How to Make Money by Setting up a Shop on Etsy

Today’s Money-Making SAHM’s are Melissa and Kristina. Both are amazing moms who have set up shop on Etsy. In case you haven’t heard of Etsy, it is an online store of handmade goods, artwork, clothing, supplies, etc. It has been growing in popularity and has become a very well-trusted and well-respected place to purchase unique and handmade goods online.

Melissa will begin with her interview and Kristina will follow. You will get two different perspectives from SAHM’s on how to make money through Etsy. I appreciate both women taking time to share their knowledge with you.

Welcome Melissa,

Q. What inspired you to begin working?

A. Too many half-finished projects and too much time alone at home! I started lots of different sewing projects in the past and had a whole box of things that were 80% done, but not totally finished. That combined with a husband who works all of the time gave me just the push I needed to open an Etsy shop.

Q. How did you go about starting your business or arranging a work at home position?

A. Etsy is such an easy platform to use. I opened my shop in one night once I had projects done and pictures taken. You really can’t beat how easy it is. Lots of people worry about the cost, so I thought I’d mention it. It costs you $.20 to create a listing for an item and then Etsy takes 3.5% of the sale. Considering that most boutiques take 20% to 30% of a sale if you were to put items in their store, I’d say it’s a pretty good deal. Plus you can do it all from home! Yay!

Q. What are some tips you would like to share with others who are interested in doing something similar?

A. Just start! Even if you have one thing in your shop, just open it! You will never make a sale if you never post something in your shop. You don’t need to have a truck load of products, a whole clothing line all hashed out, or a complete knowledge of how to do everything. Simply starting is the very best place to start. Don’t let fear, doubt, or a “lack of time” get in your way. Just get busy and you’ll be surprised at how much you learn alone the way. Experience is a great teacher and time is a wise friend.

Q. How many hours do you work a week or how much of your time does this position require? Is it flexible? Is it consistent?

A. I work very little on my shop throughout the year and then things get a little crazy come November and December. So I’d say that I work about around 10 hours a week most of the year if you were to spread the time out.

Q. When/how do you find the time to work?

A. The morning hours are magical. I get the most done on the computer between 5am and 7am. Not a morning person? Go to bed earlier and become one. The kids are still asleep, my to-do list is quiet, and my brain is fresh from a little bit of sleep (all you moms of littles know a little goes a long ways in that department). I create during naptime in the afternoon and I’ll jump back on the computer after the kids are in bed for another hour or two.

Q. Are there certain tips/advice you’d want to share with others who want to start working like you?

A. Find something you love and then find your niche! I’m heavy on wood Christmas ornaments, but I have a strong niche in chickens! My most popular items are wooden chicken ornaments! So I try to plan on catering to chicken lovers with other products in the shop because I know they’ll sell. I have huge plans for this year with custom designed wooden nativity puzzles. That product fits right in with all of my ornaments doesn’t it? I have lots of options but I still work within my niche.

Q. Was training/schooling required for the position? How/when did you complete it?

A. None! The beauty of an Etsy shop is that it is easy to take on and work with a team. I don’t possess all of the skills to match some of the dreams and product ideas that I have so I work with others who DO have those skills. My cousin cuts out my wooden ornaments. I pay my mom to sew. I work with a lovely friend on design work. I love working with these people and when we all come together we are way more successful. I run the shop, but that doesn’t mean it’s a one woman show. Plus, how lucky am I to get to work with my mom who lives in Kentucky?! (I’m in Utah).

Q. What is the income percentage you bring in? or Does the income help a little, medium, or is the main source of your family’s income?

A. If the shop closed tomorrow that would be ok. I never want to “have to work”, I’m a mom first and my husband works a lot of hours so that I can stay at home with my kids, raise a garden and lambs, and nurture the most important things in our life. So we live within our means, don’t go into debt often (just a mortgage on a newly purchased farm, but not even a car payment for us) and we budget. The shop however does provide money for gifts, clothes for our kids, Christmas, and traveling. You can live without all of those things, but I’d be a liar if I didn’t say it’s so very nice to be able to have the money to enjoy them. The shop, combined with my blog, are wonderful extras.

Q. How would someone who wants to do something similar get started?

A. The internet is a wonderful place full of knowledge! If you are unsure about something google it!

If you have a fire under you and a passion for something handmade then you already have taken the first step. Now just keep moving.

