Chapter 14 of Your First Etsy Shop
Your First 30 Days on Etsy: A Day-by-Day Plan
A 30-day plan for opening your first Etsy shop: one small task a day, four weeks from deciding what to sell to your first ten listings, with room to fall behind.
Your First Etsy Shop: A Step-by-Step Guide
From first idea to first ten listings, with checklists, templates and a 30-day plan
A plain, practical guide to opening your first Etsy shop, one step at a time. It helps you choose what to sell, check that people look for it, price it fairly, set up your shop, take good photos with a phone, write clear listings, ship with care and keep simple records. It ends with a day-by-day plan for your first 30 days.
By the end you will have
- 14 chapters, from "Is an Etsy shop right for you?" to "Your first 30 days"
- A checklist at the end of every chapter
- 12 fill-in templates: product idea scorecard, demand research log, cost and price worksheet, shop About section, shop policies draft, photo shot list, listing description, first 10 listings tracker, customer message replies, outside traffic plan, monthly money record and weekly review tracker
- A worked pricing example with clearly labelled example figures
- A 30-day plan with one main task for each day
- Fictional example shops to show each step in action
- PDF for printing and EPUB for phones and e-readers
Who it is for
- Makers, crafters and designers who are thinking about opening a first Etsy shop
- New sellers who have opened a shop and want a clear order of jobs
- People selling printables, patterns or other digital downloads for the first time
- Anyone who prefers plain steps and checklists over long theory
What it is not
- Not legal, tax, insurance or financial advice
- Not a done-for-you service or a shop setup service
- Not a promise of sales or results
- Not a replacement for Etsy's own Seller Handbook and policies, which change; the guide tells you when to check them
Questions
- What formats do I get?
- A PDF and an EPUB. The PDF is laid out at 6x9 inches for reading on a screen or printing. The EPUB adjusts to phones and e-readers.
- Will it work on my phone?
- Yes. Open the EPUB in an e-book app, or open the PDF in any PDF reader.
- Does it list Etsy's current fees and limits?
- No. Etsy changes its fees, limits and screens, so the guide shows you what to look for and tells you to check Etsy's current Seller Handbook and fee pages.
- I sell digital downloads, not physical items. Is it still useful?
- Yes. Pricing, listings, photos and customer service apply to both, and there is a section on delivering digital files.
- Can I use the templates in my business?
- For your own use. You may use the content in your own business, channel or blog; you may not resell or share the files themselves.
Refunds: see the refund policy.
This product is not affiliated with or endorsed by Etsy.
From the blog
Chapter 4 of Your First Etsy Shop
How to Price Handmade Items for Etsy: The Four Parts of a Price
A repeatable way to price handmade items for Etsy: materials, your time, fees and overheads, and margin, with a worked example and what to do when the price looks too high.
Chapter 6 of Your First Etsy Shop
Etsy Product Photos With Your Phone: The Five-Shot List
How to take Etsy product photos with the phone you already own: window light, a setup that costs almost nothing, the five shots every listing needs, and a two-minute edit.