Here, you find out how to use it to manage your shop finances, track stats, and more. As you've no doubt noticed, when you open Shop Manager (by clicking the Shop Manager link that appears along the top of any Etsy Marketplace page), the Shop Manager dashboard appears. This dashboard provides several key pieces of information, all accessible at a glance: An overview of orders received and active listings A list of unread convos A stats overview (including views, favorites, orders, and revenue) Updates from the Shop Advisor (these may flag a listing that's about to expire, alert you to a new case, or just share useful info to help you run your shop more efficiently) Recent shop activity, including people favoriting a listing in your shop (or the shop itself) as well as purchases made in your shop

Article / Updated 10-31-2017

You don't have to be "at work" to manage your Etsy shop. With the Sell on Etsy app, available for Android and Apple iOS devices, you could be literally anywhere. Antarctica? Check. The Sahara? Check. The hammock in your backyard? Check, check, and check (as long as you have a cell or Wi-Fi signal, of course). The main page of the Sell on Etsy app looks a little like the main Shop Manager page. It features a dashboard as well as links to a Listings-type page, Open Orders and Completed Orders pages, and convos. Clicking the More button reveals even more options: Your Shop: Tap this option to view your shop. Reviews: To peruse your reviews, tap this option. Shop Updates: Tap this to post Shop Updates. Teams: Your Etsy Teams are just a tap away. Settings: Access shop and notification settings here. Help: Tap Help for help using the Sell on Etsy app, to view the Seller Handbook, or to check out Etsy policies. Account: When you tap Account, you see options to open profile settings, access additional Etsy accounts, and sign out. Switch to the Etsy App: Tap this if you want to take off your "seller" hat and put on your "buyer" one and do a little shopping yourself. You're not limited to using the Sell on Etsy app to manage your store, however. Tons of third-party vendors have built apps to help Etsy sellers manage their shops. Some of these apps are for Android and Apple iOS devices. Others are meant for a desktop or laptop computer. These apps handle all sorts of tasks, like selling Etsy products directly through Instagram and Facebook (Spreesy), managing your inventory (RunInventory), pricing your items (PriceWoot), and more. You can browse Etsy's App Gallery to find out which apps are available. To access it, follow these steps on the Etsy website: Click the Shop Manager link that appears along the top of any Etsy Marketplace page. On the left side of the Shop Manager page, click the Community & Help link and choose App Marketplace. The Apps You Use page opens. Click the App Gallery link. The Apps for Etsy page opens. To find out more about an app, click the app's link. A page containing information about the app opens. To download the app, click the Visit Website button that appears on the app's page and follow the instructions. (The precise steps vary by app.) These apps are developed by third-party vendors. That's a techy way of saying that although you can access the apps from Etsy's website, for the most part, Etsy didn't build them. And that's a polite way of saying that if you have a problem with an app, don't bug Etsy about it; bug the company that actually made the app.

