We have all flipped through page after page on Etsy and admired all of the beautiful crafts made from seemingly successful entrepreneurs. Indeed, Etsy feels like the Promised Land, beckoning to everyone and making them feel as though they, too, could achieve that same success. With this inspiration and a heart filled with hope, hundreds of thousands have listed their products for sale with the goal of seeing their beautiful, handmade products sold all over the world.
Unfortunately, few people see any movement at their digital storefronts after listing their items for sale; therefore, they frantically create social media accounts and discuss their situation with other sellers, but still no sales roll in. Etsy has over 1.4 million sellers. If each seller has an average of ten products for sale at one time, that is 14 million items, and of course, Etsy does not display all of them equally. Even though those millions of products are scattered over many different categories, each shop still has a lot of competition, and as the new kid on the block, shops must do more than just post items for sale and wait for the orders to roll in.
Without any initial sales, many owners close their virtual shop doors and retreat with a crushed heart, but it does not have to be this way. Anyone who is successful online has learned how to market themselves and their products. All you need is the same formula that they use, and you too can see your dreams come true!
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Foreword
By Renae Christine
Dani and I quickly became friends while championing the same cause. As it turns out, we both have a soft spot for anyone trying to build an income off his or her handmade talents. We met while collaborating on an article about Etsy for the press, and I quickly realized that she was different from most entrepreneurs that I had met. Dani is very knowledgeable, hard working, and just as ecstatic over the successes of her clients as she is over her own successes. I expect that she will never slow down, so it would be wise to latch onto her coat tails and ride the wave of prosperity. This book is the perfect opportunity for that.
After reading Danis book, I realized that the reader would benefit from it in several unique ways. First, Dani is not just great at Etsy; she is an amazing writerfar better than I ever was. Her unique way of communication allows you to understand the reasoning behind all of the advice she gives. She does not tell you to blindly follow instructions. Instead, she gives the ability to see how each set of action steps would benefit your business. Therefore, your reading experience will be incredibly enjoyable, and you will find it easy to apply all the different techniques that she teaches.
Second, as you go through this book, you will learn everything you need to know in a straightforward way. This is because she cuts out all the fluff; what remains, are substance-filled action steps. You will get all of the information in a Dani-wont-waist-your-time kind of way.
Third, Dani really knows what she is talking about. I have read almost every book related to building a business around handmade goods. It is rare to find material that is succinct and well-written with sufficient systematic instruction as well as proper training based on expertise rather than a lot of awful hope-guessing.
Fourth, Dani uses countless photos. This book will not just tell you to do something. Instead, it will show you exactly how to do everything with photos demonstrating each point.
Lastly, numerous up-to-date apps and tools are revealed in this book, which is quite unusual. Most authors shy away from including software or tools, because no one knows when those tools will be obsolete. Dani, however, is more concerned about you having the best shot at success right now, and part of that is understanding how to take advantage of the latest technology. This is more of a training guide than a book, and as such, you should consider yourself lucky to have it available.
So, without further ado, take it away, Dani!
Renae Christine
Author of the 'Home Business Startup Bible'
Owner and Creator of the Pinterest Academy
Owner and Creator of Rich Mom University
FreeHandmadeTrainings.com
Las Vegas, Nevada
P.S. I must send a shout out to my Besties! I love you!
This book is dedicated to the many creative minds out there who work hard to make and sell their crafts. To some, profits are secondary to the excitement which comes when a stranger loves their creation enough to purchase it. I tip my hat to you and hope to help you turn your passion into profit.
Who Am I?
I might look like Im a little too young to know what Im talking about, but I ventured out into the great world of entrepreneurship when I was 19. As any self-employed person can probably guess, the last 11 years of working for myself have been a crazy rollercoaster, but all of the difficulties taught me a lot and I hope to help you skip most of the frustration by imparting some valuable information to you.
I began my journey as a Realtor (yes, I had to wear fake glasses in order to convince clients that I was old enoughha!). Since I often had down time during the day, I decided to find another source of income to supplement those times when there were no sales. Unbelievably, the internet was still new at the time, and the idea of somehow making money online intrigued me. I began purchasing books and absorbed all of the information I could. I created many businesses, partnered up with companies to sell their products, and did many freelance jobs. Some businesses I created were successful and some were not. Though it was discouraging at times, I walked away from each experience with a little more knowledge.
Everything I did involved selling products because the process was exciting to me, but my real passion has always been creating something out of nothing. You work hard to build an item that people would want, and you slave over idea after idea until you have developed something that makes you proud. When those first sales start coming in, nothing is more glorious or rewarding, as many of you already know.
Much has changed since the days of first learning about the marketing industry and I have stayed updated with the ever-changing trends. Overall, I have invented products, developed brands, ranked hundreds of pages on Google, partnered with companies to get their products developed, sold thousands of items, done many marketing consultations, and yes, I have sold on Etsy.