have you joined flickr yet?  flickr is a place to share your photos, and can also be used as a social networking site (we needed another one, right?).  flickr is fun to get involved with though.  it’s an easy way to share your photos with family, share your work with consumers or show off a little amateur photography.

wishing star

it’s free, easy to join, and allows you to upload your photos quickly and sort them into albums.  so what does this have to do with your business? when people see your work on flickr, they may just make it all the way to your etsy shop.  not only can you upload images of your products, design process and creative spaces, you can begin joining relative groups and adding your photos to them.

weightless white on white

by adding your photos to flickr groups , you can further expand your online presence, exposing more people to your work, photography or passions. most bloggers or editors will browse flickr looking for inspiration and fresh talent, so it’s a worthy source to consider! the more groups you join and the more photos you add to them, the more exposure you’ll get.

*search for flickr groups here

a gathering of birds

you can also add contacts on flickr.  no need for approval (like facebook) but by adding contacts, you’ll be able to see a stream of their latest work on your homepage.  the more contacts you make, the more will contact you back, and the more people will see your work.  see where i’m going with this?

note: flickr doesn’t allow you to post a link to your shop in your photo descriptions (you could get the boot!) but you can use your shop name and use keywords like ‘etsy, handmade, jewelry, pottery’ etc.

velvet snow

ready to join flickr, or better yet, a group?  to help get you started, i’m happy to introduce the brand new…

going home to roost flickr group!

feel free to join and share with us how you roost.  whether it’s your decorating, creating, gardening, homesteading, studio, or anything else- you can add your photos that show us how you roost.  and, you can bet i’ll be browsing for inspiration and new roosters!

who will be the first? ;)

wrap up: {etsy} {flickr} {flickr group} {photos} {shop help} {social networking}

have you joined an etsy team yet? joining an etsy team provides so many benefits and is a great way to become more active in the community.  it allows you to meet other etsyites, collaborate, and increase your opportunities to network and promote your shop.

large heart frame 3-d picture

by joining a team, you’ll be able to share your skills and expand your social circle.  you’ll be able to work together with other etsy sellers- and, the possibilities are endless when so many creative minds come together!

red heart cuff links

ok, so you might be interested, but how do you know which one to join? here’s a list of all of the active teams, and yes, there’s a bunch! so grab a cup of tea and enjoy browsing.  once you find a few you’re interestd in, you can check their team’s pages (usually off-etsy). some teams have open membership, and others have selection criteria or a juried process for admitting members.

hand cut red and white felt heart

many teams are very specific, so once you read through them you’ll most likely only have a few that spark your interest.  you can then click on the team and get info about requirements, how to join and what’s expected.  that will narrow your options down some more and when you’ve got a few that you’re really interested, you can contact the leader and see about joining.  there’s nothing wrong with shopping around for the right team!  you’ll need to find one that fits you, your goals, and your schedule.

red hearted felt box

there are over 150 etsy teams and etsians are forming new ones all the time.   if you can’t find a team that suits your needs, you can always start an etsy team yourself!  we won’t dive into that today, but here’s a great article if you’re interested in starting one.

red heart carnival tickets

some teams require more involement than others, so it’s important to look into what’s expected.  the key to benefiting from a team is being an active member, so when you decided to join, make sure you have the time to commit.  being active in a team will certainly pay off and can be a very fulfilling!

shining sparkly heart

etsy has so many great articles on teams, but here’s a quick list of helpful information for team newbies:

how to join an etsy team

all about esty faq series: getting to know the etsy teams

etsy team guides

etsy teams

etsy teams frequently asked questions

etsy team’s articles

list of teams

valentine’s hearts ipod case

are you a part of a team?  we would love to hear your experience and advice!

xoxo, bonnie

wrap up: {community} {etsy} {savoir faire} {shop help} {teams}

hi lovelies!  today we’re going to talk about using bundling as a market strategy.  also, i thought i would kick off february love with this valentine’s themed post!  i meant to start feb, 1- but what do ya know, it’s already the 3rd!

