Are you looking for cute decorations for your dorm or apartment? Want to see if you can score a vintage dress for a night out? Looking for a great geek gift? Ever think of checking out the hidden gems on Etsy.com?
Etsy, founded in 2005, is a new way to start a business in today’s economy and incorporates technology to keep shops current. The website has become a place where people looking to turn their hobbies into profit flourish.
If you are not familiar with the site, it allows crafts, vintage items and basically anything you can imagine to be sold by a small business — think of it as Ebay.com’s classier cousin. It allows people to sell goods, and most of the time they aren’t looking to make a quick buck. These people have invested their hearts and souls into creating the perfect piece for you!
Oftentimes “homemade” is used to talk about Grandma’s ancient quilt or the poorly crafted gift you made your dad for Father’s Day back in elementary school. Now, Etsy is the frontrunner in modernizing “homemade” into a word people should be proud of!
By using small craft shops, instead of the same-old products from a department store, you are doing wonders not only for the real people you are helping keep in business, but also for American pride. With the help of Etsy, we can now take pride in our “Made in America” handiwork!
In these unsteady economic times, a small business is incredibly risky. A lot of entrepreneurs are turning toward listing on Etsy. In early 2011, Linsey Knerl wrote, “Because Etsy is a growing market…it has the potential to be a huge marketplace for some lesser-known [startups]…” She credits Etsy as helping her gain the staples needed to start her own small business.
Etsy allows businesses to forgo the expensive rent of a location that may either hit-or-miss, and focus their time and energy on the product rather than attracting customers to their stationary location. On the website, customers will come if the product catches their eye from the pictures that the shop uploads. It also gives businesses a chance to reach customers across the world, expanding brands much more than one location could offer.
Creative Collegiettes who are looking to score an elegant handcrafted gift can get a firsthand look at Etsy’s creations close to home at the One of a Kind Show and Sale at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago, Dec. 1 – 4. The Etsy Artist Pavillion will showcase 30 booths of Etsy shops complete with items for the holiday season! This would be a great opportunity to see up close what Etsy artisans can do!
Sources: http://www.wisebread.com/5-ways-etsy-can-help-start-your-small-business
http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2011/one-of-a-kind-show-call-for-artists/
(all You’ve Got Mail references are credited to Norah Ephron and Warner Brothers Studio) http://youvegotmail.warnerbros.com/