Opening an Etsy shop can be as frivolous or intensive experience as you want it to be. It really depends on how serious the craft business is to you.

If you’re looking to make Etsy an important part of your business there are HEAPS of articles available. A simple Google search or even better a browse around the Etsy forums or The Storque will give you lots of information on every aspect you can think of. Following links from all of the posts currently out there will keep you occupied for days and I’m also more than happy to answer any specific questions you’ve got about the points in this post, or your shop in general.

With all that information on hand and your Etsy Sellers Handbook on the ready I don’t feel like there is any real need for me to go into depth about starting a shop. So here’s a brief guide to getting started with some of the lessons I’ve learnt so far.

What are you called?

First things first. Once you’ve chosen your product, and assessed if there is a market (knitwear FYI doesn’t tend to do well on Etsy, and there is already a saturated jewellery market so yours better have a unique point) you’ll need to pick a name. If you’re already an Etsy member and you signed up with a name that has nothing to do with your brand then you’re going to have to sign up again sorry. Hopefully you have a different email address you can assign your old login to so you can sign up again, if not you’ll need to contact Etsy direct to get them to close your other login. Login names can’t contain any spaces so if you’ve got more than one word in your name start them all with capital letters. It makes it easier to read. Mine is CupcakesAndMace.
Search around Etsy and the web to make sure you’re not infringing on anyone’s brand. Think of something memorable, easy to spell, and potentially a good search term. If you’re a blogger you’ll be familiar with this process as you would have had to do it when you came up with your blog name or domain name.

What do you look like?

Next you’ll need to create a banner and avatar. Along with your shop name and product photos these will be how Etsy users identify you and your brand. It’s better to use one of your best product photos as your avatar and not a picture of yourself. When you participate in the Etsy forum other members will see your picture and a great product shot might entice them to check out your wares.

What will you do?

Get your policies sorted before you start listing product. Which countries are you going to ship to, are you/can you offer wholesale and if so what are your terms, what happens if something gets lost or broken in the post, is insurance extra, how will you accept payment, when do you expect payment, can you do custom or altered pieces? There are lots of things to think about and you can’t expect people to stick around if you don’t have an answer for them.

How will you present yourself?

Make sure you have your packaging sorted before you make your first sale. It needs to be sturdy enough to withstand the brutalities of any one of the worlds postal systems. Little known fact is that postal workers jump on piles of packages for fun. Make your package waterproof, address it correctly with a return address and include all necessary custom documentation. Don’t bow to pressure to fudge these documents because it could get you into some trouble.

What are you worth?

Pricing is very controversial but very important. I have a spreadsheet that I use to price my work and it’s something you should definitely think about too. It should take into account the cost of materials, packaging and fees. How long it takes to create, making sure to include time for taking photographs, trips to the post shop, listing the item and any other time you spend working. Multiply that time by your hourly rate. Add on your expected profit percentage. And you have your wholesale rate.
This is the rate you’ll sell to wholesale customers, people with their own business who will resell your items for profit. Standard practice is that wholesale is 50% of retail price, and wholesale customers will have to buy a certain amount from you to get the discount.
The wholesale rate is not the price you use on Etsy. You’ll need to multiply your wholesale rate by two to get your retail price. This is the price you’ll sell on Etsy for. Hopefully it meets current market expectations or is unique enough to sell at whatever price you’ve come up with. If it’s too expensive and you’re looking to make money you might need to reconsider your product, the materials, or the discount you give to wholesalers. Don’t ever sell yourself short though. Even if you’re doing this as a hobby remember that others are doing it for a living and if you undersell them too much they’ll get bitter.

How do I find you?

The title, description, and tags in Etsy are all very important as well. Searching on Etsy is defaulted to searching through titles and tags. Make sure your title is descriptive (but doesn’t look like a spammy list of search terms) and use all 14 of your tags! Use them, every time!

Oooo pretty!

The most important thing of all in my opinion is your photos. People like to buy things from professionals, if your photos look good they will automatically make your product seem more valuable and professional. Show your product from every necessary angle. You need to show the customer what they would see if they were holding your product.
Great photos might also get you featured in blogs, and on the Etsy home page.

Alright so now you know the basics, you need to go ahead and do it. If you have any questions or would like a post on a specific point of selling on Etsy let me know in the comments.

Piercings are a great way to express your individuality without the permanency of a tattoo. They can easily be changed in colour or design to suit your mood, and when you’re over it just take it out.

Make sure your employer is OK with you having a facial piercing. Although I don’t have a problem with facial piercings, many people do, especially when they are trying to project a corporate image.

