How this woman became the biggest seller on Etsy with $80,000 a month in sales (2024)
The mom of three started selling boho-inspired hats and scarves through her online shop, Three Bird Nest, in November 2011.
Shaffer wanted to bring in some extra money after the clothing store she and her husband managed in the San Francisco Bay shut down in the recession.
"I would have been thrilled to make $100 to $200 a month to pay for my daughter's dance lessons," Shaffer told Business Insider. "I was really just trying to make a couple sales a week because I had lost confidence in my ability to start a business."
Weeks after setting up a store on the handmade marketplace, Shaffer was faced with getting 90 orders to customers before Christmas.
"I was crying and didn't know how I would get it done," Shaffer said. "That was the moment I decided to stop treating it like a hobby and start treating it like a business."
Shaffer began researching how she could maximize her sales on Etsy.
First, she began focusing on photography.
"When someone searches for a product on Etsy, I want mine to be the one they click on," she said. "That means having the best photos."
A photo posted by alicia #girlbossofetsy (@threebirdnest) on Jan 14, 2015 at 2:06pm PST
Shaffer installed apps on her phone to increase the quality of the pictures and focused on flattering lighting.
She also started writing more detailed titles for the products.
"There's so much competition that you have to be methodical and aggressive to succeed," Shaffer said.
She hired an assistant to help manage her 20-hour workdays. Shaffer has since expanded her staff to 15 people who help make the products and ship out orders.
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Shaffer has also started buying some items wholesale from overseas.
Her hard work has paid off: She says she's sold between $80,000 and $90,000 worth of merchandise for the past several months.
Between Etsy and her website, she's earning about $65,000 a month.
Shaffer hopes to use her newfound success to spend more time with her husband and children.
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Learning from her past helped Shaffer build a successful business.
"I've tasted loss and felt what it does to you personally," she said. "Second chances are so much more appreciated."
how much does the average Etsy seller make a month? The average successful seller on Etsy earns between $3,583 and $3,833 per month. However, it's important to note that this number varies widely depending on the individual shop's performance and the type of product being sold.
I turned my failed Etsy shop into a business that made $1 million in its first year. Here's how I did it by 21. Keida Dervishi, 21, chose to start an embroidery business with her mom instead of going to college. She started selling embroidered products on her Etsy shop at 17 but orders dried up.
Craft & Supplies is the top-selling category on Etsy with most sales. You can opt for craft essentials, miniatures, tools for jewelry, beads, and much more. The best selling items on Etsy under this category are: Stickers.
Much like any other venture, making money on Etsy will come down to how much effort you put into your Etsy business. Some Etsy success stories feature sellers who make millions of dollars with top-selling items. Others who create an Etsy account but never really market it may not make money on Etsy at all.
How much you can make on Etsy is up to you. You won't know how much you can make on Etsy until you start. Some sellers bring in over $50,000 a year, while others only make a couple of grand. The truth is it depends on how much effort you want to put in and the products you sell.
The long answer is that it completely depends on your product, brand, and how much time you are willing to invest into your business. For a more detailed answer, check out our article: How Much Does The Average Etsy Seller Make? In general, the average Etsy Seller will make around $44,400 per year on Etsy.
If you're based in the US, you can either operate your Etsy shop as an unincorporated entity — a sole proprietorship or a general partnership — or you can incorporate and form a corporation or a limited liability company (LLC). Sole proprietorships and general partnerships are the two simplest options.
How much does Etsy take from a $100 sale? $100 (sale) – $0.20 (listing fee) – $3.25 (payment fee) – $6.5 (transaction fee) = $90.05 or about 10% taken from the original sales price.
While Etsy is most loved by people aged 25–34, other age groups aren't far behind. The 25–34 age group makes up 29.7% of Etsy's audience. The next largest age group is people between 35–44 years of age, who make up around 18.2%.
Do People Who Sell on Etsy Make a Full-Time Living With Their Business? The short answer is yes! The long answer is that it completely depends on your product, brand, and how much time you are willing to invest into your business.
Nearly 3 in 10 Etsy users are from the age group of 25 to 34 years. Etsy had 97.3 million active buyers worldwide in 2023. Repeat buyers make 81% of purchases on Etsy.
Introduction: My name is Kelle Weber, I am a magnificent, enchanting, fair, joyous, light, determined, joyous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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