ruby red cupcake liners

bundling means combining two or more of your products in one sale.  items that look great together or are otherwise compliments work great for this (think all inclusive).  it’s common to offer the bundle at a slightly lower price than if your customer had bought all of the pieces separately, but is not necessarily a must.

hand stamped kiss bookend

bundling can be used as a marketing strategy to attract a broader range of consumers.  if your buyers are looking for deals, convenience or advice on which items compliment each other, bundled pricing can help aid in your consumers decision.

tiny heart pins – reclaimed leather

as an etsian (or any other indieprenuer) bundling your goods and prices can offer lots of benefits.  you can save on shipping, showcase your items together and potentially sell more to each individual consumer that comes your way.

blue fabric bird – i carry your heart -

by offering complimentary items as a bundle, your consumer will feel like they are not only getting a great deal, but may also be more inclined to buy the bundle then if all of the items were listed seperately.  think packaged deals, gift ideas, and matching sets.

pencil hearts

bundling is also a great way to (somewhat) disguise the prices of the individual items.  separately, a consumer may feel like one item is overpriced, while the other item is reasonable or even too cheap, but since they’re bundled the final price may feel  ‘just right’.

sweetie pie greeting card

bundles are a great way to simplify consumer’s purchasing decisions, when many people may not be able to ‘see your vision’.  i’ve caught myself doing this, knowing that this apron really looks good with this tea towel, but assuming that the customer would see that, i haven’t decided to bundle.  after researching for this article though, i’m going to work on adding bundles to my shop!  it never occur ed to me that some buyers may not want to spend the time trying to mix and match items, so it’s really a service to them in making it easy to see what goes together.

love birds letterpress

i’m sure for many shops, it will be hard to try to read your buyer’s mind in picking out complimentary items.  so, i would only offer the bundle as an option, and keep the items listed separately as well.  this way, you’re not being pushy, just creating combinations that you feel will enrich your customer’s browsing and buying experience.

ship valentine

if you decide to offer some sort of discount for your bundle, it doesn’t take much to excite a potential consumer.  things like a total savings of 10% off, free shipping or $10 off will help them feel like they are making a good decision.  discounts of any kind will help them see why buying a bundle benefits them.

vintage red cardboard valentine

so, go have fun mixing, matching and photography all of your bundled goodies!

custom mini embroidered banner

if you’re already bundling (yay for you!) what’s been your experience?

xoxo, bonnie

resources :: the art of pricing: bundle up on your way to higher sales

wrap up: {bundle} {consumer} {convenience} {customers} {etsy} {pricing} {sales} {shop help}

today we’re going to talk about two subjects not necessarily related (hopefully!): filling custom orders and how to handle unhappy (or rude, wacky or otherwise offensive) customers.

you make it happen

let’s begin with the first subject: filling custom orders.  of course, you can do this right from the comfort of your own shop, but also through a service etsy calls alchemy.  alchemy is a space on etsy where buyers can post requests for custom goods, and sellers then bid on the opportunity to turn that idea into a real item.  personally, i’ve never ventured into the land of alchemy, but i’ve heard good things.  do you have any experience? {for more on alchemy specifically, read this article on building a better alchemy listing}.

follow your bliss

i love doing custom orders. nothing get’s me more excited than to get inspired by someone else, and make something just for them.  regardless on whether you’re using alchemy or making a custom listing in your shop, custom orders do come with a few questions and policies that you should consider before you begin.

let the sunshine in

first, you need to decide on how to charge your customer.  some charge 100% up front and others charge 50% down and 50% after approval of the finished product (before shipping).  if you charge 50% upfront you may want to specify that it is not refundable, in order to cover the costs of materials and your time.  here’s a great forum on what other sellers are charging as well as their how & why for doing it.

success

secondly, you need to decide on your refund policy for custom orders, specifically.  if it’s something you could resale in the future, you may be able to keep your existing refund policy.  however, if it’s something very specific, like a portrait, you need to let the customer know up front that once you begin, it is not refundable.

karma

now let’s talk about the unhappy, inconsiderate or otherwise unreasonable customer.  this could be in regards to a custom listing but applies to any off convo that gets your teeth to grinding!  some customers just aren’t the warm and fuzzy crafter like we all imagine.  as sellers, we must always put forth our best work.  even though difficult customers aren’t the norm, it’s nice to know that there are tons of help available to you from etsy & other great sellers!

kindness and love

this article outlines how to turn a negative experience into a positive one, and also gives you some suggested responses to common issues.

