Today I talk to LL Divens – who has a similar story to mine!

He began his Etsy store as a side hustle in 2014 while working full time in a corporate job.

He’s been a handmade biz coach since 2019, and also has a podcast – Handmade & Beyond (you can listen to my interview on his show – look for the link in the shownotes below).

Today we chat about what it takes to succeed on Etsy in 2021 – the lessons we’ve both learnt, those that our students have learnt, and we also touch on some of our own struggles throughout our journey to Etsy success.

You can listen to this episode below, or on your fave podcasting app!

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Highlights from this episode:

      • Focus points for Etsy sellers were discussed. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a major part of Etsy as this is how people find your shop with key words in your listings. It’s also important to understand your audience and who is buying your products so you can tailor your keywords.
      • Other important aspects for Etsy are: getting reviews, keeping your shop filled out, being active in your shop, having quality pictures of items and keeping your shop fresh by changing things around or adding items. 
      • LL also started a second company offering coaching and strategies to help others to have the freedom of their own business.Item descriptions are also important as these prompt people to actually make the purchase. “In your description, you should be able to answer any question before someone has it.” {LL}
      • Showcase yourself as a complete shop by ensuring that all your sections are filled out, including your logo, banner, About, and be personable. This will allow your customers to get to know you and also help with SEO and prioritising in searches.
      • LL explained his back story which is similar to Jess, starting out working full time and selling on Ebay and Etsy, before growing the business, Living Limitless Clothing, and eventually selling full time on Etsy in 2018.
      • The core elements of Etsy selling were discussed. Think about why you’re starting your business and concentrate on that: Do you just want to make money, or do you want more freedom, more control over your life, or do you want a legacy to hand down to your children? 
      • What is your vision for the brand? This will change over time but it’s important to at least lay out a path to where you want the brand to go, and how you would like to get there. For example, Living Limitless started with the goal of inspiring others so originally sold motivational and workout clothing, and later progressed to include broader aspects of the ‘living limitless’ vision like vacations, pets, and things that were important to LL.
      • “What are your core values for your life and what are your core values for your business? If you know those core values, it makes decision making so much easier.” {Jess}
      • “You have to have the right expectations, not only as far as your why, but also how long is it going to take to find success.” {LL}
      • If people do ask questions, learn from these and address them in your descriptions.
      • Listen to my episode on LL’s Podcast – Handmade and Beyond.

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