If you've e'er made artisan or handmade goods, y'all've probably heard "yous should sell these on Etsy" a time or two. Learning how to fix an Etsy store is easy. Hither are 9 simple steps for yous to take your store ready to go in a unmarried twenty-four hour period.

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Earlier Getting Started

Design

Nosotros're going to assume y'all already accept a viable production, just it'south worth mentioning that branding is everything when getting your first Etsy sale. If this isn't your potent suit, hire a graphic designer to create your product labels or purchase a template from Etsy. You can and so print these labels at home using a light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation printer or club labels online.

Photos

You've worked so hard to create your production and label information technology—make sure the photos showcase the effort you lot've put into it. Y'all don't necessarily demand to hire a pro photographer to take product images. Instead, find a sunny window and apply portrait style on your phone to accept images of your products on a white groundwork (poster lath works great for this). Alternatively, lodge a simple lightbox off of Amazon.

Cyberbanking

To arrive easier to file your business concern taxes, set up a carve up depository financial institution account to handle all of your Etsy expenses and transactions. This way, you have every business-related expense in i place and not mingled with your personal money.

Packing Materials

Etsy buyers expect their packages to ship quickly, so be sure to have all of your packing material ahead of time. This includes boxes, biodegradable packing peanuts, packing tape and aircraft labels. In one case you're regularly making sales, you may desire to consider branded boxes and a thermal label printer.

9 Steps To Set up an Etsy Shop

one. Create Your Etsy Account

In order to create a seller account, yous must first have a consumer Etsy account. Navigate to "Sign In" in the top right corner, and a dialogue box for credentials will open. Click on "Annals" if you don't already have an business relationship. You volition receive an electronic mail asking to confirm your account.

After signing in, adjacent to the shopping cart in the top right corner is a greyness circle with a silhouette on it. When you click on the circle, a driblet-downwards menu gives you lot an selection to click on "Sell on Etsy."

Later landing on the "Sell on Etsy" page, in that location's a blackness "Open Your Etsy Shop" button below the imprint.

two. Enter Your Shop Preferences

Hither, enter your shop preferences; language, shop country, shop currency and whether your store is your full-fourth dimension income or not. When finished, click "Salvage and go on" in the lesser right corner.

three. Name Your Shop

Yous can name your shop in 20 characters or less, and it must be unique from other shops. Your name may only have unaccented roman letters and numbers, without spaces. Enter the proposed name yous want and click "check availability." If you're not certain what to proper noun your shop, Etsy has tips for choosing a shop proper name. Once set, yous can only change your store proper noun one time, so cull carefully. After deciding on a name, click "salve and go on."

four. Create Your Listings

Now y'all will create your listings. Etsy recommends having a minimum of ten dissimilar listings for a greater take a chance of visibility.

Your list includes:

  • Photos. At to the lowest degree one photo is required, and you tin add up to ten photos. In improver to product images, upload a picture of the product next to a ruler or a dollar beak (or similar) to help customers gauge the size of an item. Even though you will list measurements in the listing details, a visual of the size helps.
  • Videos. While not required, a video can set your product apart from your competition. Bear witness the production in utilise and at all angles.
  • List details. List the title of the product, who made it, when it was made, whether it's a physical or digital product, a detailed description, materials used and tags. Hither you can besides add together a section to group like products together.
  • Inventory and pricing. What is the price of your item? Make certain to factor in the cost of materials, labor, shipping cost (if offer free aircraft, build it into your product price) and shipping materials. If you follow best manufacturing processes, this is where yous also include a SKU.
  • Product variations. Does your production accept 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 have Etsy calculate your shipping costs for you based on your origin zilch code. Input your processing time, where y'all are willing to send, aircraft services offered, whether y'all include free domestic or international shipping and whether you lot desire to build a handling fee into the shipping cost. Item weight and size get here, too.

You tin can preview each list earlier you lot save information technology. In one case you've added all of your listings, select "relieve and continue."

5. Input Your Payment Settings

Etsy needs to know your revenue enhancement filing condition, so the first question it asks under the payment settings is whether you're an individual or sole proprietorship or a registered legal entity. If you select "individual or sole proprietorship," provide your country, full name, date of nativity, address, phone number and last four digits of your social security number.

Incorporated businesses will enter the name of the legal entity, legal business address, land, business registration number and EIN. Additionally, Etsy needs a primary contact for the concern, so it asks who the store owner is. You'll provide the full name, address, date of birth and the last four digits of their Social Security number.

After completing this department, your next section is the country where your banking company is located. From there, input your routing number and checking or savings account number that you want your Etsy sales to go into.

6. Enter Your Credit Card Details

You need a credit card to pay for your Etsy fees. Input your credit card number, CCV, expiration date and full name on the carte du jour. For peace of mind, sign upwards for auto-billing and Etsy will automatically neb your card on the kickoff of the month or when you laissez passer your fee threshold. Otherwise, you can pay any time from the first to the 15th of the month.

There are three chief fees you'll run into as an Etsy seller:

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

vii. Open Your Shop

After you've entered your credit card details, the "open your shop" push button volition turn blackness and yous can click on it. Congratulations—your store is open. Now you lot tin share your shop with your friends, family and followers.

Your shop URL comes in two dissimilar formats:

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

8. Update Your Bio

By adding a brief bio and photo, you can testify potential customers the artisan behind the store. This is a place where sellers similar to share their inspiration for what they practise. For example, if y'all start your shop because y'all are raising money for a crusade or to help finance a journey (such as IVF or adoption), say and so.

nine. Set Up Your Store Policies

This is one of the most disquisitional steps in becoming an Etsy seller. You want to anticipate any questions a buyer might have to help eliminate any dorsum-and-forth questions via chat. A policy department will besides assistance in the upshot of any disputes.

Essential elements of your shop policies include:

  • Processing time
  • Aircraft policies (for case, maybe you only ship via USPS Priority to take advantage of free insurance)
  • Payment options
  • Returns and exchanges policy

Bottom Line

You've heard it before—Etsy is the perfect place for makers to sell handmade goods. It's where people go to find unique, one-of-a-kind items that they can't find in other places. Luckily, information technology takes very little time to gear up an Etsy shop, and it has a low barrier of entry. While it'south gratis to create an account, yous just pay a small fee for listing your item and a fee when it sells.

Observe Legal Answers For Your Minor Business concern

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Etsy report my store income to the IRS?

Yes, Etsy is required past law to report your income to the IRS if you accept more than $20,000 in sales and more than 200 transactions. Y'all volition receive a 1099-1000 to file your taxes.

Can I buy shipping labels through Etsy?

Past purchasing your shipping labels through Etsy, you lot can save upward to 30% compared to USPS retail rates. You lot can besides use a provider like Pirate Ship or Shippo.