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As a new Etsy business owner, you’re working hard to boost business, create more products and market your Etsy shop effectively. But, things don’t always work out the way you’d like and sometimes the things you try end up being big mistakes for your little shop. I’ve been there! And some days, I’m still there. It takes a lot of work to be a sole business owner, operator and marketer. Running an Etsy shop successfully is not an easy business and you don’t want to start out making mistake after mistake.

Today I’m sharing 5 mistakes you don’t want to make in your Etsy business. Some of these are mistakes that I made when I was first starting out like, shipping late and bad photography. I thought if I offered the fastest shipping times that I’d get more orders. Instead, I got more and more overwhelmed and ended up behind time after time. And my photography in the beginning? Don’t get me started! It should have been outlawed. I don’t know how I ever ended up making sales.

Today, I’m a lot more organized in my business. I set realistic time frames on shipping and I create clean, clear photos for my products. But, I’ve been at it for 10 years and you’re just getting started in this addicting, little Etsy business. You’re going to make mistakes, no matter what you do. It’s a learning process and you’ll get there, my friend. You will! You just have to work hard on your Etsy shop…each and every day and you’ll get there.

Here’s some tips to help you along the way –

5 Mistakes You Don’t Want To Make in Your Etsy Business

1. Bad Customer Service – Customer service is the most important part of your business and you are your golden ticket to success. Treat each customer like they are your #1 customer. Work with them to create the product of their dreams…every single time and you’ll make a repeat customer for life.
2. Poorly Packaging – Make sure to package each and every order appropriately so that it arrives safely at it’s destination. There is nothing worse for a customer than anxiously awaiting a package only to find it damaged.
3. Shipping Late – Seriously, don’t ship your orders late. Set your shipping times to a reasonable time frame and follow through on each and every order. Bonus points if you send each customer a personal note letting them know that their items have shipped.
4. Bad Photography – Your photos are what sell your item.  Make sure to use a clean, white or light grey background and be sure to highlight the image in the photo. Pay attention to how other sellers are photographing similar items and then come up with a strategy that works for you. Consider taking all of your photos on the same background to create a continuous look throughout your store.
5. Overloading Yourself – Keep your listing count to a manageable level for you. As a small business owner you should know your products inside out and if a customer asks a question about some random product, you should be ready to give an answer. I have over 400 items in my stationery shop and more yet, in my printables shop. Yes, that seems like a lot, but in reality only a handful of those items will sell each week and my printables shop is a new passive income source that I’ve been working on. Since I have hand-drawn almost every design, they are all part of my memory and I can easily answer any questions you might have about the product.

I hope these tips help save you from making these common Etsy business mistakes. Read the complete How to Sell on Etsy series to learn more tips and tricks for making a success of your Etsy shop.

Have a Spectacular Day!

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