You may notice I have been visibly absent from my blog.I have had quite a few things on my plate and, unfortunately, my blog had to take a back seat for a while. But I am so excited to introduce you all to my Etsy Shop–Creative Empath. Over the past six months, I have been working hard to launch and grow my shop where I sell genuine gemstone beaded jewelry. I won’t be talking too much about my products here at Runaway Teacher. Instead, I am excited to share my Etsy journey with you.
It all started in March, when I was inspired to create my own mala.
For those of you who do not know, a mala is a beaded necklace that is designed to aid you in meditation. The idea is this–the beads help you to count and keep track of the mantras you repeat during a meditation session. I ordered my materials–beads, cord, thread for a tassel, and I watched video after video on YouTube to help me learn the process for counting, knotting and tying my tassels. And, my first mala was beautiful. It wasn’t perfect, but it was beautiful. I decided to order some more supplies, and make a few more. And then…I made the leap. I opened an Etsy shop, and I listed my malas.
Within the first two weeks I had sold my first mala for $50. I could not believe it. I was so grateful to my first customer for purchasing something from a brand new shop that I sent her an extra bracelet, too.
This week, I made my 56th sale.
I have 160 followers on Instagram, and I have grown this audience organically. I know that this all seems pretty small…pretty insignificant. But, when you consider the number of stores on Etsy, the supposed saturation, and the minimal amount of time that I have had to invest in my business…I feel that I’ve experienced great success so far. And you know what? I love every single minute of it.
As a mom, as a female entrepreneur, it is so exciting to experience success. And I want to share my experience, and the lessons I learn along the way in order to help YOU build a successful shop of your own. I am excited to share what I have found about the nuances of opening an Etsy shop, buying supplies, customer service, time management, resources and inspiration. Be sure to reach out with any Etsy related questions you might have too. And, if I don’t have an answer, I will find one for you!
