ThePaintedTiger

Etsy Shop Name And Address: ThePaintedTiger http://ThePaintedTiger.etsy.com
What you sell: Hand dyed yarn, silk, and custom knit scarves.
Tell us about your featured item: “Cheerful” is typical of my fun and bright colors of hand dyed yarn. Two shades each of blue and yellow are alternated to create this classic combination. “Cheerful” has been featured in several treasuries, and one even made it to the front page of Etsy.
Link to your featured product: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=10267272
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 have not taken any formal classes. When I started ThePaintedTiger (several years before Etsy!), I did quite a bit of research on the internet about what I needed to do as far as legal issues. I also read quite a bit, and recommend any of the Nova Small Business Made Simple series of books. For internet sales, I also recommend the book “Advertise, Promote, and Market Your Business or Web Site for Little or No Money” by Bruce Brown. Be sure to check your local public library, they have many small business, marketing, and accounting books you can use for free.
Although I would love to take a business class, I find that most small business classes are directed at service or brick & mortar stores. This is a gap that I’d love to see filled, as so many more people are selling on the internet and there are special issues involved with that.
Do you hire an accountant to help with your Etsy shop finances? Why or why not?
No, I do not. I’m a do-it-yourself kind of girl, and I find that Quickbooks works well for me. Before that, I kept my accounts on paper. The trick for any system is keeping current!

CalumeyDesigns

Etsy Shop Name:
CalumeyDesigns (CalumeyDesigns.etsy.com)
What you sell:
Handmade Lampwork Glass Beads, Polymer Clay Beads and Pendants. Resin pieces are also coming soon.
Tell us about your featured item:
Springtime is a set of one of my new favorite frit blends. A mix of German and American glass work together to add a soft splash of color to any design.

Do you consider yourself and entrepreneur? Why or why not?
Yes and no. Yes because I create goals for myself – money, exposure, marketing, production. No, simply because I have not committed myself full time to my etsy shop. It’s a secondary income for me at this time.
Do you feel more comfortable with the business or crafting side of your business? Why?
I feel more comfortable with the business side. I’ve always been involved in some endeavor that required me to market. I also have a thirst for new information – what are the latest trends in my field, with my customer base, new ways to maximize my time and productivity.

Jewel Street Designs

Etsy Shop Name And Address: Jewel Street Designs http://jewelstreet.etsy.com
What you sell: Modern sterling silver and copper jewelry. Most with an Art Deco theme.
Tell us about your featured item:
My Pink Bubbles bangle is a combination of sterling silver and copper so it's a perfect feature for my shop. It's created solely from copper and sterling tubing and inspired by bubbles. The modern bangle is great to wear with a pair of jeans or dress up for a night out. Like almost all my pieces, it's designed to be worn everyday.
Link to your featured product: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9984524
Do you believe there is any relationship between the number of sales a shop makes and the number of hearts they have?
You know, I have thought long and hard about this. I don't believe there is any relationship between number of hearts and number of sales. I love getting hearts and still get as excited over each one as I did the first one, but there are so many reasons why someone would heart my shop or someone else's. I've seen shops that have just as many hearts as sales and others with tons of hearts and not as many sales. Moral of the story is hearts are fabulous and wonderful but don't always turn into sales.
How do you decide on the price of your products?
I use a little equation to make sure I arrive at a fair price for my jewelry. It's probably very similar to the one most other shop owners use. Every time I make a supply order I have to change how much wire or metal costs per inch then I know when I start the pricing process how much each piece I used is going to add up. I always make sure I add in my overhead costs and an hourly wage not that I ever pay myself. It all goes back in to JSD for now.

emmarosejewelry

Etsy Shop Name:
emmarosejewelry.etsy.com
What you sell:
I sell a happy acknowledgement of one’s personal sense of style—i.e., handcrafted jewelry. My jewelry is subtle but assertive, sometimes even reaching the downright seductive.
Tell us about your featured item:
This bracelet, Saturn, was a complete departure from every piece I’d made in the past. I was trained in the classic silversmith style where all you’d use would be natural gems and metal you’d hand-fabricated or cast. I found myself without studio space and began working with gemstone beads, but this was the first piece where I used borosilicate glass beads (by glassgypsy), mixing them with rhodolite garnets and Bali silver, wrapping connections and the toggle clasp.
The thing I really love about this bracelet is how it’s a world unto itself. The vivid glass colors whirl and blend like planets seen from space, one bead even contains a mysterious mist approximating water. The raspberry-colored garnets add an organic feel and swirly, hypnotic Bali beads spin like tops, completing the planet rotation theme. And, of course, if planets revolve around you, you must be something pretty special!

