Delavalle

Etsy Shop Name and Address:
‘Glowing Doll’
DELAVALLE.etsy.com
What you sell:
Tote bags, T-shirts and jewellery
Tell us about your featured item:
Captain Kat Tote Bag
Some of my best illustrations are on things they shouldn’t be. In the margins of notebooks, on napkins, old receipts etc. Luckily I managed to scan these adorable cat characters onto my computer and turn them into Tote bags.
Link to your featured product:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9700852
What do you enjoy most about running your own Etsy shop?
Etsy provides me with a much needed creative outlet and experience at running my own small business.
Do you sell on any venues outside of Etsy?
I sell my photography on Redbubble. You can purchase it framed, mounted, laminated, printed onto canvas or as a greeting card. I also sell t-shirts on Redbubble with designs that are exclusive to my Redbubble shop.
http://www.redbubble.com/people/delavalle

mvegan5

Etsy Shop Name: Cards and Jewelry by Michele
What you sell: Animal and nature inspired art, cards, jewelry, and accessories. 10% goes to animal charities.
Tell us about your featured item: Custom animal painting and cards of your favorite animal friend(s).http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=5270255
Have you taken any business classes to help you prepare for being an Etsy shop owner? What class would you like to take? I have not, but I think that a marketing class would be very helpful.
Is this your first entrepreneurial adventure, or are you a seasoned veteran? Other than selling in a few shops and art/craft fairs, Etsy is my first and main business adventure.

whimsicalpam

Etsy Shop Name And Address: Whimsical Jewelry & Accessories http://whimsicalpam.etsy.comWhat you sell: Handcrafted Beaded JewelryTell us about your featured item: My Shells and Pearls Necklace is a great summer piece. I love making this style of necklace. A simple chain with a cluster of shells and pearls or colorful glass beads and crystals. I think that they look great with the most formal to the most casual.Link to your featured product: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=10793385Do you believe there is any relationship between the number of sales a shop makes and the number of hearts they have? Not directly. People heart shops for various reasons, some heart randomly, some heart to gain sales in their own shop (i.e. suppliers), some heart because they like your personality or agree with something you said (forums) and finally some heart because they're potential buyers. As a new buyer, they may feel safer purchasing from someone with a lot of hearts, so in that sense, there is a correlation between sales and hearts. Also, someone may find your shop by looking at another shop's favorites. How do you decide on the price of your products? I managed restaurants all of my life and we had one rule of thumb. Build your base first and don't expect to draw a profit for the first 2 years. I apply these principles to my Etsy shop. I buy quality supplies at the best possible prices and I use them creatively. I mix the more expensive stones with glass beads or crystals. Quality and customer loyalty is very important to me, so I cover my costs and add a "little" extra. If I charge $16.00 for a necklace, I'm still making a profit and I'm selling something affordable to everyone. I do not pay myself an hourly wage. That will come once my business is established.

GiftsAndTalents

Etsy Shop Name And Address: Gifts And Talents http://GiftsAndTalents.etsy.com
What you sell: I sell a variety of different kinds of Art, From Handcrafted Jewelry to Mixed Media.
Tell us about your featured item: My featured item is a Mixed Media Reversible Door Sign. I designed this sign with little girls in mind and I was inspired by my own little girl, Amelia who Loves Horses.
Link to your featured product: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=10313538
Have you taken any business classes to help you prepare for being an Etsy shop owner? What class would you like to take? No, I haven’t. I have owned a Business Services Company since 1996. You might say I learned by Experience how to Manage and Operate a Business. As far as taking any classes, I haven’t the time. I operate my Business Services Company, My Etsy Shop, My Husbands Etsy Shop (which we just opened), and I have a six year old who has a lot of Homework. I hit the ground running at 5:45 a.m. and I don’t stop until 10:30 p.m.
Do you hire an accountant to help with your Etsy shop finances? Why or why not? I have a CPA that I take my taxes to once a year. I bring him the information and he takes care of the rest. I do my own bookkeeping through out the year. Because all of the businesses are small, I can not justify the expense of a full time accountant.

