So I recently created an Etsy store as a place to sell my handmade items. I was on the fence about doing so but decided to go ahead and give it a try. The only thing worse than failure is never even trying, right? For the first two weeks it was crickets and to be fair I only listed 5 items. (Two custom memory items, bowl cozy's, coasters, and reusable mop pads) At first I checked it obsessively which is odd because I wasn't even advertising the store. The only traffic I got was directed directly from etsy's search engine, which wasn't much. Eventually though I started checking less and less as the anticipation wained and finally one night before bed I logged in and there it was-my first sale! ( A reusable mop pad).
To see that somebody I don't even know bought a product from me just gives me so much validation and confidence to actually put myself out there even to friends and family. (Which can be scarier than putting yourself out there to strangers.) I have a facebook page for my items that is mostly comprised of family and friends to directly order through me but after the first sale from my etsy store I was able to muster up the courage to announce the new shop to everyone else.
I'm still not sure where all of this is going to take me or even if it will all be worth it. I do know that I love making things and sharing them with the world. I used to talk down to myself and sometimes I still do. There are so many sewing and crafting blogs. What makes me think I have anything to add? Thousands of people make the same products as me why do I think I should saturate the market even more?
Then another voice inside me says-why not me? I'm allowed to follow my passions and interests too. There are too many gatekeepers in this world to lock myself out of the gates that I want to go through. I'm not content to sit back and watch others build the life I want for myself. If I want it I have to work for it, I have to show up and I have to put myself out there.
So yes I got my first sale on etsy but there is still a lot of work to do and nobody else is going to do it for me. My next goals are to keep putting myself out there by attending craft fairs and building a customer base from my local community. I would love to build a business that allows me to live comfortably and do what I love while providing value to other people. I'm not afraid to work hard and I'm not afraid to fail until I get it right.
If you are interested in browsing my etsy store, check out this link!