Opening an Etsy shop was an easy decision. Being broke has
always motivated me to act quickly with varied results. It was clear that I had
to try something - anything to bring some money into our household when on
August 1st, 2013 my partner's VA benefits were wrongly terminated (reinstated
at the end of November 2013) and we were stuck in Cozumel, Mexico without a
peso for four months. (Thank God for three friends and the Food Bank of Cozumel. I couldn't get a job in Mexico and the only work I am
trained to do is graphic design and bar-tending. However, I am creative with my
hands and mind and quickly came up with the idea to make paper mache bowls but
with no idea how to market them until a good friend who was visiting Cozumel told
me about Etsy.
It seemed like the perfect solution. Firstly, it would keep
me busy while we were waiting for our funds to get reinstated and secondly, I might
actually be able to contribute something toward our dire situation. I already had
the acrylic paint and newspaper costs nothing and the food bank gives you flour
so I could get started immediately. For two months I was a paper macheing fool.
When I finally opened Paper Prezzies on January 2nd, 2014 I
had done as much research into online marketing and Etsy as was humanly
possible for me. We moved from Cozumel to Playa Del Carmen where I had
unlimited WiFi and I spent every waking moment on the internet. The learning
curve was steep. I naively expected to put out my shingle and rake in the
dough. Not so.
I followed the Etsy question and discussion forums daily to
learn as much as I could and they were enormously helpful. People are very kind
on Etsy - the sellers are always willing to pass along tips and suggestions to
help newbies better their shops. I was told not to expect overnight success. I
was told to increase my product line regularly. I started out with 24 items and
now have over eighty. I was told to improve my SEO. Say what?
In order to get your products found within Etsy search and
by Google you need to learn about Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Tags,
titles and descriptions which, perfectly synced will get you found on the first
few pages of an Etsy search and on the first pages of a Google search by the
general public looking for, say, a "home décor bowl". This is not
easy and it changes constantly!
I pretty much have that sorted. My photos are excellent (who
wants to buy an item with a fuzzy, cluttered photo?), it helps that I know
Photoshop (and by the way, you can download an Adobe CS2 FREE), my SEO is
pretty much spot on and I keep adding items and changing wording to get my
product noticed. I use Twitter, Pinterest and FaceBook, my own blog and my website
www.paperprezzies.com to make the general public aware of my line of paper
mache home décor products, jewelry and a few original paintings. I sell
internationally.
It has become obvious that I will never make a living out of
Paper Prezzies while selling on Etsy. My work is so beautiful and interesting
but it's not in demand. Not to say it couldn't be but Etsy is not the place for
it. I need to canvas boutique shops where people can see the product with all
its intricacies of form and design and color in person. If I was still living
in Toronto I would be talking with shop owners in The Beaches, Queen Street
etc. Living in Guatemala or Mexico doesn't help.
So, what are the results so far?
My sales are abysmal but I make a profit.
I learn something new about online marketing daily.
I love creating my "Mini Masterpieces" and am very
proud of the progress I've made.
What can I make that will be an instant viral success? Well,
we all want to know that - it's the million dollar question. But, there's
nothing better than finishing a piece of art and taking a step back and
admitting wow, that's really cool. Hell, I'd buy it! So for now I will continue
to be a paper macheing fool until I can think up the next pet rock or friendship
bracelet.
Works from Paper Prezzies can be found:
My website: http://www.paperprezzies.com
On FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/Paper.Prezzies
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