Introduction

Does this sound like you? You hate your day job. You trained as a teacher, but what you really want to do all day is knit. Or maybe you’re busy waiting tables, but you dream of starting your own jewelry-making business. Or maybe your background is in law, but what you really love is constructing handbags out of gum wrappers. The problem? You’ve got bills to pay. It’s not like people can just ditch their jobs to hand-craft Juicy Fruit purses all day, right?

Wrong. Thanks to Etsy (www.etsy.com), plenty of people have done just that: ditched their day jobs to start their own craft businesses, or supplemented their existing incomes by selling their own crafts. And armed with the information in Starting an Etsy Business For Dummies, 2nd Edition, you can become one of them!

What’s Etsy? Etsy was created in 2005 to help artists and craftspeople sell their handmade wares online. (Since then, Etsy has evolved to allow the sale of vintage items and craft supplies.) Etsy’s mission, in its own words, is “to reimagine commerce in ways that build a more fulfilling and lasting world.” More precisely, Etsy allows creative types to channel their passion for their craft into their life’s work. If your dream is to “make a living making things,” then Etsy is for you!

About This Book

Above all, Starting an Etsy Business For Dummies is a reference tool. You don’t have to read it from beginning to end; instead, you can turn to any part of the book that gives you the information you need when you need it. And you can keep coming back to the book over and over. If you prefer to read things in order, you’ll find that the information is presented in a natural, logical progression.

Sometimes we have information that we want to share with you, but it relates only tangentially to the topic at hand. When that happens, we either mark that information with a Technical Stuff icon or place that information in a sidebar (a shaded gray box). Even though it may not be mission critical, we think you’ll find it worth knowing. But you don’t have to read it if you don’t want to.

Within this book, you may note that some web addresses break across two lines of text. If you’re reading this book in print and want to visit one of these web pages, simply key in the web address exactly as it’s noted in the text, pretending as though the line break doesn’t exist. If you’re reading this as an e-book, you’ve got it easy — just click the web address to be taken directly to the web page.

Foolish Assumptions

When writing this book, we assumed that you want to run your Etsy shop as a proper business. Sure, it’s possible to build and manage an Etsy shop with minimal effort, but that will yield only minimal results. We assume here that you’re serious about making your Etsy shop a success and that you’re willing to invest the time and energy to make that happen.

We also generally assume that you reside in the United States. Although most of the information discussed applies regardless of your geographic location, certain tidbits — such as matters related to taxation — are specific to U.S. residents.

Icons Used in This Book

Icons are those little pictures you see in the margins throughout this book, and they’re meant to draw your attention to key points that can help you along the way. Here’s a list of the icons we use and what they signify.

When you see this icon in the margin, the paragraph next to it contains valuable information on making your life as an Etsy seller easier.

Some information is so important that it needs to be set apart for emphasis. This icon — like a string tied around your finger — is a friendly reminder of info that you’ll want to commit to memory and use over the long haul.

This icon highlights common mistakes that Etsy sellers make and pitfalls to avoid. An important part of achieving success is simply eliminating the mistakes; the information marked by this icon helps you do just that.

This icon highlights information that’s interesting but not completely crucial to your life as an Etsy shop owner. If you’re crunched for time, feel free to skip information marked with this icon.

Beyond the Book

In addition to the material in the print or e-book you're reading right now, this product comes with some access-anywhere goodies on the web. Check out the free Cheat Sheet at www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/startinganetsybusiness for tips on creating an eye-catching Etsy ­storefront, pricing your work, taking beautiful product photos, and more.

Where to Go from Here

Glance through the Table of Contents and find the part, chapter, or section that flips your switch. That’s the best place to begin. If you’re just trying to get a sense of what’s available on Etsy, turn straight to Chapter 5. If you’re itching to launch your own Etsy shop, Chapter 8 steps you through the process of building it from scratch. If your shop is up and running but you’re not sure how to handle business matters — say, paying taxes or choosing the right structure for your business — then you’ll want to flip right to Chapter 18.

When you're finished reading this book, invest some time reading the Etsy Blog (www.etsy.com/blog), reading the Seller Handbook (www.etsy.com/sellerhandbook), and interacting with the larger Etsy community (get started at www.etsy.com/community). As your business grows, you'll undoubtedly encounter issues that this book doesn't discuss; when that happens, you're sure to appreciate these incredible resources.