brandistrickland

Etsy Shop Name And Address:
Brandi Strickland http:brandistrickland.etsy.com
What you sell:
100% Original Artwork My work is mixed media, and mostly two-dimensional
Tell us about your featured item:
“The Horse and the Tree” is an original mixed-media created on vintage book paper. I used acrylic paint and collage over a page from a book about Greek mythology. This page discusses the relationship between Zeus and his son Hephaestus. I love stories, fables, and mythology. They are always greater than themselves, discussing really big ideas but in a really humble way. Very inspiring.
Link to your featured product:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9917797
Do you consider yourself an entrepreneur? Why or why not?
Reluctantly, yes. I’ll be honest; I wish I could spend all my time making art and not have to worry about money at all. But, since I’m here on earth, I spend a lot of my time managing my business and figuring out ways to get it out into the world. I’m not content making art part-time. Eventually I hope that being an entrepreneur will allow me to be a full-time artist. Motivation goes a long way, and I have bunches of it.
Do you feel more comfortable with the business or crafting side of your business? Why?
I am much more comfortable in my studio than I am making business plans and crunching numbers. Business is a foreign land and I’m just learning the language.

j2ystreet

Etsy Shop Name And Address: J2Ystreet http://j2ystreet.etsy.com or www.j2ystreet.com
What you sell: Pouch, Purse, Jewelry, Badges and other accessories.
Tell us about your featured item: My brand new handmade cotton purse with metal frame. A metal frame closes the purse. This purse is suitable for cash, coin, credit card and etc.
Link to your featured product: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=10110180
What do you enjoy most about running your own Etsy shop?
I enjoy designing my own pouch and purse by learning new sewing method. I also like to design stuff using Adobe products and currently I’m a Senior Graphic Designer and most of the time I’m designing leaflet, catalogue, newspaper & magazine ads. I would be very appreciating if there is someone likes my design work.
Do you set goals for your Etsy shop? If so, what type of goals?
Yes, I set monthly sales as a goal. Every month my goal will increase consequently, if I happen failed to meet my monthly goal then I will need to figure out what goes wrong. I’ll always try my best to promote my items.

