Sell Your Handcrafted Designs on Etsy.com

Making and selling handcrafted items is a great way to increase personal income on a part-time schedule. This is especially true for the DIY, creative and entrepreneurial type of people, but ANYONE can do this. With just a little guidance and a bit of practice you too can add some extra income to your pocket.

One of the easiest and best places on the Internet to sell your handcrafted items is at Etsy.com. I am not going to tell you there is no competition there. Yes, there are hundreds, even thousands offering up their creative designs on Etsy.com. The thing is, if you have a unique style, good craftsmanship, a desire and motivation, much of the competition will not matter to your efforts.

I will not say you are going to get rich, quit your daytime job or any other false promises. What I will tell you is what I know from my own personal experience. Etsy.com is a wonderful website to sell and learn how to market your unique handcrafted designs. Now let me tell you why I think so.

If you can read and follow directions getting started on Etsy.com is relatively easy. They spell it all out for you, offer easy to follow directions, and helpful assistance to get yourself set up for business. It will require you have a few things to set up your own shop.

1. an e-mail address
2. a valid credit card
3. pay pal account (optional)..... This is the easiest way to get your money when you make a sale but it is not necessary because you can offer your items payed for by check or a money order.
4. a .20 listing fee for each item listed and the listing is good until the item sells for up to 4 months.
5. a digital camera for placing photos of your designs in your listings

Additional Charges

3.5% sales fee

When you make a sale on Etsy, you will be charged 3.5% of the total sale price. This percentage does not include the shipping price.

Paying fees

All Etsy fees are paid using either the credit card you put on file when you sign up as a seller, or via PayPal. Each month we add up all your fees, and on the last day we send you an email with a list of everything. You can pay your bill at any time manually using your credit card on file or PayPal account.

This is probably the most important thing you will need to make good income. Keep in mind that there are many people making top notch, handcrafted items they sell on this website. That means you will do best if you come up with an item or items that are extremely unique and desirable.

It helps to do lots of research. This can be done by looking through all of the categories of merchandise offered on Etsy.com for sale. Pay close attention to the details of the different shops you research. There are a few key things you want to pay attention to in particular.

Research These Key Points About Your Competition on Etsy.com

1. How long has the shop you are studying been in business?
2. What is the price range for items they have offered for sale?
3. How many items do they offer for sale in their shop?
4. What are the costs to ship the items you have researched?
5. Does the competition custom make their designs or is everything manufactured ahead of time?
6. How long does your competition take to make shipment on their orders.

Apply These Same Questions To Your Creative Situation

These are some of the things you will have to deal with if you open a shop of your own. It is important to know as much as you can about what you are doing. Your knowledge will insure that your shop runs smoothly. It is wiser and better to do research before you get started. Your research might stop mistakes otherwise made by not fully understanding what it is you need to do to make extra income on this website.

Etsy.com offers a variety of tools to help you become successful at selling your designs Online. They have very active Community, Groups, Teams, Forums, Events and Newsletters. This website is tops when it comes to an easy way to promote and sell your creative designs to earn additional income.