Article / Updated 10-31-2017

These days, you're no longer limited to conducting Etsy business online. Now, with the Sell on Etsy mobile app, you can do it in person, too — assuming that you use an Apple iOS or Android device and you live in the United States. (Etsy hopes to expand the service to more locations soon.) For example, you may use the app to handle transactions at a local art fair or farmers' market. You can use the Sell on Etsy app to peddle items already listed in your Etsy shop in person. Etsy updates your shop inventory in real time to reflect the sale. Or you can use the app's Quick Sale feature to sell items you haven't listed. Just enter an item name and price. (After you've entered details for a Quick Sale, you can access them by selecting Sell from History. That way, you don't have to enter the same title and price over and over again until your fingers fall off.) Either way, your shop's total sales will reflect these transactions. What's super great about the Sell on Etsy app is that you can use it in combination with an Etsy credit card reader — which you can order free from Etsy — to process Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover transactions. (Etsy charges just 2.75 percent per swipe and waives all other transaction fees.) Funds from in-person transactions will appear in your Etsy account alongside monies from online sales. You don't have to use the Etsy card reader. You can also accept in-person payments in cash. Before you can use the Sell on Etsy app (with or without the card reader), you need to do a few things. First, make sure your Etsy shop is set up to accept Etsy Payments. Second, make sure that you have the latest version of the Sell on Etsy app installed on your mobile device. Third, if this is your first time using the Sell on Etsy app, you need to accept the Terms of Use and enable location services. Fourth, set the app to apply the appropriate sales tax to your in-person sales. Here's how: Launch the Sell on Etsy app. Tap the More button in the lower-right corner of the app's main screen. Tap the In Person Sales option. Tap the Sales Tax option. Tap the Add Sales Tax Rate button. Tap the Name option and type a descriptive name for the tax rate (such as the state for which it applies). Type the Tax Rate option and enter the desired rate. Click Done. Etsy will apply this rate to all in-person transactions with the Sell on Etsy app. With that done, you're ready to make in-person sales. Here's how it's done: Launch the Sell on Etsy app. Tap the Sell Now link in the upper-right corner of the app's main screen. The Sell in Person screen opens. Do one of the following: Tap Quick Sale. Then type a name for the item, type a price, and tap Continue. Tap Sell from Listings. The app displays your shop's active listings. Tap the one for the item you want to sell. Tap Sell from History. If you're selling an item for which you've already entered the details in the Quick Sale screen, you can access it here. To add more items to the sale, tap Add Another Item. Then repeat Step 3. To apply a discount, tap Add Discount. Specify whether the discount should be a cash amount or a percentage, enter the discount value, and tap Apply Discount. Tap the Charge button at the bottom of the screen. Tap Cash or Credit. Indicate the amount of cash received or swipe the credit card using the card reader. If the buyer is paying by credit card, the app will prompt her for a signature. If the buyer wants a receipt, ask her to type in her email address in the screen that appears. That's it! You're done.

Article / Updated 10-31-2017

As your Etsy shop thrives, you may find yourself wanting to expand beyond the Etsy Marketplace. Enter Pattern. Pattern is a new service by Etsy that enables you to set up your own custom e-commerce website to reflect your shop's brand — right down to its URL. This isn't just any custom e-commerce website, though — it's one that integrates with your Etsy shop. In fact, you stock the website with listings from your Etsy shop (although you can create Pattern-only or Etsy-only listings), and you manage the site using Etsy's Shop Manager. Etsy puts it this way: "Pattern uses all of your existing Etsy inventory, payments and order management tools" —Etsy Payments, Etsy Shipping Labels, and so on — "so all of the work you've put into your Etsy shop will be applied directly to your new standalone website." At the time of this writing, Etsy allows shop owners to test out Pattern for 30 days free o' charge. After that, it's $15 a month. To get started using Pattern, follow these steps: Click the Shop Manager link that appears along the top of every Etsy Marketplace page. On the left side of the Shop Manager page, under Sales Channels, click Add Channels. The Add Channels page appears. Under Pattern, click the Get Started link. The Pattern website opens and prompts you to select from several shop-layout themes. Select a theme and click the Start with This Theme button. The Pattern dashboard opens. Here you'll find links to tools to customize your theme (for example, change colors, fonts, and so on), buy a domain name (or connect to one you already own), write your first blog post for the site (did we mention you can include a blog on your site?), and explore marketing tools. Click the Start Free Trial button. Pattern launches your site. To use Pattern, you must enable Etsy Payments.