nkpdesigns

Etsy Shop Name And Address: NKP Designs http://www.nkpdesigns.etsy.com/ and NKP Beads http://nkpbeads.etsy.com/
What you sell: Original Pottery and Pottery Beads
Tell us about your featured item: Currently I am developing a way to put my own drawings on my pottery as well as my pottery beads. I’ve been steadily working on this process since November of 2007. It started out as a simple, “AH HA! I can draw something, scan it into my computer, and print out a b&w decal!” Of course, it was not that simple. The decal didn’t fire well or consistently and just when I think I have shelved the idea for the last time, I think of something else. I suppose I am now in phase ‘Decal Drawings 4.0’!
The new plan is to fire it as normal and go over the broken or fired out spots with a teeny tiny brush loaded with underglaze. This does add an extra step, but the first cup is set to go into the kiln later this week (Friday or Saturday as long as there is no rain.)
Link to your featured product: http://nkpdesigns.com/ (look at the whimsical flower drawings on the masthead. These hopefully will eventually be on many of my pieces).
Do you believe there is any relationship between the number of sales a shop makes and the number of hearts they have? Usually, I do not. However, when the ‘heart’ is ‘anonymous’, it is usually because they are coming back at a later time to purchase. I thrill inside when I see an ‘anonymous’ heart, because to me it points out a serious buyer.
How do you decide on the price of your products? When I first began pottery I simply looked at the cost of the clay (minimal) and the cost of firing the kiln (cheaper back then) and the cost of the glaze (commercial is more expensive than DIY) and priced accordingly. Now when I first began pottery I wasn’t so good, either. My throws were a bit heavier than they are now. The glaze on the product was what potters laughingly describe as a ‘Pottery Lottery’ … if the glaze came out great, ‘YEA, I won!’ … if not so great, ‘BUMMER, I lost!’ I now try out new glazes and glaze combination on beads to gage whether I like them enough to go on something bigger, like a bowl or a mug. It makes winning SO much easier!
I still sell an occasion mug for $5, but it will usually be one that I have come across in the back of the studio. Or it will be a mug that was easy to throw, no trouble to sand … easy dip glaze, and fired nice the first time. Basically, the more time I spend on a piece the more I am going to charge for it.
For example, to make three mugs, it takes about 5 minutes to prep the clay by wedging. Some potters wedge only a few times, and there is nothing wrong with that. However, when I was beginning in pottery I read a Japanese Potter’s interview in a magazine and he was explaining how and why he wedged porcelain 100, 200, even 400 times (each push down is a wedge). He explained, in detail, the chemical makeup of the clay and the spiral that happens during the wedging process. He also explained how he threw in the same direction as the spiral (why fight the clay?). His basic premise was that the clay behaved better the more it was wedged. Most people, he said, wedged 40 times. So he started wedging 100 times. Then he decided 200 was better than 100. Then 400 better than 200.
When I work in stoneware or earthenware clay, I wedge at least 200, more if I am working in porcelain. From the beginning I was told that my throwing was considered ‘light’. Some say this is a ‘talent’. I despise the word ‘talent’. I think I throw light because I take the time to wedge. The reason? Because when I don’t take the time, my pottery is heavier. Now sometimes I WANT it to be heavier. Other times, I want it to be light. I wedge accordingly.
After wedging comes the throwing. That is a fast process for me. Three or four pulls now nowadays. I have an online video of me pulling up a pot from about a year ago (January 2007). I have gotten faster since then. Go to my webpage and click on ‘You Tube” to view it. Throwing is the fun part for me. After throwing comes the drying and altering part. Sometimes I will spend an hour or more altering a thrown piece. The question to ask now if you are a college graduate is, “How much do you make an hour?”
After a piece dries, it is put in the kiln to bisque-fire. When it comes out, it requires sanding and glazing. It takes me about an hour to sand 3 good sized mugs. Simply dipping a mug into the glaze takes a few minutes. The more elaborate the glazing process, the more that mug is going to cost. Again, the question becomes, “How much do YOU make an hour?” I have one mug that I spent three hours glazing. Yes, three hours. That’s how I decide on my pricing, How much time have I put into this piece?
I do want to keep my pottery affordable and so I try to always keep some pieces minimally thrown and glazed in order to do just that. I think a shop should have affordable, moderate, and expensive items in it, with more of the affordable and moderate items available, think of a pyramid with the most expensive item at the very top.
One of my favorite potters makes these teeny tiny teapots – and charges $400 or more for them. She has held shows in Japan and taught for many years. I have done none of that. I am a beginning potter and I price accordingly.

Simplynotesandtotes

Etsy Shop Name And Address: Simply Notes and Totes http://simplynotesandtotes.etsy.com
What you sell: Handmade ladies handbags, totes, diaper bags and accessories for ladies of all ages
Tell us about your featured item: We have added a new zippered tote for 2008. “Short Sugars”. These totes are fun for all ages. They measure 6 x 13 and depending on the strap length you choose – can be carried on the shoulder or by hand.
Link to your featured product: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=10168485
What do you enjoy least about running your own Etsy shop? Keeping up with paper work; fees; sales tax – that is not fun.
What I do enjoy ---is the joy of helping someone create that special tote just for them or a gift for someone special. It’s always fun at the craft shows to see someone’s face light up when they find just what they were looking for. Meeting new people and making friends from all walks of live is a true blessing.
Do you sell on any venues outside of Etsy? We attend 12-14 craft shows a year. I say we because this is a true family affair. My wonderful husband and children and also my sister-in-law and her husband assist me. We all have an important role that helps keep us on the right track.

Angel Designs

Etsy Shop Name: Angel Designs
What you sell: I sell hand knitted baby clothes (jumpers, really cute booties and slippers). I have used the softest most natural and top quality wools that I can find. I also sew plastic aprons and dresses with little appliqués on them. More recently I have started to try to sell knitting patterns, all of which will be and are original designs.

