Shopping on Etsy: The First Thing to Do if You Have a Problem

Over the last five years I've done quite a bit of business on Etsy.  I've both bought and sold there, mostly sold of course, everything from baby quilts to rosaries to headcoverings.

My most popular item has been my snood patterns. 

It's a lengthy PDF, that gives exact directions on how to make one of my snoods.  The pattern doesn't need to be printed because my snood pattern is entirely rectangular.  You can cut the dimensions directly with a ruler or cutting board. 

The pattern and tutorial give point by point pictures and descriptions of everything I do to make one of my snoods.  In the description it clearly states that your given the dimensions and instructions to make your own snood. 

Over the years I've sold many, many patterns and up until today I've never had a complaint about a pattern.  I've had questions.  I've helped people. 

I have had people who haven't been happy with snoods.  Maybe it didn't fit or wasn't what they expected, but every time it's happened I've offered a full refund immediately. 

Today I got an email, from another Catholic head covering shop owner, accusing me of being a scam artist.  She'd expected a printable pattern, which isn't necessary with my snoods. She said that what she was getting wasn't worth the $8 I'd charged for it.

I didn't write back and tell her about the hours of work I'd poured into each pattern to ensure that those who buy it are able to create beautiful snoods in whatever color they choose, and that it's quite insulting to tell someone their work isn't worth anything.

Instead I immediately issued a refund.  And I asked her in the future to give any shop owners on Etsy the benefit of the doubt before she calls them scam artists, because most really, really want to make things right when a customer is unhappy. 

After I issued the refund I saw that she'd already left me a one star review.  So I contacted her and pointed out that the wording does make clear what the pattern is, and asked her to take it down. 

She said she was doing future buyers a favor and refused. 

The oddest part was realizing that she's a fellow Catholic mom, in a number of groups with me on Facebook.  We have friends in common.

This won't hurt my business badly.  I have years of solid reviews.  It was bound to happen, that someone would come along who didn't read a description and then wouldn't accept a full refund when they explained that they were unhappy (all right, maybe it wasn't inevitable, but I have learned that you can't make everyone happy). 

But there is a point to this post. 

Please, when you're on Etsy, give the shops your buying from a chance to make things right if you aren't happy.  I gave the woman in question a refund.  I even added additional wording on every single pattern description to make it even clearer what the buyer is getting since she was so concerned that others would be deceived about what they were getting (roughly twenty pages of pictures, measurements and detailed descriptions from every angle that will hopefully solve every problem). 

Most Etsy shop owners want to make things right and keep their customers happy.  That's how businesses grow.  So please, if you have a problem, send a message.  Try to remember there's a person on the other side of computer and don't start out by calling them names or being mean or telling them the product they've poured hours into is worthless and could be found on Youtube in five minutes.

They'll appreciate that you came to them first.  And they'll likely do whatever they can to fix whatever problem you're having so that you'll absolutely love the product that you've purchased from them.

Ultimately, since I began writing this, the person did change their review, after saying some rather nasty words about what sort of person I apparently am for asking them to make it clear that I refunded their money since they were unhappy. 

Things I've Learned as a Etsy Small Business Owner

Over the past couple of years, I've spent quite a few hours learning the ropes of selling homemade goods online.  While I still learn quite a bit every single month, I've decided to write a post about what I've learned so far, which was inspired by a conversation last month at Joann's with a mortgage broker who told me that she really wanted to quit her job and start selling her crafts online, after she eyed my overflowing cart full of fabric, inquired as to what I was using it for, and then asked for tips on how I got started and what had worked for me.

Right now I have three shops.  Two of them are online and one... well... I had plans for rapidly growing Full of Grace Creations this summer, but a bad blunder involving leaving both a key box of supplies (beads aren't a whole lot of good without wire, and I just can't bring myself to buy more when I have so much at home) and my entire stock of chaplets and rosaries (packed and ready to go, waiting in my sewing room to make it into the van...) meant that I decided to focus even more energy on my other two shops until I get back to Florida.  

That however, is just as well, because right now I'm trying to focus half my time on Sadie's Saints and growing my selection there... which brings me to my Etsy advice.  I know there are quite a few Etsy shop owners out there, so feel free to add your own advice (or even links) in the comment section.

Now, on to what I've learned these past few years:

Learn the Rules and Regulations Where You're Selling

One of the most helpful things I did when I first looked into opening Full of Grace Creations, was sit down and read through the Etsy instructions for opening a shop.  It was boring.  It involved sitting, reading something that wasn't really "fun" for quite a while.  But it was important that I knew the rules for selling before I started.  After looking over the rules I checked out quite a few shops to see what their shop policies and shipping policies looked like, and then came up with my own rules for my own shop.  It isn't the funniest part of starting up a small craft business, but it's important, and it was nice to have it out of the way.

