Category Archives: online selling

All About Etsy Listing – Stocking your online shop – Part 2

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If you have followed my last post you will of begun to set up your very own Etsy Shop. Please feel free to take a look at my Etsy shop (www.isabellajmillinery.etsy.com) as you work though this post as it will help you to understand what I’m writing about.

The Listing section is all about putting the stock / products in your shop. Each time you put an item up for sale in your shop you will be creating a ‘listing’. 

The listing page is quite long, so I’ve captured it in several screen shots. I’ll explain the main sections of each image as we go. The screen shots were taken a few weeks ago, and Etsy does regularly update its forms and templates so if its a while between me writing and you reading this post things may look bit different. At the time of writing a series of additional attributes (e.g. colour, occasion, celebration) have just been added under the categories section. Continue reading →

Opening an Etsy Shop – Part 1

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Over the next few weeks I am going to be writing about my experience of setting up an Etsy Shop. If you haven’t heard of Etsy, its basically an online e-commerce site that specialises in handmade and vintage items. Here’s a link to my shop page if you want to see what an open shop looks like www.isabellajmillinery.etsy.com.

The search bar allows you to look for items in other shops, take a look around. As you will see each ‘shop’ looks slightly different as the seller is able to customise the appearance of their ‘shop’ using a series of templates.

Ok, there are some initial things I would suggest you do before you get get started on Etsy. Continue reading →

Open for Business – Isabella Josie Millinery

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I am so excited!

Isabella Josie Millinery is ‘Open for Business’.

If you have been reading my blog for a while you may remember that I have dreamt of selling my makes for quite some time. Way back in 2013 I was writing posts about my business thoughts and it sort of went on a ‘back-burner’ until I fell in love with hats.

I’m delighted to say that I have two pieces of excellent business news to share.

I have just opened my first ever online Etsy based shop to sell hats, fascinators & headpieces. It’s called IsabellaJMillinery which was as close as I could get with Etsys 20 characters shop name limit. Please click on the link and have a look around. I’m still working on my online shop but feel like it’s at a point I can officially say ‘I’m open’!

I’m keen to help others get started on their own online shop and I have contacted Etsy to see if I can get permission to use some behind the scene screenshots so I can write some ‘step-by-step’ opening an Etsy shop guides. Fingers crossed they will get back to me soon.

My second piece of news is that a range of my Isabella Josie hats are proudly on display in the real world in a local beauty salon called Marina Beauty Box at Port Solent Marina near Portsmouth, England. Port Solent is a great place to look around so if you live in the local area please do pop in and have a look. For readers who live further afield here are a few pictures so you get the idea.Isabella Josie Millinery @ Marina Beauty Box at Port Solent, Hampshire

Can you see my hats? There they are, very proudly displayed at the front door. If you look inside the shop you will capture a glimpse of a few more on the right hand side – Voila! Isabella Josie Millinery Hats on display Marina Beauty Box, Port Solent, Hampshire

Small Steps

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Over the last two weeks I have taken a few steps closer to my year’s goals of opening an Etsy shop and booking a stall at a local craft fair.

I have brought a diary in which to set small daily(ish) goals. I am using the diary to make better use of my time and to remind me of the actions I have taken. It’s easy to feel deflated when something doesn’t work out and forget what you have already achieved, having a written note is such a positive reminder.

Planning my year

I’ve also created some ‘inspiration’ boards of hat and headpieces I love and feel inspired by. Over the coming weeks I’ll be adding in images of shapes and colours that I want to use in my work.

inspiration boards

To keep a balance at work / home / dream plans (and to avoid becoming completely obsessed by hats!) I’ve joined a local running club with my husband. I’m part of the beginners group and we are doing interval training, this week it a 30 minutes 4 minutes walk/2 minute run cycle. The aim is to be doing a 10km run in May. I’m feeling rather intimidated by the challenge but know I need to get fit  – my last attempt (some of you may remember our knitted and crochet flower bras) was for The London Moon Walk back in May 2014.

trainers fresh back from running club!

The plan to ‘stay creative’ is progressing well and I’ve made a few hats to sell – all based around an aqua colour theme….maybe the diary has inspire me more than I first thought with the colour choice?!?  ‘Take proper photos’ will be one of the next diary entries so I can post the designs onto my webpage www.isabellajosie.com.

aqua and royal sinamay saucer perching hat. Isabella Josieaqua and royal blue perching hat. Isabella Josieaqua sinamay percher with lace trim. Isabella Josieaqua free form sinamay swirl with feather trim. Isabella Josie

I’ve also been researching ‘Distance Selling Regulations’ – which are now called ‘Consumer Contract Regulations’ – to make sure I know a bit more about how to set up an online shop correctly.

So, these are the small steps I have taken over the last fortnight. How about you? What steps have you taken towards something you want to achieve?

Time to Create and Motivate

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I have spent the last few years dreaming of opening up my own craft shop cafe or developing a small craft based business. However, this is still very much a dream and although I have started to sell a few hats to friends and family I have not summoned up the courage to go beyond this.

Continue reading →