1.22.2013

How To Start An Etsy Store {Vol I}...


Here are a few things
that I have learned 
since starting an Etsy shop...

01.
Take good pictures!  This is the difference between being noticed and falling into the abyss that can be Etsy.  You pictures should be in natural, bright sunny light.  

02.
Use a neutral background for your pictures.  You don't want the background to compete with the item you are trying to sell.  This is not the time to use your phone and take a picture any random place in your home.  

Pick a sunny place in your home with a plain background.  I use a plain white sheet.  When all your  items have a similar background it gives your shop a cohesive feel. Thus making you seem ultra profesh. You want your shop to feel like a collection, not a yard sale where they have to dig around to really find a good deal.

03.
Renew, renew, renew!  A couple days ago  I was all  "hows come one day I was getting hundreds of views and now I'm getting none???"  The best way to get noticed on Etsy is to be on the recently posted page.  Although there is a small cost to renew {$0.20} the sales I get from it are well worth it.

I give myself a daily budget of $2.00 to invest in renewing listings.  This keeps fresh views coming in.  Think of peak times such as 7-10 pm, a SUPER popular time for perusing Etsy.   Don't forget  about your overseas customer base you will want to renew at other times too so that you are including all your potential customers.


1.16.2013

Submit, Move, & Prosper...

Bookends on sale now at The Chic Shoppe

Happy New Year!!!

We had a merry holiday
and then I got the cleansies 
and then Charlie got sick,
sick,
sick.

So

I'm back
and ready 
for this 
brand new year.

I love 
the new year.
I love the reflection 
of the past year.
I love the goal setting
and the way you feel inspired
to change things up.

Last year
I was preggo
and my only resolution
was to try and put the toilet paper
on the actual toilet paper holder.
Yes.
I am one of those people.
I grew up in a house with six people
toilet paper didn't last long enough
to make it worth your time.
Needless to say,
it drives Ryan cray-cray... 
: )


"How did your parents let you get away with it?!"
He always exclaims.

"Cause there were four of us
and two of them.
duh."
I say.

With four kids I imagine 
that putting the toilet paper on the holder
were the least of my parents concern.
My mom had other things to worry about.

Things like
whether or not 
my three year old sister
was hosing down
the golden retriever
with the kitchen sink sprayer.
Or 
if my brother and his friends 
were having a cherry tomato fight.

But anywho,
where was I?
Oh yes,
GOALS!

I love 'em
and I just wanted to share 
my plan for 
2013...

I am going with a 
Star Wars
or Star Trek 
theme.
I am not sure
which one Spock 
comes from.
I think it is Trek
???
I have to google it.
Instead of:

Live long and prosper.

My mantra for 2013 is:

Submit, move, and prosper.

Three words.
Big job.
Lemme explain...


***
Submit
***

There are a couple different areas
that I want to work on this.
Such a scary word
with such a bad rap.
I hope to change both your mind
and mine on that one.

I have felt for a long time
that I needed to submit this blog to God.
But part of me just doesn't want to.
It is mine.
I want to have final say
in what I write,
take pictures of,
and immerse my creativity in.
Those are my things
and as a christian woman
that mind set is wrong.

I don't know how 
this will affect the blog
and I think that scares me.
I do not want to change 
the content that I provide
but usually 
those fears we have of change
is just the enemy trying to put doubt 
into my mind.
I have to remind myself of that.
God wants only good things
for me,
for this silly little blog,
for everyone.
And then I was reminded of this verse:

Jeramiah 29: 11

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Does that sound
like a Father
that wants to change my content?
No.
It sounds like one that
wants to help me to the best of my ability.
It is time to let go of the control,
hand it over,
and see the wonderful places
that He can take 906...


***
Move
***

We need to move this year.
We have been saying it 
for far. too. long.
It is just time.
And that is all 
I am going to say 
bout that...


***
Prosper
***

This is the one that I really thought about.
I hate having the goal
of more $$$
Seems to greedy to me.
We are very lucky
and extremely blessed
and honestly 
it felt wrong to me.
But we do 
want to move
and we do want more kids.
Both of which require more $$$

I want my business
and my blog to do well.
To earn money
to help my family
but I also do not want
to compromise the integrity
of either
for the sake of a sale.
I want to build 
a great business
and also along the way 
make a little money.
I want to prosper.

Seemed like the perfect word.
Prosper.
Doesn't sound greedy
or $$$ driven.
It says,
I want just enough.

I don't know 
what that amount enough is
but I feel confident
that with hard work
and prayer
it will be provided.


So that is 2013
for me in a nutshell.
Well,
that and to put 
he toilet paper
on the toilet paper holder
...

Yup,
still working on that one...

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