to feel furious with myself at wasting this time

[uselesscow]

I am a sahm and my dh doesn't earn that much. Last year I had the brainwave of setting up my own Etsy/craft shop selling items that are quite unusual and that I thought there might be a market for.

Tonight I have closed my shop having taken my last sale and wish to god I had never bothered. I've spent the whole time it was open wasting time trying to make it work for us to bring in much needed income and have completely failed.

I stood freezing my fat ass off at craft fairs smiling away politely while people just walked by without a glance at the things I'd made, which just felt humiliating. Promoted and promoted and promoted my shop via facebook, twitter, pinterest, blogging, everything you're supposed to do. Wasted money on books on how to sell your crafts. And all for virtually nothing. I've made about £250 in a year, and have easily spent that on books, supplies and other shite. About £20 a month. My husband who is very talented and good at what he does can make that in less than an hour doing freelance work.

The stuff I make is quite easy to fuck up as well. I've cried tears over orders that I've mucked up and had to start again. Snapped at my husband. Ignored my dcs trying to get the right photo in the right light of my products rather than playing with them.

Sorry to rant, I just feel like I wish I could go back in time and tell myself not to bother. I honestly thought it would be a small second income for us but it has just been a stressful time consuming money consuming nightmare. Guess I am just destined to be useless.

I love the building blocks!

I'm a self taught photographer who could give you some tips on photographing objects (it's my favourite thing to photograph- much more biddable than people!) and have the following suggestions:

1. I don't like your fonts, they look cheap and there are much nicer ones on dafont website.

1. I agree on needing continuity with your backgrounds

1. Sometimes on your signs the backgrounds are too busy to see the name

1. Looking on Pinterest the alphabet letters are/will be popular- I've not found a uk seller who already does this, maybe something to consider?

I used to be in the craft industry - went from experimenting at home to supplying a chain in a couple of years... hard work but I loved it.

As mentioned... you don't have a 'look', a 'brand'... if you like variety in design, then have 'ranges'. For eg: 3 ranges of types of products with 3 different backgrounds in each range (eg: pastel/bold colour/natural) - there are 9 varieties there already.

Keep the text on your designs simple. The background design should not detract from the text, I battled reading some of your signs as the background design is too busy. Have some bespoke, customised items, but have some (cheaper) designs that are as is... these you can make stock of and store.

Photograph them in good, natural lighting, white/neutral background so the product stands out.

I wish you all the best... don't give up... think of what HAS sold.. and focus on those products. Don't waste time, energy and funds on making an unpopular product... focus on what sells.

This is just my/my partners personal opinion of course, but personally I thought your stuff was gorgeous.

I know lots of successful people in business and can't think of a single one still doing the thing they started doing. The ones doing roughly the same thing have evolved massively. It's almost as though one venture that didn't work out is a vital part of succeeding (I've certainly had mine!)

I also know a lot of people who have "failed" and one thing unifies them - they don't take responsibility. By posting this thread AND by actually listening to criticism I really think the OP could do well. In her next venture if not this one.

Thank you Standinglego for sharing a link to my blog post:)

I have recently discovered two Etsy tools. They look potentially really useful, the first to work out the best selling shops selling items similar to your own, and the second where you can read your own stats re tags, but also your competitors. Therefore I have been able to see what tags other bag shops are using successfully:) craftcount.com/ and www.mycrafttools.com/

I hope this helps, I find I go through real ups and downs with my bags.. just when I wonder about it I sell one, having said that my sales in April and May have been much lower than February and March.

It is hard work, and I am fortunate that it is a supplementary income for us. All the best

Vicky

I was going to say have more lines rather than less? I'm speaking as a shopper here but I'm more likely to buy lots of things from a shop rather than just one item, so if there's more to tempt me and put in my basket, I'm much more likely to complete the sale.

I really like the little girls rose bedroom sign. I also like the Cuba luggage tag. Would you be able to do that as a picture though? I've been after one of the old absinthe 1920s style posters which you can buy online quite easily, but I want it wrapped round a wood block (not sure of the correct term) not as a poster.

Can you sew? I was thinking that the pump bag I bought my daughter would compliment your range. It's made from different scraps of fabric with her name appliquéd on. I think I paid around £20 for it so not sure if it would be cost effective or not but it's really pretty and the shop I bought it from said they had been very popular.

If it makes you feel any better I have done the same.... But after a year off, have just ordered a brand spanking new sewing machine and am hoping to start again in time for Christmas fairs. I plan to learn from my mistakes, budget better, be more business like with people, advertise more and structure my week so I have dedicated time for making.

You may feel bad now and it can be soul destroying but it was not a waste!!!

Friend of mine made similar stuff, hight charts and mobiles. She got a local children's clothes shop to take some and get orders.
Your stuff is really nice. Don't give up.

I've just thought of some more things I'd want if you had them...

With the children's room signs would you be able to make them more for teenagers? Something along the lines of lipstick and high heels for a girl. Not sure about a boy though. I know they wouldn't look quite as good, but if I bought the rose one for my youngest daughter I'd need to buy one for the older children too.

