Setting Up a Shop on Etsy
Occasionally, I’m asked how to get started with a shop on Etsy. Fortunately, Etsy makes the process fairly easy and I think an enterprising individual will able to set up a shop and start adding listings all in the same day. So why not set up shop? Now let me just say that I’m in no way the model Etsy shop owner. I juggle a full-time job and school along with my passion for metalsmithing and sculpture. I give the attention I can to my Etsy shop when opportunities present themselves. There will always room for improvement. Don’t think you have to set things up perfectly the first time. Etsy is a space where I have to remind myself that the perfect is the enemy of the good. I’d never get anything listed if I worked until listings were perfect.
Signing Up
Etsy has an entire landing page addressing all of the fundamental questions you will have about setting up a store.
Pricing: The first question one might ask is cost. At the moment, Etsy charges a $.20 listing fee for each listing. They also charge a 15% transaction fee, as well as a 3% + $.25 processing fee. There are two store plans Etsy offers, Standard (no additional monthly cost) and Plus ($10 per month).
I’m sharing the slides I use when I talk to potential Etsy shop owners. I’ll continue to expand these resources as time allows. I cover the following topics and include links to helpful information in the slides and in the speaker notes.
Setting Up Your Store
- Creating your shop profile
- Policies
- Shipping
Creating Listings
- Collecting images and video
- Listing details
- Using categories
Photographing Work
- Taking good photos
- Tracking your work
- Staying organized
View these slides in a new window.
There are so many resources available online already for Etsy shop owners. If you’re curious about opening your own store, I encourage you to start with Etsy’s resources. They’ve put a lot of time into making information available to their sellers.