If y'all've e'er fabricated artisan or handmade goods, you've probably heard "y'all should sell these on Etsy" a fourth dimension or two. Learning how to fix an Etsy store is easy. Here are nine simple steps for you to have your store ready to get in a unmarried solar day.

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Before Getting Started

Design

Nosotros're going to assume you already have a viable product, but information technology'due south worth mentioning that branding is everything when getting your first Etsy sale. If this isn't your strong suit, hire a graphic designer to create your product labels or purchase a template from Etsy. You lot tin then print these labels at habitation using a light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation printer or club labels online.

Photos

Yous've worked so hard to create your product and characterization it—brand sure the photos showcase the effort you've put into information technology. You lot don't necessarily need to rent a pro photographer to have product images. Instead, find a sunny window and utilise portrait mode on your phone to have images of your products on a white background (poster board works smashing for this). Alternatively, social club a uncomplicated lightbox off of Amazon.

Cyberbanking

To brand it easier to file your business taxes, set a carve up banking concern account to handle all of your Etsy expenses and transactions. This mode, you have every business-related expense in one place and not mingled with your personal money.

Packing Materials

Etsy buyers expect their packages to transport chop-chop, and so be sure to accept all of your packing textile ahead of fourth dimension. This includes boxes, biodegradable packing peanuts, packing record and shipping labels. In one case yous're regularly making sales, y'all may want to consider branded boxes and a thermal label printer.

ix Steps To Gear up an Etsy Shop

1. Create Your Etsy Account

In order to create a seller account, you must first have a consumer Etsy account. Navigate to "Sign In" in the peak correct corner, and a dialogue box for credentials volition open. Click on "Register" if you lot don't already take an account. Yous volition receive an email asking to ostend your account.

Afterwards signing in, side by side to the shopping cart in the meridian right corner is a gray circle with a silhouette on information technology. When y'all click on the circumvolve, a drib-down bill of fare gives you lot an option to click on "Sell on Etsy."

After landing on the "Sell on Etsy" page, there's a black "Open Your Etsy Store" button beneath the banner.

2. Enter Your Shop Preferences

Here, enter your shop preferences; linguistic communication, store country, store currency and whether your store is your full-time income or non. When finished, click "Save and continue" in the bottom right corner.

three. Name Your Shop

You can name your shop in 20 characters or less, and information technology must be unique from other shops. Your name may only accept unaccented roman letters and numbers, without spaces. Enter the proposed proper noun you desire and click "check availability." If you're not sure what to proper noun your shop, Etsy has tips for choosing a shop name. Once set up, you lot tin can only change your store name in one case, so choose carefully. After deciding on a proper noun, click "save and continue."

4. Create Your Listings

Now you will create your listings. Etsy recommends having a minimum of 10 different listings for a greater chance of visibility.

Your listing includes:

  • Photos. At least i photo is required, and yous can add up to ten photos. In improver to product images, upload a motion-picture show of the product next to a ruler or a dollar bill (or similar) to help customers estimate the size of an particular. Even though you will list measurements in the list details, a visual of the size helps.
  • Videos. While non required, a video can set your production autonomously from your competition. Show the product in use and at all angles.
  • List details. List the title of the product, who made it, when information technology was made, whether information technology's a physical or digital product, a detailed description, materials used and tags. Here you can also add together a section to group like products together.
  • Inventory and pricing. What is the cost of your item? Make sure to factor in the toll of materials, labor, aircraft cost (if offering costless shipping, build it into your product toll) and aircraft materials. If you lot follow all-time manufacturing processes, this is where y'all also include a SKU.
  • Product variations. Does your product take multiple sizes or colors? List them hither.
    Personalization. If you offer personalization on your products, select "on." Otherwise, keep information technology "off."
  • Shipping. You can accept Etsy calculate your shipping costs for you based on your origin zip code. Input your processing fourth dimension, where you are willing to ship, shipping services offered, whether y'all include gratuitous domestic or international shipping and whether you want to build a handling fee into the shipping price. Item weight and size get here, too.

You lot tin can preview each listing before you lot save it. Once you've added all of your listings, select "save and keep."

5. Input Your Payment Settings

Etsy needs to know your revenue enhancement filing condition, and then the starting time question it asks under the payment settings is whether yous're an individual or sole proprietorship or a registered legal entity. If you select "individual or sole proprietorship," provide your state, full name, engagement of birth, address, phone number and final four digits of your social security number.

Incorporated businesses will enter the name of the legal entity, legal business concern address, state, business organization registration number and EIN. Additionally, Etsy needs a main contact for the business, then it asks who the shop owner is. You lot'll provide the full proper noun, address, date of birth and the last four digits of their Social Security number.

After completing this section, your next section is the country where your depository financial institution is located. From there, input your routing number and checking or savings account number that you desire your Etsy sales to go into.

half dozen. Enter Your Credit Card Details

Yous need a credit card to pay for your Etsy fees. Input your credit carte du jour number, CCV, expiration engagement and total name on the card. For peace of mind, sign up for car-billing and Etsy will automatically bill your card on the first of the month or when you pass your fee threshold. Otherwise, you can pay whatever time from the beginning to the 15th of the month.

There are three chief fees yous'll encounter as an Etsy seller:

  • Listing fees
  • Transaction fees
  • Payment processing fees (if using Etsy Payments)

7. Open Your Shop

Subsequently y'all've entered your credit card details, the "open your shop" push will turn blackness and you tin click on it. Congratulations—your shop is open. At present you tin share your shop with your friends, family and followers.

Your shop URL comes in two different formats:

  • https://www.etsy.com/store/nameofyourshop
  • https://nameofyourshop.etsy.com

8. Update Your Bio

By adding a brief bio and photo, yous tin show potential customers the artisan backside the shop. This is a place where sellers like to share their inspiration for what they practise. For example, if you starting time your shop considering you are raising money for a cause or to assist finance a journeying (such every bit IVF or adoption), say then.

9. Fix Your Shop Policies

This is one of the most critical steps in becoming an Etsy seller. You desire to anticipate any questions a heir-apparent might have to assist eliminate whatever back-and-forth questions via chat. A policy section volition besides aid in the consequence of whatsoever disputes.

Essential elements of your shop policies include:

  • Processing fourth dimension
  • Aircraft policies (for example, peradventure yous only ship via USPS Priority to take advantage of free insurance)
  • Payment options
  • Returns and exchanges policy

Bottom Line

You've heard it earlier—Etsy is the perfect identify for makers to sell handmade appurtenances. Information technology's where people get to find unique, one-of-a-kind items that they can't detect in other places. Luckily, it takes very lilliputian time to set up an Etsy store, and it has a low barrier of entry. While it'south gratuitous to create an business relationship, y'all but pay a modest fee for list your item and a fee when information technology sells.

Find Legal Answers For Your Modest Business organisation

Nolo offers hundreds of consumer-friendly exercise-it-yourself legal products written in plain English.

Often Asked Questions

Does Etsy report my shop income to the IRS?

Yes, Etsy is required by police to report your income to the IRS if you have more than than $twenty,000 in sales and more than 200 transactions. Y'all will receive a 1099-Yard to file your taxes.

Tin can I buy shipping labels through Etsy?

By purchasing your shipping labels through Etsy, y'all tin can salve up to 30% compared to USPS retail rates. You lot can also use a provider similar Pirate Ship or Shippo.