Shipping

Seller How-to Shipping

1.  It is important to remember to take into account holiday shipping schedules.  During the holidays, many people will be purchasing gifts.  It is important to check with the USPS to see what delivery estimates are, and make sure your customer knows this.  This will help make sure you don't have problems with items being delayed because of the holiday rush.

2.  Insurance is a good way to provide customer service for customers and protect yourself.  If an item is lost or damaged, insurance ensures that you will be reimbursed by the shipping service.  This means the customer will get their item, and you won't lose any money.  Tracking numbers or postage receipts are also important.  They provide proof that you have shipped an item, in case a paypal dispute is brought up.

3.  If you are selling internationally, it is important to know what you can and cannot ship to certain countries.  This eliminates delays at customs or items being returned because they are not allowed through.

Non Delivery Complaint Process

1.  Etsy's non-delivery complaint handling system can help buyers who have not recieved an item they've paid for.  It is useful if you have purchased an item and have not recieved it nor heard on any progress from the seller.

2.  Etsy will send notification emails to the seller to alert them to the issue.  These are good, because sometimes a seller was simply away from a computer, or a response to a customer email went unnoticed. Often, these notifications will help rectify the situation simply because there was a miscommunication or error in reporting an item shipped, etc.

3.  Making sure to always have either a delivery confirmation or proof of shipment also protects sellers.  These documentations can show etsy that an item was shipped, in the case of an item lost during mailing or a customer who is trying to scam a seller.

Shipping Costs and Paypal

1.  It is useful to know how to override shipping costs between Etsy and Paypal invoices.

2.  Sometimes, an item costs less to ship than you have listed on the listing.  This may be because you have generic shipping costs, or found a new way to ship.

3.  Accurate shipping helps you show customers that you are not trying to rip them off.

Pretty as a Package

1.  Because Etsy is all about artists, handmade goods, and community, taking extra care in packaging is a n inexpensive way to show how important your customers are to you.

2.  Using a fun address place stamp, or a stamp to show that a package is fragile, is a very cost effective way to personalize packages.  Because so many people use email or texts now, snail mail is more of a nostalgic experience.  

3.  Including freebies, like stickers, seeds, recipes, etc. also adds to the Etsy experience.  It is another way to show your customer that they matter and you appreciate them.  This is also a way to help your customer remember you.

Packaging Ideas

1.  This article had some very cute ideas for packaging.  

2.  Simple gift wrap looks very nice, but it also looks great to add more details to the wrapping.

3.  Packaging is an opportunity to be eco friendly, using recycled paper or reappropriating some other type of paper for wrapping.

Store Policy and Bio

Store Policy

Payment

Currently, the only form of payment we accept is Paypal.  We appreciate payments recieved within 3 days, but if you need a slightly longer amount of time please contact us.

Shipping

I ship all items USPS priority mail, which generally takes 2-3 business days to arrive in the United States.  All packages with a delivery confirmation tracking number.  Generally, I ship within one day of recieving payment.  If you live somewhere that we don't have shipping listed for, please contact us.  We can calculate shipping and send you a revised invoice.

Refunds and Exchanges

We are happy to exchange any item within 7 days of you recieving the item.  If the item is defective or breaks, please let us know as soon as possible, so that you can get a replacement.  If item arrives damaged, we will pay return shipping.  In all other cases, we are not responsible for the cost of replacement shipping.

Contact

Don't hesitate to contact me if you have a question, comment, or request regarding an item or purchase.  We respond in a timely manner to all etsy convos.

I chose these policies by basing them loosely on the policies I already use for my Ebay shop.  The paypal and contact policies are actually identical.  At this point in time, almost all Etsy shoppers use paypal.  The three day rule is also good in my opinion.  Immediate payment is somewhat strict.  However, a week creates too much delay.  It essentially ties up your money because you can't sell the reserved product.

I also think it is important to note that while it is good to have official policies, I have been okay with breaking them in the past.  This is especially important in cases where the customer has bought from you before, or they are just slightly out of the return window.  This makes them feel taken care of as customers, and makes them more likely to view you positively.

Bio

My name is Minta, and I can pretty much assure you that I will be the only Minta you ever meet.  Having a unique name may have made me so preoccupied with things that are different and new and a little special.