Do your homework

Piercings may not be permanent but they can still cause infections and holes in the wrong places if done incorrectly.
You should find a reputable piercer. Do this by talking to others who have piercings and doing some research online.
Finding a reputable piercer with experience and skill will ensure you are happy with the outcome. Their studio should be clean and you should be comfortable with them.

Be sure to call them or go to their studio before you want to get the piercing done to make an appointment and find out the price.

Decide what style of piercing you want

Before your appointment you will need to know what style of piercing you want. You will need to know if you want it on your bottom or top lip, in the middle, to one side, or further down for a labret piercing. You may want a combination of them, like snakebites.

Getting it done

Eat a light meal (to combat wooziness) and brush your teeth before your appointment. When you arrive have a look around the studio. If you are uncomfortable with the piercer or the place looks unclean just leave. Don’t worry about offending people, your health is more important. If you’ve done your homework it shouldn’t come to that.
You may need to fill out a consent form and pay when you arrive, you might be asked for ID if you are young. While it’s not illegal to pierce young people (depending on where you are) many studios give an age limit for both of your safety.

The piercer should now discuss with you what type of piercing you want and where you want it. You will need to choose if you want a stud or a ring. I find a stud is easier to get used to and is more discreet. You’ll be stuck with this decision for a few weeks, but then you can change the jewelry as you please.

Next the area around your mouth will be disinfected and the piercer will use a marking pen to mark the spot to be pierced. You should check this in the mirror. Be very sure you are happy with the positioning.

If you are getting snakebites make sure the positions are symmetrical.

You should also take into account any future piercings you may get.
When I got the bottom left side of my lip pierced the piercer let me know he had placed the mark in a spot that would suit me and look symmetrical if I ever decided to get the other side pierced.

Once the correct spot is identified and agreed upon a brand new(!!) needle will be taken out of its packet for use. Your lip will be clamped and the needle will be pushed through the mark, usually into a piece of cork. It will pinch but shouldn’t be overly painful.
The piercer will then need to remove the needle and you will feel another pinch as the jewelry is inserted.

My piercer wore gloves, changed them a couple of times and washed his hands 2-3 times during my short appointment. He made me feel comfortable, explained what he was doing every step of the way and made sure I was in charge of all the decisions.
There was a remarkable difference between him and other places I’ve been pierced with less experience and skill.

And that’s it!

Now your piercer will discuss aftercare. Ask questions about anything you are unsure of. You will be given a sheet with instructions, this sheet should also include the gauge and length (if a stud was chosen) of the jewelry. The jewelry information is important for purchasing future jewelry.
When your piercing is healed and you are choosing new jewelry you will need to get some the same gauge. If you try to insert jewelry that is too big it will cause your lip to swell and will probably hurt.

An iceblock is a good option at this stage to help with the swelling.

Aftercare
The most important thing to remember is that your piercing is a wound. You should treat it like one to avoid unnecessary damage and infections.

• Clean it with soap – Clean the area twice a day using antibacterial soap. Using warm water lather the soap in your hands and then apply it to the jewelry and skin. Dry by dabbing the spot with a clean paper towel or napkin. Do this until the skin heals.
  Never use alcohol or peroxide to clean the area. It will dry out the piercing and may cause it to heal improperly.
• Avoid touching it – When you do you must clean your hands thoroughly with an antibacterial soap first. Don’t let anyone else touch it.
  You will, in reality, have an overwhelming urge to touch it all the time so carry clean gauze (or something like it) with you. Use the gauze if you simply MUST touch it.
• Use mouthwash – This can be a 50/50 mix of mouthwash and water, or you can create a saline solution (1/4 teaspoon of sea salt to every cup of water). Use it after meals and smoking.
• Avoid oral sex or kissing while your piercing is healing.
• Use ice blocks, cold drinks, ice chips, frozen yoghurt etc to help with the swelling.
• Oral piercings will close up very quickly when the jewelry is taken out. Make sure you replace it straight away with new jewelry or a retainer if you do remove it, and want to keep it open.

You should be able to change the jewelry yourself after about 8 weeks. If you are uncomfortable doing this or having trouble with it you can go back to your piercer to get it done.

If you got a labret stud as your jewelry you may want to get it changed earlier as you are pierced with a long bar initially to allow for swelling. Once the swelling has gone the long bar will get in the way and you may find yourself biting it accidentaly.

What happens if things go wrong

It is normal for the piercing to be a bit crusty at first. This means it is healing. Keep an eye on it though and if you do get an infection DO NOT remove the jewelry. It is the only thing allowing the piercing to drain. If you remove it the wound may close around it.
Visit your doctor for futher advice.

Enjoy!

Most of all >>> This advice should not be a substitute for the advice your piercer gives you. They are the ones in the business and in general will know what they are doing.
I am not a piercer now and never have been. Feel free to leave comments if you have any questions.