I get asked all of the time, “How can I make money at home?” While blogging is what I do, I know that is not always the answer for everyone. If you happen to be creative, why not sell your stuff on Etsy? Using Etsy can be a great way to make money fast!
I’m one of the least creative people I know. I can sew a seam and a button and follow instructions, but I can’t come with a unique idea to save my soul. But, I know many of you can.
If that is you, have you ever considered selling your stuff on Etsy? It can be a great way to supplement your income. There are even people who make more than six figures a year – all by selling on Etsy!
Since this is not my forte, I wanted to get someone who knows this platform to help. I spoke with Lauren Keplinger recently and asked for her input.
Free Masterclass – Selling on Etsy
How to get started selling on Etsy
How long have you been selling on Etsy?
I’ve been selling on Etsy for six and a half years. I got started back in September of 2012.
What is the one mistake most sellers make?
One mistake that I see new sellers make is that they put up items in their shop and then they hope for the best. They don’t have a plan for how they are going to drive traffic to their shop, and they get frustrated when things are not selling because they aren’t getting any visitors.
What is the average you may be able to make over six months?
It is super hard to have an average for sellers because Etsy sellers run the gamut from people who have one item listed in their shop and don’t care if it sells to full-time sellers make tens of thousands of dollars a month.
I can’t speak for all shops, but when I looked back at my shop for the first six months in business, I averaged just under $600 a month. However, the next six months of business (so months 6-12 of my shop), I averaged just over $3,700 a month, so while it is not an overnight process the sales and revenue can increase rapidly.
Can you sell anything on Etsy? Is there anything you can’t sell?
Etsy caters to three categories of products — handmade, vintage, and supplies. They have specifications for what qualifies in each of those; for example, vintage items have to be over 20 years old.
Etsy does not allow sellers to sell items that are illegal, dangerous, glorifying hate, having to do with drug paraphernalia, etc.
What does your course teach that you can’t find online?
My course gives you a step by step roadmap to go from building your shop and setting everything up all the way to scaling to five and six-figure sales.
While you can find bits and pieces of information online that can be helpful, having a step by step plan for what you’ll work on at each step of the journey helps to clarify the process of building a business and reduce the overwhelm and frustration that comes with growing your shop.
Do you still use Etsy?
Yes! I still work on my own Etsy orders every day. My shop is http://www.etsy.com/shop/funkymonkeychildren
How is the course laid out (email day by day, take at your own pace)?
The course is five lessons laid out over six weeks. You get access to one lesson per week (with one week for implementation), and each week we’ll have a live Q&A in the private Facebook group to answer any questions you have about that week’s lesson and address any issues you’re having with your shop.
What type of success have some of your students had by taking the course?
I LOVE hearing my students’ success stories, and my favorites are when they’re able to make a financial impact in their family beyond what they’ve ever hoped for.
I recently had a student, Heather, who emailed me and told me that she had exceeded her weekly paycheck from her 9-5 job with her Etsy shop — and that was after working together for only a short time!
Another student, Linda, said that “After taking the course, I’m now focused and have a direction. I’ve made so many changes in the four weeks that I’m amazed! And I have so many more ideas and tips to implement.”
Working together with the student to realize the very real opportunity that Etsy presents is so rewarding for me, and I love sharing the behind the scenes tips to help make that dream a reality for them.
Is there any amazing information we can give to them for free?
I have an upcoming masterclass, Crickets to Cha-Chings, The 3 Step Framework for Profitability on Etsy in 2019 coming up next week. It is totally free and will give you clarity on the steps you need to take to have success on Etsy this year. Sign up HERE for the free masterclass!!
If you really want to take control of your income and put your creativity to work for you, Etsy is something you should pursue. But don’t just start a shop and think it will work. There are secrets experts have figured out that they can share so you too can be successful. Listen to them.
Sign up for the Free Etsy Masterclass