Also I was thinking about a sign similar to he chickens but for dogs. The ones you can buy in the pet shop aren't very attractive and I do need one.

Height chart is a very good idea too!

vickym...MN obviously a small world

Have you written a business plan? Im just starting up business i tied to do a few years ago but i wasnt prepared and i gave up. i know where i went wrong and am much more prepared this time and will be writing a business plan to keep me on track.

yy the vintage blocks are fab. Some vintage Australiana ones would be cute too. And doing different flags that can be commissioned sounds a good idea.

Op I just wanted to add my voice to those saying you are not a failure. And I wanted to tell you about my expiearience.

Before dd1 was born I started my business, I went along to craft fairs and sold literally nothing as the foot fall was shockingly bad. I've been to many sometimes making back the cost of the table and others givi my (edible) stick away as throwing it away makes me want to cry. Arguin about the cost of my product when I know how muh time and effort has gone in is heartbreaking. I plowed time and money ino it to make I work and have felt like you described. When dd1 was born I decided I needed a break and took 9 months may leave. I fell pregnant with dd2 and decided not to go back.
Dd2 is now 16 months old and I am tentitively dipping my toes back into the water. Starting with a yell advert and an offer on netmums.

I've learnt that photos are so very very important, I don't argue on price, a cake cost x much and you can take it or leave it. I don't feel embarrassed when someone says its too expensive, I say I'm sorry, what's your budget and Ill tell you what you can have (usually the budget is stupidly low and then I tell them I'm not the decorator for them). I've learnt that a business plan is important and you must stick to it. In my case craft fairs are a waste of time and I won't be ever doing any more!

Have you thought about making friends with other stall holders, sharing a table? Paying towards the cost of another's table I they ham out flyers for you.

You've ha some great advice on this thread. Don't give up. You will get there, and don't forget to take advantage of netmums and mumsnet local pages.

There has been some great advice given, and I'm really glad you're re-thinking giving it all up. You have to accept a certain amount of failures as you establish your business and find out what works.

I haven't checked out any of the links yet, I'm going to go back and have a look now. The only thing I would add is that I'm not sure how many non-crafts people use Etsy? It seems like the majority of users are other crafts people, so they will be more concerned about selling their own goods than buying other people's. Of course I may be wrong, and this is probably where your other marketing comes in, directing people to your Etsy shop.

I also think that craft fairs are a lot of work for potentially little return. Good to get your work seen "in the flesh", so may generate future sales, but speaking personally, I go to craft fairs for a bit of a day out, I have a look round at all the lovely things, but it's very rare for me to buy anything.

Good luck, keep it up, I'm sure that if you take on board some of the advice given here (which it looks like you are doing) you will continue to expand and make more money from your crafts.

Thank you so much everyone for taking the time to look at my shop and make suggestions. I'm so glad I posted on here now, I was just after a bit of sympathy at first but have ended up with some brilliant feedback, some of which I had vaguely thought already and some of which I would never have thought of.

I feel very energised and ready to inject some new life into things. I'm going to start by splitting the shop into three shops - one for personalised items (going to call it Remember My Name), one for framed more expensive typographic style art (going to call it Words Are Like Diamonds) and keep Violetfizz for the wooden hearts, blocks, tags, etc. That way each shop has more of an identity and is more specialised in what it sells, at the moment there's no clear 'brand' identity. Going to make myself photograph everything again, on the next sunny day we get and take it from there. Lots of other suggestions too, I need to write them all down.

Thanks everyone, you have really helped.x

Sorry, forgot to say northcountry, I have wanted to make wooden a4 block pictures for a while but cannot find a supplier - if I ever do I'll let you know!
I can sew, but nothing too complicated - I do make bags to go with my blocks. There is a grungy style teenage sign in my shop but I don't know if an older teenager would like it. I like the dog sign idea, will look into!

Etsy is a bit of a tough market, I've found. Lots of networking to get your stuff promoted, etc.

Know any friends who are good with a camera? Maybe offer a skill swap, offer them a bespoke sign in return for some excellent product shots?

Also, lots of people like to know your story as a crafts person. Maybe keep a short blog about what you're up to, works in progress, a couple of tutorials? Then you can link it to your etsy shop, as well as your facebook & twitter and get a nice social media storm going.

You tried which is the main thing. Please post a link to your stuff, some of us might be looking to buy gifts

Hi not-so-useless cow! I LOVE your door signs - how many letters can they hold? (I'm redoing the girls' bedroom so need one with two names on - one of 4 letters, and one of six, is this possible?)

Good for you - I think your things are lovely... :)

Hello

Just came across this thread (late to the party as usual!) as I was searching on 'giftwrappedandgorgeous'. I've just been accepted to sell on there and wondered if anyone knew if they were any good?

I think you should be really proud that you've got up off your butt, juggled all these things and really tried. On etsy it takes ages to build up a presence and start seeing regular sales.

I'm on etsy here

and am happy to help with a shop critique if you want to contact me on there? I'm also a member of several UK focused teams on etsy and they help a lot with questions, critiques etc or just cheering you up when you're a bit down. I'd recommend pickedbyhandeu and craftbritannia.

PM if I can help at all