*first things first, always contact your customer to acknowledge their order, thank them for it and let them know when it will ship.  making the buying experience personal from the beginning will always help put your customer at rest.

*if you do end up getting an upset customer, try to remain calm and ever so professional.  even if they are being uncooperative and unfair, it’s in your best interest to make the outcome a positive one.  so, seek help and take a deep breath (maybe even some yoga?) before you begin typing.  be understanding, kind, and offer as many solutions to the situation as possible.

*try your best to avoid getting defensive. it can be really easy to try to defend your work (or should i say 2nd child?), but placing blame or showing impatience won’t help the unpleasant situation get resolved.  try to avoid any negative, demeaning, or accusatory language like, ‘it’s not my fault’, ‘you must have’ or ‘did you not read my policies’.

random acts of kindness

*make right any mistakes you make.  wether it’s slower than promised shipping or not your tidiest work, leave the customer feeling like you care.  offer upgrades on shipping or shipping refunds, future discounts or in the most extreme cases, refunds for the product. having a clear and thought-out refund policy clearly stated in your policies section can make these difficult situations much easier.

*finally, if you get a real stickler and despite your sweet tones, apologies and suggested solutions, it might be time to thank them and move on.  better to get on with your work then spend much valuable time on someone who is just not willing to cooperate.

going, going

finally, the lovely lucinda has created one of the most useful forums i’ve ever read! there are (currently) 94 pages of incredibly thought out & positive responses to potential buyers unhappy comments and conovs. she must have an incredible background in human resources because her answers to these issues are ever so polite, thoughtful and productive towards a solution.

you can be who ever you want to be

as a few examples, she answers questions such as,

“how will i know your xxx won’t fall apart?”, “did you know xxx sells this for a lot less than you?”, and “can you tell me where you get your resources online?”.

whew! these are sticky questions!  if you can’t find your answer within the forum already, she welcomes you to add your questions- and her response are definitely worthy of your read!

tell people

so that concludes this (kinda lengthy?) shop help post.  we would all love to hear you stories, experiences, thoughts & suggestions.  will you meet us in the comment section?

xoxo, bonnie

wrap up: {alchemy} {custom} {customers} {etsy} {help} {listing} {response} {shop help} {unhappy}

let’s talk finances! tax season is just around the corner, so i thought it time to start easing into to the money mindset.  we’ll start simple though, don’t worry!

singing in the rain umbrella

this article about business growth by amandadailyworth outlines the reasons why you should carefully separate you personal finances from you business finances.  as i did, i’m sure many of you started your etsy shop as a hobby, as a way to ‘get your toes’ wet and see how things went.  however, soon the sales start rolling in and you are now in need of a website, business cards, more supplies, and maybe you’re even some advertising around the web.

doll parts print

a simple, free and very important step to take is to open your own business bank account.  this way, you won’t be dealing with a tangled account of not really knowing what money is going where, let alone where it came from.  when it comes to tax season, it can take days to filter through one account, trying to separate it into your personal and business expenses.

happy bunny

sharing one account for your personal and business expenses will not only make taxes difficult, but will also make proving your income difficult.  when you’re revenue goes into the family account and your using a personal credit card for your business expenses, you can see how quickly confusing it can get.  and, if you’re planning on buying a new home or getting a loan from your bank- it is essential to be able to prove your income.

kitchen aid mixer felt coasters

you should know that it’s time to open a separate account when you start to loose track of how much money is going in or out.  when your budgeting gets overwhelming and you start to loose track of your receivables.  you need to run reports to see your expenses vs. your income but you can’t because the data is all mixed together.  before you get to this very frustrating and time consuming point- consider opening your own account.

two hundred two – hand sewn silk mobile

ready to get started? first visit your bank and open a free business checking account.  get a separate credit or debit card to use for only business-related expenses.  and, i think it’s a good idea to keep your paypal account separate as well.  if you don’t know how to do the bookkeeping yourself, consider hiring an accountant to manage it.  having monthly profit-&-loss statements at your fingertips is invaluable.  the first step in having a successful shop is understanding your finances and which areas are performing well.

