Celebrating Six Years on Etsy!!!

March marks my 6 year anniversary on Etsy! As of today I have just about reached 16,000 sales!!! When I think about how it all started back in 2012, it is almost inconceivable that I would be where I am today. Back in March of 2012, I started selling handmade (literally) greeting cards and calendars. My cards were made out of scrapbooking paper. They were pretty but very time consuming. Needless to say, that didn't last long. Today I sell prints, canvases, calendars, framed items, coffee mugs and yes, I still sell my calendars. With almost 2 million sellers on Etsy today, I am please to announce that I am in the top 1% off all sellers and I owe it all to you - my customer!!!

If you are thinking about opening a shop on Etsy, here are my top 6 tips for new sellers:

1. Don't expect that first sale to happen overnight. My first sale took 2 months and sales were slow for a bit.

2. List a new item each day to keep your shop relevant.

3. Answer questions quickly! Customers are shopping around and often the one who answers their question first gets the sale.

4. Be open to suggestions from friends and customers. Learn from your reviews (yes even the bad ones).

5. Find a niche. Mine is wedding and anniversary art. I haven't given up on my quotes and children's designs but my wedding designs are my number one sellers.

6. Connect your shop to your social media accounts. Let your followers know when you have new items for sale. I like Pinterest the best but also use Instagram and Facebook to showcase my new products.

To celebrate six years, I am going to be giving away one of my prints up to $20. So sign up below for your chance to win. I'll keep the contest open throughout the month of March and announce the winner on Monday, April 2.