About Melissa Griffiths: I’m always sharing new recipes and parts of our happy small town life on my blog, Bless this Mess. You can also check out the shop here! And if you are a social media lover, I’m on Instagram the most (love IG!). Thanks so much for having me Anita! And good luck to all you budding entrepreneurs out there. You can do it, you just have to start!

Thanks so much!

Welcome Kristina,

Q. What inspired you to begin working?

A. I created a printable quiet book for my daughter, and when my brother-in-law saw it he encouraged me to try selling them.

Q. How did you go about starting your business or arranging a work at home position?

A. I started a blog first, and then my Etsy shop shortly after. Etsy has a lot of great instructions for getting started, and I felt it was pretty straight-forward. For Etsy, you can sell : Handmade goods, Vintage items, or craft supplies.

Q. What are some tips you would like to share with others who are interested in doing something similar?

A. I would suggest 3 things for getting eyeballs on your shop:

1. Be Proficient in Social Media. This is HUGE. Treat your shop as a business and promote it. One of my friend’s sold hairbows on Etsy and made good money by marketing her stuff through a Facebook page dedicated to her shop. Others have had great success with Instagram. Pinterest is a must, and blogging is another great option if you are up for the work involved.

2. Take good pictures. Nothing sells a product better than an enticing photo. If you don’t have a good camera, find someone that does and ask them to help you until you can afford your own.

3. Use good keywords and experiment. Think about what words you would use if you were looking for your particular item. Experiment with various keywords if what you are using isn’t working well. Use the Etsy stats to analyze how everything is working and where your views are coming from.

Q. How many hours do you work a week or how much of your time does this position require? Is it flexible? Is it consistent?

A. That’s the great part about Etsy! It can be as little or as many hours as you want. This will greatly depend on how much you are selling, and whether they are digital goods or items you will be shipping out. My items are digital goods, so I spend about 15 minutes listing my items, and don’t have to do anything else after that (other than promote). Your listing will last for 4 months before you need to pay to re-list (if the item didn’t sell).

Q. When/how do you find the time to work?

A. For both my blog and my Etsy shop, I have treated it like a job from the beginning. I have set work hours that I work, even when I don’t feel like it. This has really helped me be successful. My business comes before all hobbies, which is ok, because I love doing it (most days).

Q. Are there certain tips/advice you’d want to share with others who want to start working like you?

A. Make sure you do something you are passionate about/enjoy doing. Otherwise it will be hard to stick with it. I can’t imagine having had success if I wasn’t having fun doing what I’m doing. 🙂

Q. Was training/schooling required for the position? How/when did you complete it?

A. I went into this with no training, but if there is one thing I would suggest it would be to learn how to take photography, and if you can, learn a little about SEO. If you can get your shop ranked good with Google, you will have even greater success.

Q. What is the income percentage you bring in? or How much do you make from this job? or Does the income help a little, medium, or is the main source of your family’s income?

A. My blog has always been my main focus, and Etsy is just a fun on-the-side sort of thing. I made about $1200 my first year, and put in about 10-15 hours of work (TOTAL). My blog has been my main source of income.

Q. How would someone who wants to do something similar get started?

A. Decide what you are passionate about and what you would be interested in selling and start up shop! Get active on social media and start promoting with your friends first. Hopefully they will help you spread the word about what you are doing.

About Kristina Manscill: I’m six-foot tall mother of two and I’m enjoying the view! I use blogging as my creative outlet, swimming as my physical outlet, and the rest of my life revolves around my husband and girls (18 months apart). I enjoy warm summer rain, eating peanut butter by the spoonful, having dance parties with my husband and kids and I avoid folding laundry at all cost. Kristina’s Etsy Shop

Thanks Kristina!

For other Posts in this Series of interviews with real money-making SAHMs please click the links below:

Introduction to Money-Making SAHM Series

Series 1: Medical Billing

Series 2: Starting an Online Business

Series 3: Housecleaning

Series 4: Cosmetology

Series 5: At-Home Airline Assistant

Series 6: Become an At-Home Employee

Series 7: Beachbody Coaching

Series 8: Freelance Writing

Series 9: Run an at-Home Daycare