I am a fashion student by day, thrifter by afternoon, and crafty lady by night.  I love little treasures.  A vintage ashtray full of change, or a Victorian Dresser Set.  Little details make your day more beautiful.  

Each jewelry display and mosaic I make is inspired by a desire to make the ordinary surprising, quirky, and memorable.  Each sparkly, whimsical piece is created nightly by me, with a little company from my Rat Terrier Busy.

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I have had a lot of trouble writing my bio.  This is only a first draft.  While the readings help, I think it is just really hard to write about yourself without feeling either very self conscious or like you're just being "ME ME ME".  

I tried to write my bio in a way that was light and conversational, conveying my personality but still being well written and professional.  However, I am afraid that parts of it sound silly.  I wanted to add personal details, and things that I think make me unique as a person.  I also wanted to add a little bit about where my inspiration comes from.  However, I couldn't really find a way to do this and explain it.  I don't want it to be rambling either.

The Art of Pricing

 Anatomy of a Cost Effective Project

1.  I found it very generous that this author was giving herself $20 per hour as a crafting wage.  This is good, because you have to make your time valuable, but I also think that you must price things in a way that is attractive to the customer.

2.  I question why this seller decided to buy so much material in bulk before she was sure of how successful she would be in making this item.  If she would have put more time in to prototyping, I think she wouldn't have made this mistake.

3.  I learned that it is important to make sure that the craft you make isn't just desirable to the customer;  the amount of materials and manpower used must also meet your needs as a seller.

Theories in Discounting


1.  Discounting is a lot more involved than it looks, and really is a marketing concept rather than just a way to price items.  Methods or types of discounting can appeal or deter customers because of psychological reasons, and different customers may react to discounts in certain ways.

2.  I think that using the Free Shipping option is a great way to entice customers.  Paying shipping is one of the things that often discourages me from purchasing, but offering free shipping makes it seem "easier" for me to shop.

3.  Using etsy teams or groups sounds like a great way to run promotions and discounts.  These group discounts make more of an impact than a one seller sale.  Additionally, everyone can share in the work to promote the stores.

Three Helpful Pricing Tips

1.  It is very important to remember that a big part of item price is what your time is worth.   Not only does this make your prices more realistic, but you will be able to focus more on items that you enjoy making.  Making items you like means you will feel better pricing them in a way that is realistic and not overly high just because you felt like you went through a lot of trouble to create the item.

2.  Knowing your customer is the most important way to price.  This made me think of finding your niche and target market.  Example:  if you make diamond jewelry geared towards fashion students, you may not have much luck.  They may love your designs, but you also have to know how much money they can spend, and diamond jewelry probably doesn't fit into a college budget.

3.  Working backwards to find item prices was something I have thought of with ebay before, but never etsy.  It is very suprising to say, I want to make this much per year, and then divide by your items to see how much each one should cost.  When I did this on Ebay, I realized that I either needed to sell items for more or sell more items.  It is a way of facing financial reality to keep yourself on the right track.

You Get What you Pay for


1.  Part of what determines your pricing is what you believe your creativity is worth.  I think it is kind of hard to be objective when determining the worth of our own creativity.  For most people in the class, being a craftsperson is new, so I can see how this is hard.

2.  I like the idea that the little extras/details can take an item from being good to "premium".  Elements like technique and your personal story add to value.  This shows how important your bio can be when influencing how a customer percieves your item.

3.  I agree that pricing too low is just as bad as pricing too high.  My automatic assumption for a very low priced item is that the quality must be substandard or that the materials used aren't as good.

Staying Competitive

1.  Using demand pricing can help explain why people seem to overpay for some things.  This is pricing what the market will bear.  If you are designing an item that people will often buy as gifts or see as a splurge, you can price higher.

2.  Seeing where your price fits among your competitors helps you develop a competitive price.  This would also show you that if all your competitors are undercharging, you may want to make your item a little different, help differentiate it from the others, and show the customer why it costs a little more.  If this isn't possible, you might want to think of doing a different item.

3.  It's better to price too high at first than too low.  It is a lot easier to lower a price than to raise it on a customers.