1950 barra randonneur bike print

speaking of finances, daily worth is a free daily personal finance email for women.  they deliver practical tips, empowering ideas  and the occasional kick in the pants!  you can sign up here, and also peruse their website for a number of great articles regarding finance.

have you ever noticed that you can download your sales data, right from etsy?  go to ‘your etsy’ then ‘sold (orders)’ then scroll down to the bottom to find where you can easily download all of your sales data to help ease the task of managing your finances.

lambswool elephant – eco friendly

finally, have you heard of mint.com? it’s a free website to help you manage your money.  you can divide all of your expenses into categories, budget your money, find savings, and start to understand your finances better.

what is your advice? do you have any tricks or suggestions on how to better manage your finances? please share with us in the comment section!

wrap up: {etsy shop help} {finances} {manage} {money} {shop help} {taxes}

hello sweet ones!  we haven’t touched on the subject of item tags very much but we’re going to skim the surface today!  we’ll go further into the subject in the future, but i recently found this very helpful website called craftweasel, have you heard of it?

vintage chartreuse gingerbread coat

i find that tagging my items can sometimes be the hardest thing of all. i’m really good until around tag #9 then my fingers get stuck!  we’ve read  how important it is to use all 14 tags, but is it really helpful when all i can come up with is ‘yellow, yellowish & yellowy’ to finish the last 3 of the tagging task?

rise and shine jojoba sugar cube scrub

well, good news! craftweasel‘s tag finder tool is here to help!  by giving the tag finder a couple of tags to start with, it can give you a list of suggested tags that related to your original ones.  it also lets you see the average number of views per day of each suggested tag- so you can always choose the tags that produce the highest number of views! here’s just a sampling of the results you can find.  for my tags- i typed in ‘felt pillow eco applique’- and here’s what i got:

Distribution of Price

Mean price: $52.22

Median price: $47.00

this graph shows that according to my tags, this is the number of products that fall into a specific price category.  for example, there are 11 items that fit my tags in the $2-$22 range.

Graph of related tags with most views/day

i love this graph! it shows how many views specific tags get at specific price points.  for example, the tag ‘recycled’ gets around 180 views with at an average price of about $60.

now for the real goods- if you’re stuck on tags- check out this table.  it shows which related tags get the most views and even includes their average price.  thank you craftweasel!

have i taken you back to high school algebra yet?

lemon treasure bowl

of course, craftweasel doesn’t just stop there- they offer quite a few more resources.  they have a shop stats tool that generates a graph showing the price & views per day of your items. it also show you the price and views per day of the tags that you often use- all by typing in your shop name and clicking ‘get stats’!

solstice flat

next on the list is the personal shopper tool.  craftweasel will look at your favorite items and shops to get an idea of what you like- then search through all the items that have been listed in the last day to find ones it thinks you’ll be interested in most.

Maybert COLA beverage antique 1937 label

next, is the similar item search tool. this is where you can enter up to five item ids. craftweasel then scans the tags and materials from those items and searches etsy to find similar ones. i’m thinking there are numerous ways to use this one.  not only could you use this to find items to purchase, but also to do some market research on your own items. finding similar items will help you see what you’re up against, what their price points are and what your consumers may be finding when they search for a specific set of tags.

after the rain

does this give you a few things to keep you busy?  i feel like i always struggle with tags- especially with trying to figure out what tags will really help the consumer find what they’re looking for.  craftweasel has already given me lots of ideas and will hopefully make the task of tagging easier in the future!

heart me fine art

what are your suggestions for great tags?

xoxo! bonnie

wrap up: {etsy} {handmade} {items} {shop help} {tagging} {tags}