The Dare of DIY... and Beyond

The best part of being an Etsy seller is all of the resources available to us from Etsy itself. In fact, it can be a little overwhelming to absorb everything and still engage in the business of DIY. Creative people have absolutely no problem engaging in activities related to the creation of things even when there are great unknowns about the technical processes and uncertainties about the outcome of the project. When it comes to our businesses, however, we expect there to be rigid step by step instructions that exactly meet our needs. What a shift in attitude from our normal way of being.

Tara Gentile presented a workshop in the Etsy Labs on 04/19 called "The Dare of DIY". If you missed this presentation, you can watch the video and download the worksheet at this Etsy Success Workshop Link. This is a must-see event for Etsy sellers as well as any creative individual. Shortly after opening my Etsy shop, I discovered Tara Gentile and all of her resources which are perfectly tailored to creative people and their businesses. Please become familiar with and subscribe to both of her websites where you will find a wealth of information and resources to meet your needs. At taragentile.com you will become acquainted with this amazing woman and her uplifting and motivating philosophy of creative living to help passionate people produce and profit. There are many, many useful resources on this site.

Be sure to download the FREE Spacious Goals Guide and Workbook while you're there. This tool will help you set goals as big as you can think and, best of all, to not fear your goals. After watching 'The Dare of DIY" workshop you may already be examining greater possibilities for yourself and your creative business. Why not put those goals on paper... And ACT on them!

Don't worry about the ACT concept because Tara has plenty of guidance prepared for you in her new book, Making Motion. In just seven simple steps she will help you take your goal and set it into action along a path designed for creative people toward a destination of successful fulfillment. I had the opportunity to preview this book and I am so excited about it, that I am offering it for sale on my blog. Just click on the title above or the button in the sidebar to download this e-book for just $8! It will absolutely be the best investment you can make to accelerate your dreams.

You'll find plenty of support for your exhilarating journey toward your spacious goals at Tara's scoutiegirl.com site where passionate creatives connect, converse and commune! This is where I discovered how Tara Gentile helps you "turn your big ideas into a creative life-well-lived through a generous helping of practical philosophy, a few kicks in the pants, and a signed permission slip to reach your goals!" Her words, not mine. I couldn't be more in agreement with them, nor could I be more grateful for the resources and knowledge shared!

Etsy Networking

[AUTHORS NOTE: Instructions on to make decorated masks and a link to supplies you may need are found in my earlier post Happy Halloween Part I below!]

I made my first Etsy sale yesterday and I can officially say that my dream of having an Internet retail business has become quite real. I committed to this many months ago when I registered myself as an Etsy seller and bought the proper licenses to do business. I am, however, not a naive person who believes that you just put stuff for sale somewhere on the Internet and magically wake up wealthy!

I spent a lot of time studying models of Internet businesses created by computer programs and made my own real business based on that. I have an Etsy shop and I am able to drive business into the shop by my social networks and blog. I also have monetized my blog and my Twitter account for secondary income. I also studied Etsy marketing in specific. Today, I tested this theory with very favorable results!

I relisted my Etsy merchandise which is a powerful marketing tactic. This keeps my merchandise nearer to the top of Etsy searches and therefore more likely to be viewed and purchased. The first things I put in my Etsy shop are masks and a collar which I categorized as fantasy merchandise. Because Halloween is rapidly approaching, there is an increased demand for these items.

Shortly after being listed, I received notification that the mask above had been included in an Etsy treasury called "Undiscovered Beauties!" What a lovely title! The treasury had been created by another new Etsy seller, laceratedpixie, to help other new Etsy sellers get a first sale. I couldn't let her down and this is great content! I posted it in all of my social networks and was in the process of making new posts after a few hours lapsed when I discovered the post in Twitter had been retweeted! I was in the process of writing a thank you tweet when another tweet proclaimed the piece had sold! Wow! This was exactly how I envisioned my marketing would work.

I am very grateful for laceratedpixie independently executing an idea to help other sellers. This is an ideal way to do business. I believe there is enough for all of us at Etsy and we will gain so much more by cooperating than by competing. Apparently many others share that vision and the Everything Etsy Blog has started a new social network called Etsypreneur. It is an experiment and already positive results are showing as we support each other. As each individual shop grows to be the best version of itself it can be, the whole organization will radiate an increasingly positive image. I am looking forward to a wonderful and long relationship with Etsy!

This story has a post script! The new owner of the mask sent me a lovely thank you message with a big surprise! She had posted the image on Indiana's biggest environmental website, A Greener Indiana!