Episode 46 – Things to Think About Before Setting Up Shop

Hey Rebels!  In this episode Caroline and Kelly talk all things to think about before setting up shop!  Caroline and Kelly give great tips on how to get your shop ready!  Branding is very important for your shop, but do not let it hold you back from starting and getting yourself out there!  You are you, so do not let what others may think hold you back!  Focus on yourself and you will see growth!  Something else to think about when setting up shop, is learning to separate your business money from your personal money.  When setting up shop, right away you need to set up a business account.  In the beginning it is hard to set up paying yourself.  You need to give yourself time and learn to treat yourself as an employee!  Another important point when setting up shop is having  good system set in place!  How will you get your shop running smoothly?!  What process is going to work for you?  Figure out a system that works for you so you can manage what you have!  Focus on one thing at a time, you cannot do it all at once. The best advice for opening up shop-Just Start!!!  Later Rebels!

Quote Love from Caroline & Kelly

Don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle or end -Carline

Try to think big picture-let’s grow, grow grow -Kelly

Figure out a system that works for you so you can manage what you have -Caroline

If you don’t have everything at once when you start, no one is going to know -Kelly

 

Follow us on instagram (@creativebizrebellion) and use hashtag #creativebizrebellion for a shop shout out!!!

Enroll in our FREE course:  The CBR Rock Your Shop Summer Challenge!

If you have a second please jump over to iTunes and leave us a review! Click on the link and then click on “view in iTunes” to leave us a review.  We give you all the virtual fist bumps.  Thank you!

JOIN THE REBELLION! Signup for our newsletter and get our fave list of Instagram hashtags FREE!

YOU CAN FIND KELLY ONLINE AT:

www.helloworldpaperco.com
www.kellyparkersmith.com
www.helloworldstamps.etsy.com

YOU CAN FIND CAROLINE ONLINE AT:

www.carolinecreates.com
www.carolinecreates.etsy.com

SHOW YOUR REBEL SPIRIT WITH SOME AWESOME GEAR FROM THE CREATIVE BIZ REBELLION SHOP:

www.creativebizrebellion.com/shop

*This post does contain some affiliate links*

Etsy Now Offers 10 Photo Slots – Here’s How to Fill Them Up

Ok so I know a ton of us woke up this morning to Etsy’s announcement that you can now use 10 photos per listing and I don’t know about you, but I am pumped!!  However, I’m also a little overwhelmed at the thought of changing 350+ listings, but I know it will be worth it in the end.  I decided to sit down and brainstorm some idea this morning on how I was going to utilize this new feature and I decided to just share my thoughts with you too!  I know, I know, if  you have been following me for awhile you know I’ve always preached to use what Etsy gives you to best optimize your listings, so I totally understand if you are feeling a little panicked right now, let me help you.

Six Steps towards filling your 10 Photo Slots on Etsy

  1. Don’t panic.  If you are like me and have hundreds of listings this task can seem crippling especially if you just updated all your listings to include all 5 photos.  You just did all that work and now you have to start over?  No friend.  Don’t panic.  If you have 5 photos on each listing you are far better off than the person with 1, so find comfort in that.  You will start over and it will be a process, but I have some ideas below to make it easier for you.  Trust me, it will be worth it. 
  2. Keep what you already have and add to it.  Don’t think of this as starting over, think of this as adding on.  What you have now is working so keep it!  If it’s not working this is a great opportunity to revamp your listings!  When I go in to add onto my photos, I’m also going to revisit my copy on each listing and do some general shop maintenance.
  3. Ask yourself some questions.  How can this new feature make my Etsy seller life easier?  How can I think outside the box to benefit me?  I mean, each photo slot doesn’t have to be of the product so why not utilize those spots for informational purposes.  (See below for some ideas) 
  4. Set a goal.  If you have a lot of listings set a goal to update a few a day, maybe start with 5 and see how that goes.  YOU CANNOT DO THIS ALL AT ONCE, YOU ARE ONLY HUMAN.  Do what you can when you can and before you know it, they will be done and you didn’t kill yourself over it.  I’m lucky to have an assistant to help me, but we are still going to just do a few a day until it’s done.
  5. Batch your photos.  Set aside some time every week to take some pictures.  I take my pictures weekly and usually take about 10-20 photos in one shot.  Remember you can use the same photos throughout multiple listings if it fits.  Especially if you are showing variations, color choices, or size. 
  6. Just start.  Starting is the hardest part, but once you get going it will get easier.  

I know when faced with something overwhelming sometimes it’s hard to think and if we dive in too quickly we may regret the decisions we made later.  This is why you need to take a beat and come up with a plan for your 10 slots. Don’t worry!  I’ve brainstormed some ideas below!  Feel free to use any of them and if you come up with anything not on the list please shoot them my way!  I’d love to hear how you are utilizing this new feature!

