How to Open Your Own Etsy Shop Leave a comment
When you’re starting a new business and you’re trying to figure out how to market and sell your products, trying to make an Etsy shop can seem like a big task. However, it’s not as complicated as you might think and we’re going to break the process down step by step for you. As well as give you the cost and considerations.
How to Open an Etsy Shop: Cost and Considerations
One of the most important things to pay attention to when starting up your business is how much you invest. So you might be wondering: “how much does it cost to open an Etsy shop?” Well, I have some good news! It’s not expensive at all. In fact, joining Etsy and opening your shop is completely free.
What does cost money is when you add listings to your shop. It’s what’s called a “listing fee” but you’ll be pleased to know that each listing you create only costs 20¢! These listings will stay active for four months or until they sell out. Then you can renew the listing when the item is in stock and ready to be sold again.
So for the initial set-up of your shop, the only investment you need to make is 20¢ per listing, but there are additional elements you should take into consideration. And these elements come into effect when you actually start selling. When you sell an item, Etsy does enact a 6.5% transaction fee as well as a 3% plus 25¢ payment processing fee.
In addition, you do have the option to select what’s called “offsite ads” which do come with a 15% fee. Through this, Etsy will advertise your items across the web through the offsite ads program. But get this! You only pay the fee when you make a sale from one of the ads! How cool is that?
How to Open an Etsy Shop
Step 1:
This can be done by going to Etsy.com & clicking on the “Sign In” button on the top-righthand corner. From here click “Register”
Step 2:
After you’ve created your account, add a profile picture & bio to give the Etsy community insight into what your business sells.
We recommend you choose an eye catching image & craft your bio with your target audience in mind!
Step 3:
Next, you’ll want to set your shop’s language, country, & currency to ensure you’re selling to your desired demographic. If you haven’t already, now’s the time to research shipping options & customs considerations if you are considering shipping your products internationally!
Step 4:
The second to last step is the fun part, this is where you choose the name for your business! While Etsy gives you the freedom to create your own business name, it does have some guidelines for what you can & can’t name your shop such as:
- 4-20 characters in length
- No spaces or special characters
- No profanity
- Not already in use by an existing Etsy member
- Does not infringe on another’s trademark
If your name is already in use, Etsy will provide you with alternative name suggestions that are still available.
Step 5:
The fifth and final step is to add your product listings to your shop! While it’s recommended to have your shop stocked, you do not have to have your complete inventory listed right away as you can add more product listings as they become available! Some best practices for product listings include:
-
- Choose a good title that includes key phrases potential customers will be searching for including the products color, material, or applications.
- Choose the most appropriate category for your products, for example if you are selling homemade candles you’d want to select the “Candles & Holders” category under the Home Decor section of Home & Living.
What to Consider When Opening an Etsy Shop
You’ll want to go through the proper preparation before opening an Etsy shop. Each business will be different when it comes to how or what you need to prep so make sure you gather the necessary supplies, do your research on Etsy-sellable items (to make sure your items are sellable), and look ahead for what strategy would be the best course of action in inventory prep and management. Whether that be creating a stock of your items before opening your Etsy store or making the orders as they come in, it’s up to you!
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We know you have a lot on your plate with starting up your new business, but we’re here to help make the process as painless as possible. Chicago Color Label offers a wide range of products that can increase your creation efficiency leaving you more time for the things that really matter. We offer a vast selection of color label printers, ink, laminate, and printer accessories as well as on-site repair options for you to choose what’s best suited to your needs.
Each purchase that comes in is an item that will need to be shipped to your customer. Our label printers will help you print quality labels quickly and effectively while showcasing the heart of your business in your own personal design. Ready for the next step? Feel free to contact us with any questions on how to purchase the label printer that is right for you!