What do you enjoy most about running your own Etsy shop?
I like connecting with my buyers. Some of them want custom touches or we’ll go back and forth on a design, swapping out stones or changing another portion so the piece is very individual and meaningful to them. I enjoy hearing from them when they’ve received their jewelry, how frequently they’ve worn it, the compliments they’ve received, their delight at the packaging. They notice everything, and it makes my day.
What do you dislike most about running your own Etsy shop?
The same thing I dislike about selling in general—paperwork. Tracking costs, sales, dealing with the bank accounts, tax deadlines, it’s like another job in itself. I wonder if I’m doing everything right, what I’ve forgotten and if I’m second-guessing myself.

LeeluQ

Etsy Shop Name And Address: LeeluQ http://leeluQ.etsy.com OR www.leeluQ.com
What you sell: Quirky jewelry for quirky individuals, because EVERYONE needs to stand out sometimes!
Tell us about your featured item: I am always inspired by my surroundings, and the Sunset Flower Necklace is full of the warm colors I saw in the sky. The light orange-peach enameled brass flower is surrounded by varying sized oval carnelian gemstones and burgundy czech glass beads. LeeluQ Flower Necklaces are all re-purposed vintage flowers designed to sit off to the side of your neck, adding the perfect amount of sass to your look. Each necklace is one-of-a-kind, so the buyer knows that no one else will have a necklace that looks the same.
Link to your featured product: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9425876
Do you consider yourself and entrepreneur? Why or why not?
Oh definitely! Any time art or personal preferences are put out there on the market for sale, an artist is at the mercy of current fashion/styles/popular thought. I know that each individual is different and I want everyone to find something they would like to wear from LeeluQ, but If I didn't take risks with my designs, I wouldn't feel like I was being true to myself. Expanding my ideas to incorporate other colors/sizes/shapes has definitely helped (because if I created only what I would wear, all of my necklaces would be different shades of teal...and THAT just wouldn't do at all!). Ultimately, being able to adjust along with the ebb and flow of fashion while keeping true to my designs/ideas gives me pride in my work, and continually makes me my own best salesperson!
Do you feel more comfortable with the business or crafting side of your business? Why?
I think I am always going to be comfortable with having new ideas and letting my imagination take over...it's the process of making those visions into reality that often cause me difficulties. I usually just have to set things aside and work on something else; give my thoughts and hands a bit of a rest before it just, well... hits me! Recently I've grown more comfortable with the business side of LeeluQ, balancing supplies and sales (of course it helps to have friends whose brains see numbers while mine sees fluttering birds, flowers, and colorful palpitating hearts!).

chasingbeads

Chasing Beads www.chasingbeads.etsy.comWhat you sell: Handmade Semi-Precious Gemstone JewelryTell us about your featured item: My featured item(s) change frequently. I have no particular allegiance to them… they are replaceable. I do have a favourite which will be linked below. I don’t quite know why she’s my favourite… she just is.Link to your featured product: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9927729What do you enjoy most about running your own Etsy shop?It’s addicting; it is just an offshoot of my real addiction… making jewelry which is an offshoot of my ultimate addiction…buying gemstones!Do you set goals for your Etsy shop? If so, what type of goals?I’ve only been with Etsy for a bit over a month now. I have 134 (at this writing) pieces currently and by the end of the year, I would like to have a combination of no less than 1000 items between the sold and for sale items. Do you enjoy, loathe, or simply accept the necessity of record keeping for your business? Why? I LOATHE record keeping. Too much “paperwork”, takes away time from my addiction to creating my jewelry.Do you get stressed just thinking about filing taxes?My taxes are filed with an accountant.

Very Vintage

Etsy Shop Name:
Very Vintage
What you sell:
I sell handmade jewelry and accessories. I love anything vintage and retro and try to incorporate a little bit of myself and my style into everything that I make.
Tell us about your featured item:
My featured item is one of my personal favorites, very fun and whimsical but still elegant and sophisticated!
I created these adorable mushroom dangle earrings from vintage glass lampwork mushrooms and surgical steel nickel free earwires.
Perfect for parties or just an average day!

Do you enjoy, loathe, or simply accept the necessity of record keeping for your business? Why?
I simply accept the necessity of keeping records. I know from my other job that businesses need to keep records. I try to model my business and what I have learned from that job to apply to my own business. I’ve been very lucky to learn about business and be exposed to a craft type business. I believe that has really helped my own business. Learning to keep records and profit margins on items is simply something that I know is needed for a business to run.
Do you get stressed just thinking about filing taxes?
Haha! Actually no! My mother is an accountant. I’ve taken accounting and have filed taxes since I was 16. ((I am 20 now)) and although this year they will be more complicated, I have my mother to help me with things I am unsure of. Also, since I have purchased some new software from you, I can more accurately keep track of my finances, both for taxes and just for myself, instead of estimating.