Some shot ideas for Etsy photo slots:

  1. Studio Shot – Your product on a bright white background.
  2. Details – You can shoot your product from multiple angles.
  3. Group Shot – Shoot your products grouped together.
  4. Size – Show your product’s size in relation to a common object.
  5. Model – Show your product on a model.
  6. Lifestyle – Show your product out in the real world.
  7. Action – Take a pic of your product in action.  
  8. Studio/Office – Snap some pics of your studio or office. (these can be included in every listing)
  9. Process – Show some pics of you hard at work on the items you sell!  (these can be included in every listing)
  10. Packaging – Snap a pic of your packaging!  (these can be included in every listing)
  11. Variation Details – Explain your variations with a graphic or more pics.  You can show colors, sizes, style, ect.  (these can be included in every listing if relevant)
  12. Custom Order Graphic – Do you take custom orders?  Let your customers know the details about that service!  (these can be included in every listing)
  13. Turn Around Times – You could detail out your turnaround times on a graphic.  (these can be included in every listing)
  14. Gift Wrap Options – Offer gift wrap?  Let them know with a pic or cute graphic.  (these can be included in every listing)
  15. FAQ – Highlight your most frequently asked questions.  (these can be included in every listing)
  16. Coupon Codes – Think of this one as a reward for someone who scrolls through all 10 photos.  🙂

Bottom line is that this is a GOOD THING!  This will only make your shop better by educating your customers about your products.  I hear Etsy seller’s complaining all the time that no one reads their descriptions or policies, well, maybe this is one of Etsy’s answers for that.  Utilize these extra photo slots to best showcase your products and remember they don’t all have to be an actual photo of your product.  Also, as an added bonus customers can now zoom in on the product!  FINALLY!  Ok, gotta go make my plan of attack to change up all 350+ listings!

Wishing you loads of cha-chings!

Xoxo,

Episode 45 – Shop Talk with Cara Maybee of Desert Rose Equine

Hey Rebels!  Today we chat about Shop Talk with Cara Maybee of Desert Rose Equine.  Cara Maybee is horse tack creator from Albany NY.  After seeing that there was a missing piece in the tack world, Desert Rose Equine was created with the intentions of creating tack pieces with personality. Cara has blended her love for horses and graphic design all in one. When she isn’t working in her leather shop, she enjoys reading a good book, lifting weights and of course riding horses.

Cara has been a CBR Rebel from the very beginning of our podcast and we have been obsessed with her work ever since meeting her.   In today’s episode we talk about her passion for horse riding, putting yourself out there, failure, success, and the craziest thing that has ever happened to her because of her business.  You have got to tune in to this one!

 

Quote Love From Cara:

You are going to come across failure, and it’s okay…everyone fails.
As long as you keep making good content, you will do fine.

 

Where to find Cara:

Website |  Instagram | Facebook

 

Follow us on instagram (@creativebizrebellion) and use hashtag #creativebizrebellion for a shop shout out!!!

Enroll in our FREE course:  The CBR Rock Your Shop Summer Challenge!

If you have a second please jump over to iTunes and leave us a review! Click on the link and then click on “view in iTunes” to leave us a review.  We give you all the virtual fist bumps.  Thank you!

JOIN THE REBELLION! Signup for our newsletter and get our fave list of Instagram hashtags FREE!

YOU CAN FIND KELLY ONLINE AT:

www.helloworldpaperco.com
www.kellyparkersmith.com
www.helloworldstamps.etsy.com

YOU CAN FIND CAROLINE ONLINE AT:

www.carolinecreates.com
www.carolinecreates.etsy.com

SHOW YOUR REBEL SPIRIT WITH SOME AWESOME GEAR FROM THE CREATIVE BIZ REBELLION SHOP:

www.creativebizrebellion.com/shop

Throwback Episode – Episode 4 – Online Tools for a Seriously Creative Business

Hey Rebels! Your listening to a throwback episode! This is one of our most downloaded episodes so we hope you enjoy and we will be back next week with a regular episode!

Are you overwhelmed by all the online tools there are to choose from to help you be more productive and run your shop smoothly?  From productivity tools to shipping tools and everything in between Kelly and Caroline break down what they love and why so that you can save a ton of time trying out #allthethings.

Here are our favorite online tools.

Trello
We had a Trello love fest.
Kelly and Caroline talk all things Trello and why it works so well for them.  Keeping everything in one place keeps us on track while organizing our businesses and working on the Creative Biz Rebellion Podcasts.

It was love at first sight – Caroline

Resources for Learning Trello:
Get Trello –
Think Creative Collective – Trello for Business Course
Dana Malstaf – Boss Mom – Free Trello Course

Shipstation
Shipstation works will many platforms including Shopify, Etsy, and Squarespace.  You can print labels directly from their website and they will even alert you when you can combine orders.

Etsy Rank
Analyzes your Etsy shop and helps you to optimize your Etsy listings including your photos, tags, titles, and a calendar of upcoming holidays and events that could affect your online biz.