Article / Updated 10-31-2017

Maybe hiring a few employees for your Etsy business isn't gonna cut it. Maybe that shout-out from Kendall Jenner means you need even more help. In that case, you'll want to look into Etsy Manufacturing. Etsy Manufacturing is a little bit like Tinder — but instead of helping you meet people who bear no resemblance whatsoever to their profile pictures, it hooks you up with a production partner who can help you grow your business. Before you use Etsy Manufacturing to connect with prospective production partners, Etsy recommends that you complete a couple of important steps: Take stock. Make sure your business, concept, and initial designs are really and truly ready for production. That means answering a few tough questions: Do you already make (or are you thinking of making) a product that may lend itself to manufacture by an outside party? Do you know what processes and machinery are needed to meet your manufacturing needs? Do you have the technical skills to communicate your designs to a manufacturer? Have you decided what types of materials to use for your designs? What types of quantities are you after? Do you have the cash flow to pay a manufacturer upfront? Build a budget. Figure out whether your profit margin can absorb manufacturing-related costs. Next up: research. Here you use Etsy Manufacturing to pinpoint prospective producers and pair up with your perfect partner. Follow these steps: Click the Shop Manager link that appears along the top of every Etsy Marketplace page. On the left side of the Shop Manager page, click Production Assistance. Then choose Find a Partner in the list of options that appears. The Etsy Manufacturing page opens. Click a category. Options include Apparel and Textile, Machining and Fabrication, Jewelry and Metalsmithing, and Printing. A category-specific page opens to help you narrow your focus. Each of these pages contains two main sections: Capabilities (which is further subdivided into Process, Materials, and Products sections) and Production Partner Location. In the Capabilities section, select at least one process, material, and product. In the Production Partner Location section, specify where you want your production partner to be located (or choose Anywhere). Click See Results. As shown here, Etsy displays a list of manufacturers that meet your criteria. (For the moment, these are limited to manufacturers in the United States and Canada.) Some manufacturers offer development services. That is, they work with Etsy sellers like you to standardize the specifications for your product. Click a manufacturer in the list of results to find out more about it. If you like what you see, click the Contact Manufacturer button on the business's page. A contact form opens. Fill in the requested info (including a description, photos or sketches, what you need help with, what you already have, how many you need, how much you want to spend, when you need the finished product, and any notes you want to add) and click Submit. Etsy creates a "project" from the information you submitted and forwards it to the manufacturer. You can access this project anytime by opening Shop Manager, clicking the Production Assistance link, and choosing Manage Projects. Don't just "swipe right" on the first manufacturer you find. Contact several to see which ones can meet your needs, offer the best terms on your project, and have received positive feedback from other Etsy sellers. Also, before you and a prospective partner say "I do," have them do a sample run of your product. And, to be 100 percent sure they're the right fit, it doesn't hurt to conduct an on-site visit. As with shop members, Etsy asks that you disclose any production partners you use. This information will appear on your shop's About page as well as in listings for any items the production partner helped to create. First, however, you must build a production partner profile for each of your production partners. Here's how: Click the Shop Manager link that appears along the top of every Etsy Marketplace page. On the left side of the Shop Manager page, click Settings. Then choose Production Partners. The Production Partners page appears. Click the Add a New Production Partner button. An Add a New Production Partner form appears. Enter your production partner's name and location and say a little bit about it. Indicate why you are working with this production partner, what your role in the design process is, and what your partner's role in the production process is. Then click Save Partner. Etsy saves the production profile. To add this production profile to an existing item listing, follow these steps: Click the Shop Manager link that appears along the top of every Etsy Marketplace page. On the left side of the Shop Manager page, click Listings. The Listings page appears. Click the check box for each listing to which you want to apply the production partner profile. Click the More Options button and choose Production Partners. The Update Production Partners dialog box opens. Click the check box next to the production partner you want to add and click Update. Etsy adds the production partner profile to the selected listing(s). Adding a production partner to a new listing is even easier. As you create the listing, open the Who Made It drop-down list and choose Another Company. You will then be prompted to select the production partner profile (or create a new profile) to add it to your listing. If you work with multiple production partners, you should create a profile for each one. You aren't limited to working with manufacturers that Etsy suggests. You can work with any manufacturer you like — if they meet certain ethical criteria. First, the manufacturer must be in compliance with all applicable laws, including safety, labor, and employment laws. In addition, manufacturers should Not employ child labor or youth labor Not employ involuntary labor Not engage in discriminatory practices Provide humane working conditions Use sustainable materials to reduce environmental impact

