“You have to start at the bottom”. Remember hearing that? When I was younger, my Dad repeated this to me constantly. I used to roll my eyes “I know, I knooooow”. But it’s true, you always have to start at the bottom, no matter what you’re doing.

Etsy is no different…no matter what I thought at the start (:

When I started selling, or even just thinking of selling, on Etsy, I imagined instant success. My goal was to earn at least (and I thought this was a good goal) $1,000.00 in the first half year in order for me to attend a writers conference. Yeah. Didn’t happen.

It’s not all about uploading your items and waiting for the sellers to come, it’s promotion, business cards, contests, posting in the forums, commenting on blogs and making them aware of your store. It’s all about getting out there!

So what does starting on the bottom mean for Etsy sellers?

• Opening up your store and getting input
• Applying that input to your items and store design
• Realizing that change is good and it’s needed!
• Making people aware of you and your store whether that be in the forums, through a blog, handing out business cards on the street, bragging about your experiences to a store clerk (this works!)

Those are just a few ways us Etsy sellers start from the bottom. Maybe I should stop saying that, maybe “starting from the bottom” comes across as a negative thing…and it’s really not! Imagine if we built a house without laying a foundation? It would crumble.

This entry is the start to a series I’m going to write on selling on Etsy! I’ll be posting one a day so make sure you check back!

Q: What are some ways you have laid your foundation for selling on Etsy?