I love free-Caroline

Email File Management:

Drop Box:

Oh My God your life will change-Kelly

Worried about having to delete files on your computer? With dropbox you can keep all your files on your computer in one spot and never worry again about not having enough space.  No matter what program you are using, your computer will automatically save your files in dropbox.  Caroline and Kelly talk about how important dropbox is for your business and how easily you can share folders and files with others.

Google:
There are so many different ways you can use google for your business.  Within google you have email, google docs, google sheets and calendar. Google for Work is also a great option. Kelly talks about how she loves using google sheets and docs to keep her business organized. Another bonus with using google is you do not have to worry about space on your computer.

Design:

Creative Cloud

Caroline and Kelly talk all things adobe and the different aspects of the software you can purchase based on your business needs for a small monthly fee. Investing in technology is important and can change and grow your business. Listen for the special way you could get a discount for this software!

We love illustrator – Caroline

Illustrator: That’s my work wife – Kelly

Your computers and tools make a difference – Caroline

Mailchimp
Need a game changer for your business??? Learn how to reach out to your customers by using mailchimp.  Caroline talks about how the automation setup will email your customers for you and keep them update to date on your latest products.  Learn what automations in mailchimp can do for and your business and all about email marketing for your biz.

The automations have been game changing-Caroline

Accounting:

It’s kinda like that beast that you just have to deal with-Kelly

The one component of our biz we all are faced with but dread…..Crunching numbers and staying on top of your money.  We all want this process to be as easy as possible. Learn about the different programs/resources that Caroline and Kelly use to keep their businesses on track and make their lives less stressful!

Go Daddy
Wave Accounting

Don’t fear the IRS, they are super helpful-Kelly

 

Follow us on instagram (@creativebizrebellion) and use hashtag #creativebizrebellion for a shop shout out!!!

Enroll in our FREE course:  The CBR Rock Your Shop Summer Challenge!

If you have a second please jump over to iTunes and leave us a review! Click on the link and then click on “view in iTunes” to leave us a review.  We give you all the virtual fist bumps.  Thank you!

JOIN THE REBELLION! Signup for our newsletter and get our fave list of Instagram hashtags FREE!

YOU CAN FIND KELLY ONLINE AT:

www.helloworldpaperco.com
www.kellyparkersmith.com
www.helloworldstamps.etsy.com

YOU CAN FIND CAROLINE ONLINE AT:

www.carolinecreates.com
www.carolinecreates.etsy.com

SHOW YOUR REBEL SPIRIT WITH SOME AWESOME GEAR FROM THE CREATIVE BIZ REBELLION SHOP:

www.creativebizrebellion.com/shop

*This post does contain some affiliate links*

Episode 44 – Productivity in Your Biz with Tonya Dalton

Hey Rebels!  Today we chat with Tonya Dalton.  Tonya Dalton is a productivity expert who started her first business in 2009 working out of her dining room juggling two small kids. By 2011, she had grown the business to the point where her husband could leave corporate America and come work with her. By combining her entrepreneurial spirit with his MBA and marketing experience, they were able to grow a small niche business quickly into something that could support their family. The company continued to flourish, but something was missing. In the summer of 2014 she closed up shop to follow her true passion of starting inkWELL Press – a company centered around productivity tools and training. inkWELL Press launched in November of 2014 and has been able to rapidly grow its online presence and expand into a national retail partnership thanks to a commitment to quality, focused marketing efforts and fiercely loyal fans. Recently Tonya launched her podcast, Productivity Paradox, which debuted at #12 in iTunes in the Business category and surpassed 100,000 downloads in the first few months. Tonya believes that too many women feel overwhelmed with all that they have to do each day, and many times their own dreams get pushed aside – she helps women use productivity to pursue their big goals and end each day feeling satisfied and successful.

Quote Love From Tonya:

“Educating people really refills me”

“You either jump off a cliff or stand there and look”

 

Where to find Tonya:

Website |  Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Podcast

 

Follow us on instagram (@creativebizrebellion) and use hashtag #creativebizrebellion for a shop shout out!!!

Enroll in our FREE course:  The CBR Rock Your Shop Summer Challenge!

If you have a second please jump over to iTunes and leave us a review! Click on the link and then click on “view in iTunes” to leave us a review.  We give you all the virtual fist bumps.  Thank you!

JOIN THE REBELLION! Signup for our newsletter and get our fave list of Instagram hashtags FREE!

YOU CAN FIND KELLY ONLINE AT:

www.helloworldpaperco.com
www.kellyparkersmith.com
www.helloworldstamps.etsy.com

YOU CAN FIND CAROLINE ONLINE AT:

www.carolinecreates.com
www.carolinecreates.etsy.com

SHOW YOUR REBEL SPIRIT WITH SOME AWESOME GEAR FROM THE CREATIVE BIZ REBELLION SHOP:

www.creativebizrebellion.com/shop

*This post does contain some affiliate links*