Tiered Pricing

I thought that the concept of tiered pricing was very reminiscent of what fashion designers do with regards to couture, ready to wear, and accessories.

1.  Having an expensive "buzz piece" can generate excitement and conversation around your store.  This is like couture;  most customers are not buying it, but they want to see it and will often stay around to shop for things which will fit their budget.

2.  Offering lots of things at different price points allows you to attract a wider range of customers.  I like when an Etsy store offers similar designs in lower price points than their signature pieces.  These types of pieces are good because I can buy them for myself and not splurge, rather than waiting for a birthday or special event.

3.  I also think that pushing yourself to create items at different price points also forces you to be more innovative in designs.  You must come up with ways to either simplify or make your design more involved.

The Art of Pricing

1.  Direct costs are one of the factors that influence item price.  While most people think that direct cost is a fixed expense, I like the idea that one can be innovative in reducing direct cost, and then are able to make more wage/profit.  Using recycled/vintage materials is one way to do this.  It would also be helpful to look on the internet for wholesalers from whom to buy materials.

2.  Indirect costs are harder for me to understand.  While my items do not have much indirect cost, if I chose to sew garments instead, how would I factor in the cost of my sewing machine? This seems confusing, especially for items that require machinery to create.

3.  I like, again, that this article mentioned noting your desired yearly wage and working backwards from there.  I think this is the easiest way to see the REALITY of how much you need to produce and make.  It can be frustrating trying to guess on figures, but this allows you to break things down in a way that is easy to understand, item by item.

Paragon Learning Style

I was skeptical of taking yet another learning styles test for this class.  Most of us have taken many of these type tests by the time we get this far in college.  However, the thing that I found different about this test was that it integrated questions about how you act in social situations.  The result of my test, which was the ISTP, actually revealed some of the aspects of my personality I have always said, oh no that's not me, etc.

I have always struggled with the idea that I have grown into a more introspective person as an adult.  The ISTP style pointed this out, and how it can also be a good thing.  I am not comfortable with approaching strangers, but I am very warm and comfortable with people I am already somewhat acquainted with.  This can help me on Etsy, because I do not have to approach strangers face-to-face.  Instead, I can look at potential customers who contact me as someone I already have commonalities with, because they are interested in my product.  Therefore, I need to be friendly, helpful, and prompt with responses.

I also learned that it is much easier for me to complete tasks when I have order and routine, so it will be very important for me to keep up with what I need to do each week for the store, making sure to answer emails and ship productts in a timely manner.  This will allow me to not feel like I am behind and overwhelmed in unfinished tasks.

The dualities of Thinker/Feeler was something I have struggled with.  I have always thought of myself as a more freethinking person.  However, being classified as a Thinker rather than a feeler surprised me.  I have to remember that this does not make me boring or dull.  Rather, being a thinker will allow me to use a critical eye when evaluating item quality or writings for my shop.  I can use this critical, rational ability to be objective and make my store and items better.

I also found it very interesting that the ISTP style is sometimes described as the craftsperson.  This does not necessarily mean the artist; rather the artisan or craftsperson is great at production, which I agree with.  I can have a very hard time generating my new ideas.  However, as soon as I have a set task, I can be meticulous and driven with my work.  I plan to use this "strike while the iron is hot", and focus on completing items efficiently once I have a set plan for making them.

Lastly, I think it is important to remember that the PLS is only a learning test, and does not define WHO I am as a person, rather it just helps to explain how I think and can best learn.  I had to realize that just because I thought of myself as one type of person, doesn't mean I don't know myself.  Embracing the results of this test help me to be more successful in schoolwork and developing better ways of doing Etsy work.

The Art of Tags

I have decided on many possible tags for my items.  I have created a rhinestone encrusted mannequin head that can be used as a mosaic sculpture just for display, but it is also weighted and can be used as a bookend.  I have also created a rhinestone mannequin hand that can be used to hold and display jewelry or simply stand alone.  My tags include:

Vintage, Upcycled, Rhinestone, Crystal, Bedroom, Bookend, Jewelry Stand, Display, Disco, Lady Gaga, Bedazzled, Mannequin head, Bling, Feminine, Girly, Hand, Conversation Piece.