Article / Updated 10-31-2017

One sure-fire way to grow your Etsy business is to become a wholesaler — that is, to sell the products you make to other retailers. To facilitate this, Etsy has created Etsy Wholesale. Etsy Wholesale gives Etsy sellers (read: you) access to more than 20,000 registered retailers. Plus, with Etsy Wholesale, you can integrate your wholesale business with your Etsy shop for easy management. When you sell goods through Etsy Wholesale, Etsy charges a 3.5 percent transaction fee. This fee will be added to your Etsy bill. Before you launch your wholesale business, Etsy suggests that you do a little soul-searching. That means making sure of the following: You've developed a product line with an assortment of items that will appeal to a range of retailers. You've developed a solid brand that is expressed both in your product line and in your packaging. You can slash retail prices in half (or more) for wholesale clients and turn a healthy profit. You have the cash flow to cover the upfront costs associated with producing your product line. You have a streamlined and scalable production process. You have enough space in your studio to stow stock and supplies as well as crank out your creations. If you decide to sell wholesale, you may need to hire help or partner with an outside manufacturer. Although literally anyone can become president of the United States, not everyone can become an Etsy wholesaler. Etsy vets all prospective wholesalers to ensure that they (you) meet a few key criteria: Your pricing structure passes muster. Your wholesale prices must be at least 50 percent less than each item's suggested retail value, and each item's suggested retail value must match up with its price in your Etsy shop. Your Etsy record is clean as can be. If you don't have a solid review score, you have a history of delinquency paying your Etsy fees, or you fail to demonstrate compliance with Etsy's policies, you won't make the cut. Your Etsy shop is the real deal. Don't just throw together an Etsy shop and expect to be cleared to sell wholesale. Your shop should offer a solid assortment of products and reflect a unified brand. Visit Etsy Wholesale for Designers and click the Apply button to begin the approval process. Assuming that you make the cut, setting up your Etsy Wholesale storefront involves three key steps: Outlining your Etsy Wholesale policies: As shown, these are similar (though not identical) to the policies you set for your Etsy retail shop. Setting up your Etsy Wholesale shop profile: Again, this is a lot like the profile you set up for your Etsy retail shop. Speaking of the profile for your Etsy retail shop, it doesn't hurt to include a sentence or two on that shop's page indicating that you're an approved Etsy Wholesale seller. Generating a linesheet: A linesheet is a little like a catalog. It contains information about each product you carry, including the following: A clear image of each product you sell The product's name A unique product number or stock keeping unit (SKU) Available sizes Available colors Materials used to make the product and how they're sourced Pricing information (both the wholesale price and the recommended retail price) Info about you, such as a bio, and how to contact you Info about your ordering process, including minimum quantities Etsy automates the process of generating your linesheet with the Linesheet Organizer. All you have to do is upload your photos, type in a description for each product, specify pricing, and publish. You aren't limited to sharing your linesheet with registered Etsy Wholesale buyers. You can also share it with buyers who aren't on Etsy's wholesale platform by providing them with a guest pass. To generate a guest pass, click on the Shop Manager link. Then click the pencil icon next to the Wholesale entry under Sales Channels. The Linesheet Organizer opens. Click the Share with Buyers link in the upper-right corner. Then copy the link that appears and paste as needed. This link takes buyers to your linesheet as well as to your wholesale shop policies and profile. (Buyers will need to register with Etsy to start a purchase order.) You probably feel like we haven't gone into enough detail to really get you up and running with Etsy Wholesale. We get it. We feel that way, too. The problem is, if we tried to cover everything there is to know about Etsy Wholesale, we'd wind up writing a whole other book. Fortunately, Etsy has lots of resources to help you set up your wholesale operation, including a four-week email course on the subject. Sign up for the course.