Soooo it's been a bit longer than I was meaning for my next blog post (shhhhhh) but hopefully this one has been worth the wait!
I've mentioned in a few posts before that I'm part of the Brighton Etsy Team, with one of my big goals this year being to get my shop fully up and running and to blog about all the super fun things we do in the team. We've been discussing blogging as a big collective goal for this year over on the team forum. It's been so motivating to chat to other team members about getting stuck into blogging, ideas for posts, tips for beautifying our blogs and generally encouraging each other to keep going with it!
One of the ideas we've been chatting about is doing a blog hop to get to know each other's shops and inspirations a little better and for all our lovely readers to get to know us a little better too! I volunteered to kick things off so here goes...
\\ What inspired you to start your business or Etsy shop? \\
The idea for my products has actually gone through quite a few changes since I first thought about opening an Etsy shop. I'd wanted to start a craft business for a few years having always been into design and having a super crafty mum, and originally started off a couple of years ago making vintage-y style cards. But I could never quite get my head around exactly what I wanted to do and there seemed to be so many other great makers doing it much better than me! Since then my sewing and embroidery skills have developed and I've become ever more obsessed with type, fonts, lettering and colour! I started off making a couple of K and Ampersand hoops for myself, then as presents for friends and family and taking part in Mentor Month last year really helped to focus my ideas. 2015 is the year I really want to get Actually, I Do off the ground!
\\ We're looking at goals in the Brighton Etsy Team this month (you can follow along with #btnetsygoals!) Can you share one of your goals for your shop for the next six months? \\
In six month's time I really want to have at least 20-30 listings in my Etsy shop, so my main goal at the moment is to keep on making! A big part of that is also looking at how I photograph my hoops and style them for the shop listings and pics on Instagram. I'm hoping to do a short photography course in the next six months to help with that. Hmm that might be two, is that cheating?!
\\ What are you working on at the moment? \\
Getting a core line of hoops in my shop. I have so many ideas in my head that I want to get out, but I'm trying to focus first of all on a smaller core range of my hoops which I can then build on later. I'm also trying to get super organised with the blog, social channels and posting schedules, it's all go!
\\ If you could give other sellers or someone looking to start their own design/craft business one piece of advice what would you say? \\
Network! The information and tips you can pick up from fellow crafters or others doing the same thing as you are invaluable and become a really essential support system I think. Not only that but it's such a good way to make new friends as you already have lots in common, and fellow designers/crafters are also your potential customers! Joining the Brighton Etsy Team has been an amazing experience and I've learned SO much from all the members which I can now put into practise. We have a forum packed with the best advice and the team is so good at helping each other out, whether it's a technical question about a blog, thoughts on a new product launch or design or just general encouragement!
Hope you enjoyed! So in true blog hop tradition I'm now nominating Claire from YellowBearWares, Kate from Oh Someday and Emma from Harper & Finch to take up the challenge!