Etsy - A Great Place to Sell (and Buy) Your Crafts

One of the hardest things about starting a running a successful crafts business is selling your product. Most likely you wanted to get into a crafts business because you are good at making your crafts, and you are very creative. But, the business end of a crafts business can leave you dazed and confused.

And, when you start talking about selling your crafts online, the confusion reaches a whole new level. There's learning how to put up a web site, finding out how to set up a shopping cart to take payments, and then driving traffic to your web site. And then, you have to create text that makes people want to buy.

One option for setting up a web site is eBay. But with eBay, you are competing with everything from cameras to heavy equipment to real estate. eBay is HUGE and getting bigger (and more corporate) every day.

Now, there's a new site that caters specifically to the needs of the crafting industry. Called Etsy.com, this new site allows crafters of all sizes to quickly, and inexpensively, set up an online store to sell your crafts.

I'll be analyzing sites like Etsy.com and eBay for my new crafting business book due out in a few weeks. With all of the options out there, my goal is to cut through the confusion and let you know the pros and cons of each type of online selling solution.

Watch this space for more news.

Happy Crafting!
Chuck

Thanks to Everyone Who Asked About the New Puppy

I wanted to thank everyone who asked about our new puppy, Ginger. Ginger is a Golden Doodle - a cross between a Golden Retriever and a Standard Poodle. She will grow to about 40 - 50 pounds, and she has hair (so she doesn't shed). And, as you can see, she's just about the cutest thing in the world!

So thanks for asking about Ginger. She's doing great, but I'm a bit tired. Having a new puppy in the house is almost as tiring as having a new baby. I forgot all about the middle of the night potty breaks, and the early morning feedings. But, the kids have already fallen in love.

Here's a picture of Ginger:



I've got some great crafting business news coming up soon. I've been working on a complete Crafting Business Guide, so stay tuned for details. It shouldn't be more than a few weeks!

Happy Crafting!
Chuck