Keep Prices Competitive through Smart Shopping

Setting prices can be difficult and when you're looking at handmade goods there can be a wide range of prices available.  When I began making rosaries and chaplets, and later headcoverings and dolls, I had a choice.  I wanted the products I made to be accessible at reasonable prices.  I wanted to make beautiful creations, but I didn't like the idea of selling a rosary for $150 when it had only cost me $10 and a couple hours work to make it.  

On the other hand, I still wanted to offer quality goods, which required quality supplies.  

This is where shopping sales became critical.  I buy my beads in bulk and I usually only buy fabric when it's more than 50% off.  I love 10% (or more) "off your entire purchase" coupons.  And if I find a warehouse with fantastic prices, I stock up.  

Craft and fabric store prices are often ridiculous without sales.  Here's an example.  When we were traveling I found one of those awesome fabric warehouses.  This one had a table of cuts of fabric that were labeled $2.99.  I found two giant pieces of unblemished minky on the table.  One was four yards and one was two.  They would have been $14.99 a yard at the fabric store I usually shop at.  When I combined it with fabric I'd bought at another sale the blanket I made Mae cost about $6.  If I'd paid full price it would have been over $30 and it would likely have been less to buy it then to make it.  

Sale shopping is key when you're a small business owner creating your own product.

Setting your Own Wages

The second difficulty, when I began pricing items, was figuring out how much I needed to sell each item for to make it profitable for me to be in business.  This became even more important when Paul started law school and I became the sole breadwinner for 10 months of the year.  

This part of pricing can be a balancing act.  I finally came up with a strategy that works for me, and helps me decide if it's worth it to carry a creation in my store.  I decided to pay myself $10 an hour for each individual product.  Now that's not the best wage in the world (especially since I don't add in the computer and listing time), but it was important to me to keep my prices down, and it's also not a bad wage either, especially since I'm working from home and naming my own hours.  So when I make a product I multiply the number of hours by 10 and add the cost of materials and voila: I roughly have the price rang for my product.   

In my experience finding a pay range that works for you can make pricing much easier.

Dealing with Uncertainty

Uncertainty is the downside of running my own online business.  I don't know it I'm going to make $0 or $1000 in a week.  I might work 55 hours in a week, but that doesn't mean anything is going to sell.  Or I might be completely lazy and make nothing, and have sales flood in.  

I do know there are times of year when I'm going to be insanely busy and spend hours late into the night sewing... and there are going to be times when I post and post and post new orders and nothing comes in.  My latest goal is balancing the slow times, and sewing like crazy during those times, so I'm prepared when the busier seasons arrive.  

Competition

In the beginning I worried so much about how my prices compared to everyone else's and how my products compared.  

The past year I've gained confidence and realized that all I really need to do is focus on what I'm making, and do what I do well, and trust that things will fall into place.  It can also be important for shop owners/crafters/artists to remember that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery (and repeat that to yourself frequently).  There's a good chance that, if you make something beautiful, you'll suddenly see it popping up all over the place.  Take a deep breath, ignore it, and focus on making your own products awesome.  

Posting

This is another important aspect that I didn't realize right away when I opened my business, but frequency of posting can be important.  I try to post something every single day.  This gets easier once you have more products.  Frequent posting keeps people looking at your shop, and hopefully while they're looking they'll find something they like!

Shop Size

I definitely notice that the amount of business I get is directly related to how many listings I have posted.  Variety can definitely help boost sales.  For me, having over 100 items posted seems to be a turning point where sales becomes somewhat regular.  Getting over 100 items made and photographed and posted can be a struggle, but I have noticed the flow of sales definitely increases in direct proportion to the number of items I have posted!

And now, in the interest of not making a handbook size advice column, I'll stop for today.  Maybe I should make this into a series, posting whenever I learn something new (or when I remember something that's helped).  

And hopefully this will help someone! 

What I've Been Working On...

These last few days my focus has been on one specific project. Each time Sadie has gone down for a nap or gone to sleep I've gone racing around the house trying to fit as many projects in as possible before her little eyes fluttered open again. Now last time at this point in the pregnancy I would have been "nesting." This time what I've been so busy preparing for has been a little different:

The opening of my Etsy Shop!

Some of you may remember that I mentioned my plan to open an Etsy shop earlier this year.

I've been hard at work making rosaries and rosary bracelets and other jewelry and last week I finally decided that my shop, Full of Grace Creations, was ready to open. This weekend was spent getting all the technical stuff done (registering email names, getting ready to accept paypal, and actually reading all the terms and conditions of service over on etsy) and taking pictures of my rosaries. Finally last night I got to the point where I was ready to start listing! So far I've only listed one rosary (I have a box with another dozen or so waiting to be put up during nap time today). And I will also be putting up a rosary giveaway on this blog!

So check back later today and it should be up.

And if you want to check out Full of Grace Creations here's a link to my shop and here's a link to my first listing! More to come very soon!