I am still trying to think of more possibilites, but I think that these incorporate some of the styles or descriptive terms that buyers would be searching for.

Reflecting on Etsy Challenges

Despite having previous experience with online entrepreneurship, Etsy is totally new experience for me.  I think I have put a lot of pressure on myself with regards to details of my Etsy products and store.  This has made it difficult for me to make a lot of decisions for my store.

I had a very hard time naming my store.  I wanted something fun, and girly, but I still wanted my name to sound professional.  I had to chose "Sparkles in Motion" because my first choice, Sparklemotion, was already chosen.  While I like this name, I was not completely satisfied with it.  However, I do know that it is easy to spell, and also reflects the type of product I will have in my store.

When developing my store policies, I did not have too many challenges.  I have done this before, so I knew what type of basic information to include.  My difficulty was in making these policies not sound to serious or restrictive.  Ebay and Etsy have very different seller climates, with Etsy transactions being a lot more warm and friendly.  I tried to make sure that my policies sounded friendly while still being clear.  I had my brother, who is Etsy seller, and my aunt, who buys a lot on Etsy, read them and make sure they sounded good.

Writing my bio was also somewhat difficult.  Ebay does not really use bios, because there is little personal connections to the items most people sell as auctions.  However, Etsy bios are valuable because Handmade items are such an extension of a person.  When starting to write my bio, I tried to balance getting important information about myself in there, trying to create a personal story that endears possible customers to my item, and still sounding professional.  I also did not want my bio to sound self absorbed.  What I did to stay on track was refer back to the articles with tips for writing bios, and then some guidelines I created for myself.  I wanted to make sure that customers reading the bio would know a little bit about what made me unique, and how those  unique characteristics made my items seem more valuable and unique.  I wanted the customer to feel like they were getting a present from a friend, rather than just a purchase.

My main problem with writing product descriptions is writing way too much! I know that you need a good description that could be used to envision a product in lieu of a picture.  However, I tend to write way too much and not know when to reach a stopping point.  I made sure to read my description once it was finished and look for unnecessary information.  

Most people think that taking pictures of items is the fun, or easy part.  Even though I do this all the time, I still think pictures are very frustrating.  I am a perfectionist sometimes, and got discouraged that I did not have access to a digital SLR.  I have taken lots of pictures of my stands with a regular digital, and I dont think that the lighting makes the rhinestones pop.  Consequently, I found a friend who has a SLR.  He will be helping me take better pictures and show me how to use his camera.

Design Thinking

The design thinking process was very similar to the creative thinking process we learned about in Marketing 322.  Both are about looking past obvious answers to find underlying problems and innovative solutions for any case.  The hardest step to grasp, in both of those processes, is how to look at a problem in a different way.  It makes sense that you will be able to create stronger solutions or designs when you strongly define the problem; however, I did not find that any of the articles really explain how to get into the mindset necessary for thinking outside the box.  It seems to me like something you are born with, rather than a way of thinking that can be learned.


The design thinking process can be applied to life in a number of different ways.  First, it is easy to become stressed out or frustrated in everyday life.  One example of how design thinking could help would be recognizing that your problem isn't that you have too much work to do; your problem is that you do not have good time management skills and experience stress because you have procrastinated.  I think I have also used design thinking to arrive at my ebay selling business.  When I lost my job, I could've gone and looked for another similar job.  This would have fulfilled my need for money.  However, I also had the need for time to complete schoolwork and be able to go home and visit with my family a few times a month.  Ebay was not a conventional job choice, but it still solved my need to support myself.  Additionally, it is an improved solution because it allows me to make the same amount in less time,  and looks better on my resume than a part-time job unrelated to my degree.

My Etsy Store Name

After much thought, I decided to name my Etsy Store sparklesinmotion.

This was not my first choice, but Etsy has so many sellers my first choice, sparklemotion, was taken.

I chose this name because my item is all about sparkle and shine.  Sparkle motion is the name of a dance group in one of my favorite movies, "Donnie Darko", so it is kind of an inside joke.  Plus, people who have already seen this movie will find it easier to remember my store name because it reminds them of that.

Additionally, it is easy to spell.