Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure

Advertiser Disclosure

Etsy.com is awesome. Unfamiliar? Think of it this way: if eBay is the online version of a mega-mart, Etsy is the online version of your local craft show. With a community focused on handmade products, authentic vintage gifts, and pure random whimsy, selling on Etsy can be an easy way to expand your business.

Setting up an Etsy shop can be done effectively in a single afternoon, and can help put cash in your pocket. Whether your goal is to give your brick-and-mortar business an online presence, sell your handmade wares on the side, or rehome your vintage collectibles, Etsy will help you reach a new audience in no time. Here’s how to get started:

Sign up on Etsy.com

Prominently on the homepage in the right-hand corner you’ll see a button to Sell On Etsy. Click it and log in either with your Google account, Facebook, or just with your email address and a new password. You’ll receive an email to confirm your account, which will bring you to a new page on the site.

Personalize your shop

Now that you’ve registered, it’s time to set up shop! You’ll now see a new toolbar in the right upper corner of the screen. Click on Your Shop to get going. Here you’ll set up your location, preferred language, and currency. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy, right?

Stock your shop

Before you can complete setup, you have to put at least one item up for sale. When you create a listing, you’ll see a new page that will walk you through the best ways to sell the item. You can add photos, details, and prices here that will give your customers a complete look at what you’re selling. Remember, the more detail the better!

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Similar to setting up a crowdfunding page for your business, when you’re setting up your Etsy shop it may help attract customers if you tell your business’s story in addition to getting your products listed. Remember, Etsy shoppers are looking for unique items that they can’t find in a department store. Don’t distract from what you want customers to do (make a purchase), but consider adding a blurb about the origin story of your product to the details section of your shop.

Add banking details

After adding your first product for sale in your Etsy shop, you’ll need to add banking details to your private profile. This also includes other validating information, such as you address and phone number. Finally, you’ll be asked for a valid credit card to pay for listing fees (which start at just $0.20).

Open your shop!

Now that you’re verified, you can actively post your items for sale! You can spend as much (or as little) of your time as you’d like to create a great experience for your customers. Add more items, a logo, and information to your profile so that your customers can connect with you. Not to mention Etsy’s Shop Manager makes it easy to track sales, revenue, and more.

Get financing to expand your supplies

Every business starts somewhere. Plenty of people on Etsy get their start by bootstrapping themselves and paying in advance for everything they plan on selling. If you want to take your presence from casual to serious, you might need more supplies than you can afford at once. One way to help get your business going is by getting a credit card dedicated to your business dealings, so that you can offer customers more items to choose from, leading to more potential sales.

Another way to get your shop stocked is to use trade credit, which is the world’s biggest business lending resource. In fact, about half of the 28 million small businesses in the United States use some form of trade credit, and you may want to, too.

Curious what you can accomplish in an afternoon? I opened my own Etsy shop to prove how easy it is—all in just a few hours!