The Etsy Grind: 5 Tips On How to Hustle Hard and Stay Sane
Do you find yourself hustling late into the night, trying to keep up with your Etsy shop? Are you feeling completely overwhelmed by creating rich SEO listings, titles, and descriptions and wondering when you will ever get a break?
Welcome to the Etsy Grind! It’s exhausting and relentless work, but it can also be gratifying if you know how to handle it. Here are seven tips on how to stay sane while hustling hard.
First off, before we get into it. What is your reason for all this hustling? Make sure you have a purpose. Is it to pay your bills, save up for that dream car, travel around the world in style, or follow a passion and leap of faith? Whatever it is, remember why you’re putting yourself through all this work. This will help motivate you to keep going and remind you of the benefits when things get rough.
We all have an area of expertise, and Etsy is no exception. Whether you’re selling handmade knit sweaters, custom jewelry, or vintage posters, focus on what makes you unique, and don’t be afraid to show it off. If you jump into an area that brings you little to no joy, you’ll burn out quickly and may abandon your project altogether.
Now let’s get into the foundation of being an Etsy seller; setting goals.
1) You must set realistic expectations for yourself and your shop, whether making a certain amount of money or gaining X number of followers within a specific time frame. Keeping track of them is essential, so be sure to review your progress occasionally. And at times, your goals will change, so do not be rigged and leave room to grow, meaning that there will be times you want to adjust the plan, and that’s ok.
Keep in mind no one expects you to get it right from the get-go, and know that your results will bring in curious customers and, in turn, sales over the year. Review, refine, and repeat!
2) Establishing a routine also helps to stay sane during the Etsy grind. Whether you’re an early bird or a night owl, it doesn’t matter what time you work as long as it works for your schedule and lifestyle. Consistency is critical if you are looking to achieve goals, so create a routine that works best for you and stick to it.
Creating a schedule that works around your time and energy level can initially get uncomfortable, like anything you want to change. However, it will be worth it in the end, and you’ll thank yourself for giving your body the rest it needs to recover. Just like working out, sure, it’s painful and, at times, dreadful in the first few weeks, but soon after, you start to look forward to the time, see results and become enticed with the progress. Before you know it, you will look back at your accomplishments and be proud of the path you have made for yourself.
3) Deep dive into the competition and see what they are doing. This will help you put yourself in the customer’s shoes and understand what they want in a product. I give you that research can be intimidating, but it’s necessary to stay ahead of the curve. Put together a spreadsheet and take note of the prices, target market, branding, and more. This will help you decide what to focus on in your shop. This also goes for SEO, create a list of trending keywords within your niche and filter out the overstated ones, as they will not give you a competitive edge at first.
Just for fun, taking a scrapbook or a sheet of paper will do the trick and list what you want to shop to embody; create a mood down to the brand colors you will use for your product images. This will begin your Etsy identity and set the tone for your shop. Again have consistency in images, messages, and design to attract the right audience.
4) Invest in yourself, don’t be scared to spend a few bucks on business tools such as software or digital products that can help you manage or enhance your operations. Invest in SEO tools like Erank or Sales Samurai to level the playing field and help you understand what the customer is looking for.
Buying yourself a planner and joining an Etsy group can have significant benefits, too. Planning and connecting with like-minded individuals will provide tremendous assistance to enhance your business and offer service when needed. Learn their mistakes, tips, and tricks to avoid making them yourself. Then pat yourself on the back because you are one step closer to success.
5) Be creative; no one will expect you to have perfection from the beginning. Instead, try to focus on creating something unique and stand out from everyone else. This will help you get noticed by potential customers and gain loyalty from those already buying your products.
Creating a unique product can be difficult but possible. Take time to explore different materials, designs, and even services you can offer to your customers. This will also help you identify what is needed in the market. A great example would be customizing any product to give a feeling of personalization that will ignite the customer’s attention.
Check out an earlier article I wrote surrounding creativity here.
Wrapping it all up together, staying focused, and believing in yourself. The Etsy grind isn’t as hard as it seems; it just requires a lot of effort to make it work and mind-numbing patience. Everyone starts small, yet that won’t stop you from achieving your goals since you are second to none, and the best is yet to come, my friend. So buckle up and get ready for the ride of a lifetime! Hustle hard, stay sane, and never give up.
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You got this!
Peter