Why do you think that most Etsy shop owners consider the business side of their shop the most challenging?
Is this your first entrepreneurial adventure, or are you a seasoned veteran? This is my first entrepreneurial venture. I am enjoying it although I find it challenging and am looking forward to expanding my venture, when the time is right.
Have you taken any business classes to help you prepare for being an Etsy shop owner? What class would you like to take? I have not taken any classes to prepare for this venture, but feel that a marketing course would be of great benefit because I believe that my products are great - well made from quality materials and would love to get better ideas about how to convey this to the world!

sweetandtranquil

Etsy Shop Name And Address: sweetandtranquil http://sweetandtranquil.etsy.com
What you sell: Bath and Body Products that range from Sweet soaps to tranquil bath salts
Tell us about your featured item: Yummy Strawberry Shortcake Soap, this is one of my favorite soaps as it reminds me of summer. It looks like strawberries covered in whipped cream. The soap is moisturizing and has a sweet smell.
Link to your featured product: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=10340416
How do you market your Etsy shop?
I am new to running an online business so my marketing plan is still in the works. Until now it has been mostly word of mouth through friends and family, and through my website. I joined etsy back in January and have purchased a few showcases, I have been featured on blogs and have started my own blog . I received the largest amount of hits on my website when I participated in an online giveaway of one of my products.
Why do you think that most Etsy shop owners are worried about filing taxes?
I think that most business owners not just etsy shop owners are worried about filing taxes because they do not understand the laws. Also if you do not keep proper records throughout the year when it comes to tax time it can become very stressful. Before starting any business it is best to do all the research and meet with an accountant and/or lawyer to ensure you understand what is required. It makes the whole process of being a business owner much less stressful if you understand what you need to do before you start.

Primitive Earth Soap Co.

Etsy Shop Name And Address: Primitive Earth Soap Co. – Charlottesville, Virginia.
What you sell: Handmade, natural soaps as well as other natural bath treats and skin products.
Tell us about your featured item: Right now I’m featuring my Frankincense and spice soap, which is a good example of the kind of soaps I tend to make. I often get to mixing soap with no real plan other than the base recipe – typically olive oil or tallow soap. In this recipe, I had some Frankincense tears, which are actually dried “tears” of tree sap that have a lovely perfume. As with most whole ingredients, I ground the tears in my trusty ol’ mortar and pestle, added flax and marshmallow root, which are great for winter skin, and a slew of other goodies. The end result was a hard, foamy soap that lasts a really long time and smells terrific on both men and women. And like almost all of my soaps, it’s a limited edition!
Link to your featured product: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=10139459
How do you market your Etsy shop? I’m in the fortunate position that I have many friends, coworkers and family members who are regular customers. I invested in some very nice postcards that I have available at craft shows, leave in shops around my hometown, and put into every order. Leveraging my web design skills, I am currently trying to find time to finish my website, www.primitivesoaps.com, which is a “home base” for my business and a portal to my Etsy shop. From here I plan to have a mailing list, blog, coupons, and freebies like computer desktop wallpapers, Etsy shop banners, and other graphic design goodies that should help drive some return traffic to my site. Web sites are a great way to give your business instant legitimacy, and startup costs can be very affordable. I’m also working on putting together the Blue Ridge Art District, a central Virginia Street Team (www.theartdistrict.org) to network with other artists and try to do some events.
Aside from these plans, I’m taking it slow! I work a full-time job in addition to running my Etsy shop and doing occasional craft shows, so I’m actually cautious of doing too much at once. Focused efforts done well are better than posting all over the place in a fast & sloppy manner, in my opinion!
Why do you think that most Etsy shop owners are worried about filing taxes? I think most people dread taxes in general! Certainly folks fear what they don’t understand, but a little bit of organization and a small investment of time and money can make life much easier. I actually enjoy doing taxes. My personal taxes were done and filed on February 2! It feels good to close the books at the end of the year.