How to start your small business on Etsy
Etsy has provided a highly visible online marketplace for artists, crafters, and collectors to sell their own-made arts and crafts, vintage items, and crafting supplies. Are you a brilliant, hands-on individual who wants to sell your works to people all around the country and even the world? You have probably wondered how to establish an Etsy small business. That is understandable. Several other individuals have struggled with the same.
The number of active Etsy purchasers has gradually climbed over time, rising from 9.3 million in 2012 to over 46.3 million in 2019. Etsy’s seller community has risen from 830,000 in 2012 to roughly 2.7 million in 2019. These statistics are astounding.
Additional information about opening a shop can be found on the Etsy.com website. This article will go over the basic legal and administrative steps for launching a small business on Etsy. As you investigate the prospects, this article aims to offer you an idea of what might be involved. Consult with experienced legal and financial specialists for legal, tax, and accounting guidance. They can evaluate your circumstances and provide experienced advice. The following steps you should take when starting a business on Etsy.
- Determine whether or not your product concept is a viable business opportunity
No entrepreneur, regardless of their industry, can guarantee their success. Similarly, there are no assurances when it comes to selling your things on Etsy. However, doing some study to understand your target market and competition on Etsy can offer you a higher chance of succeeding. Before opening your Etsy store, making that effort will help ensure that the things you sell are unique and appealing to buyers.
- Create an Etsy account first
You can create an Etsy account by clicking the “Sell on Etsy” link, entering your email address, name, and password, and then clicking “Continue.” You can also sign up for an Etsy account by utilizing your existing Google, Facebook, or Apple account. If you already possess an Etsy consumer account, simply log in with your credentials and select “Open Your Etsy Shop” to begin developing your store.
- Set your preferences for the store
Then you will be taken to the “shop options” screen, where you can customize your store’s basic settings. First, you will choose your default language, which will be used to describe your things (after opening your Etsy shop, you can choose to translate your page into other languages). Then you will choose your native country and the currency you would like to list your things in. If your bank currency differs from your shop currency, you will have to pay currency conversion costs (2.5 per cent of the sale amount) when consumers make purchases. Finally, you will be asked if you are a full-time, part-time, or “other” vendor.
- Choose a name for your Etsy store
Coming up with an Etsy shop name is a great place to start getting creative. Your shop name should be intriguing but simple to remember, and it should reflect your products and values. Your store name can be whatever you choose as long as it follows Etsy’s rules.
- Add products to your store
Listing your items is the next step in learning how to launch an Etsy shop. There are distinct methods and procedures for listing tangible and digital things (think printable stationery, patterns, stickers, and gift tags). For instance, if you are offering a digital item, you may refer to Etsy’s tutorial. Here you will be expected to add photos, adjust your thumbnail, and complete your listing details. You will also be expected to complete your inventory as well as pricing. Other actions that you will be forced to do at this point are setting your shipping price and publishing your listing.
Even as you add products to your store, you need to ensure that you always have adequate packaging and packing supplies. Unfortunately, most entrepreneurs have struggled to find the best packaging and packing supplies. You can always check out Pronto Direct for affordable packing supplies.
- Select your preferred method of payment
You will need to set up your Etsy payment choices after you have placed your listings. First, decide how you would want to receive payments: PayPal, check or money order, “other,” or Etsy Payments, the most common payment method for Etsy sellers. With this option, you can accept credit cards, debit cards, Etsy gift cards, shop credit, and more.
Etsy currently requires that any eligible seller accept Etsy Payments (depending on the region) do so. Whereas Etsy utilized to provide PayPal as a standalone payment option, merchants in qualifying countries, including the United States, must now use Etsy Payments with integrated PayPal as of May 15, 2019. In such countries, standalone PayPal is no longer available.
Furthermore, suppose you are qualified for Etsy Payments. In that case, one is required to submit your bank account and residence address (as shown above) as part of your payment preferences to receive your Etsy payment deposits.
- Create a billing system
This particular stage is entirely dependent on your country of operation when opening an Etsy store. Etsy may need you to produce a credit card for identification verification in certain locations. You will also need a credit card on file with Etsy so that you can be charged for selling costs. If you are a US seller, you may sign up for auto-billing, which means Etsy will charge your credit card on file for any selling fees you incur, and you will not have to worry about paying your monthly statement.
- Set up your store
You have successfully learnt how to open an Etsy shop at this point. Your shop will be open once you click “Open Your Shop.”
Your shop’s URL will be in one of two formats:
- https://www.etsy.com/shop/yourshopname.
- https://yourshopname.etsy.com
- Personalise your store
It is time to start selling on Etsy now that you have launched your shop. After all, merely starting an Etsy store is not enough.
Like a physical store, your digital store should be easy to find, elegantly designed, intuitively structured, and regularly updated.
You can complete a few extra areas to ensure that your Etsy shop opens (and runs) smoothly.
