Working from home… yeah, that’s the life you’re looking for and starting your own Etsy shop is one of the most awesome ideas I know of. Etsy is a portal website that brings together crafters with buyers.

I’m a big buyer of jewelry and other crafts on the platform and even had ideas to start my own shop. Unfortunately, no artistic talent and even less time were a big factor in nixing the ideas.

But that’s the thing, while it is a terrific platform for artisans, there are a whole variety of products and services offered on Etsy. There are people with vintage oriented shops, art supply shops, and others you provide a variety of digital products from planners to website templates. So, there is more than one way to start an Etsy Shop.

The Why of Opening an Etsy Shop

Having an online store is a great way to make money from home for moms, too. Just like selling on eBay or with Amazon FBS, its’ offers loads of flexibility so that you don’t have to miss out on activities with your kids. What’s more, you won’t be exhausted during the events either.

Instead, when you work from home you can organize your life so that you get in enough work, family time, and “me” time to take care of everything and still earn enough money.

What to Sell in Your Own Etsy Store

First things first, you’ll need to decide what you want to sell. If you’re already involved in creating something crafty then you have a built-in product. But, if you don’t, you’ll need to think about the skills you have and how you can find something to make that you enjoy making enough that you don’t mind doing it all day long.

The important consideration is to sell something that is in demand, and that you find fun to create, talk about, and essentially live for in some ways. Yes, you can pick your schedule, but it has to be something you like doing if you’re going to make it a successful enterprise. So here are some questions to ask yourself:

1. What talents do I have? That might be something artistic or just and old fashioned skill, such as sewing or crafting. Or maybe you are a computer design ninja.
2. Do I have a crafting hobby? If you have a hobby, you probably have an insight into what it is all about. And what it takes to be involved. That might be important if you get into the supply side of Etsy.
3. What’s selling on Etsy now? Put in the research. That’s the best thing you can do. And don’t let the competition scare you. Actually, take that as a good sign because there are buyers for those types of products.
4. What excites me when I look at all the sellers? While knowing what’s selling is important, it also comes down to what will be you happy.

Opening Up Your Own Etsy Storefront

If you want to get started check out The Beginners Guide to Starting an Etsy Shop. [LINK 1]. As it says to get to know Etsy, their fee structure and most importantly their policies.

You might want to spend some time beforehand to choose a name for your shop. Make sure you have your first, second and maybe even third choices ready in case the others are taken.

Spending time of a name is important. It not only differentiates your from your competition, but you want to make that it easily identifies the type of product you’re selling. That’s ultimately important for SEO and buyers to find you.

Then dip your foot into the pool and get started. You’ll learn a lot of the others things you need to know as you go along, such as creating awesome photos and descriptions, what to price your products at and the importance of SEO.

But here’s the thing, you won’t learn or get to test out any of that if you sit back and wait. Start small, learn, hone our plan and goals as you go along. But don’t wait if starting your own Etsy shop is an idea you want to try.

Need more information? Check to these bestselling books on Amazon about starting your own Etsy online business.