Etsy Shop Profile: Twenty Little Lights

Here's our very first Etsy Shop Profile!

1. Name: Ann

2. Etsy Store: Twenty Little Lights, http://www.etsy.com/people/TwentyLittleLights

3. Year Founded: 2011

4. Is this your first online store? yes, it is.

5. I decided to open an Etsy store because.... I wanted to be creative again, after having a period of several years wherein I didn't have the time or space to paint and create. I wanted to do something for the local cat shelter, but my working hours and the fact that I am rebuilding my house didn't permit me to do voluntary work at the shelter itself on regular times. So I decided to paint when I had the time, and try to sell these paintings to give the shelter part of my profits.

6. I would describe my store as.... really colorful and full of cats! :-) At the moment I have a lot of cat-related items because of the link with the cat shelter. My plan is to expand my themes in the future, and have items with different subjects.

7. The biggest surprise in opening my store has been... the fact that Etsy sellers support each other so much to promote their items. It really feels like one big community that works very hard to keep that community growing. Instead of seeing each other as rivals, they help each other out wherever they can.

8. Typical number of hours spent per week on my store: That really depends. Sometimes I spend at least two hours a day on my shop, other days it's just ten minutes. That's the fun of being an Etsy seller: you can spend as much time as you want. However: I do notice that it pays to spend more time promoting.

9. My most marked characteristic is... that I love cats! I'm on the border of being a crazy cat lady, trying very very hard to keep the number of cats I keep to a limited number. :-) I dream, paint, breathe cats. They make me laugh, comfort me, make me feel at home. I attract them wherever I go, I don't know why.

10. In my spare time I... read a lot. At the moment about interior design because I'm rebuilding my house. I also love movies and always try to discover new treasures. I'm a big Almodovar fan and have a soft spot for animated stuff.

11. Length of time before listing my first item and making my first sale: about a month and a half. It's nerve-wrecking! :-)

12. Biggest business mistake I learned the hard way was... that bad pictures don't sell your items. As a real amateur when it comes to photography, it's not easy to make beautiful pictures that do your items right when you don't have a professional camera or lighting. Practice makes perfect, and I still need a lot of practice!

13. I market my store by... having a Facebook and Twitter page. When I get the opportunity to be featured on a blog, I will try to do so, but most blogs ask astronomical fees for advertising. Something that's way too expensive for people who have just opened their stores, or just see it as a hobby.

14. I wish I knew how to... make great pictures, and to market myself better! But I find the tips that Etsy gives to their sellers very useful.

15. If I could change one thing about myself it would be... to be less impatient. I do have patience when I'm painting or making stuff. But when it comes to achieving things in life, I tend to run before I can walk.

16. Best part of having an Etsy store: meeting people from all over the world, and the feeling of being part of a real community that buzzes of creativity. It's a real boost for my own creativity.

17. Worst part of having an Etsy store: the frustration when sales are down. Wondering what you are doing wrong and if you're even good enough.

18. The best piece of advice I can share on having a successful Etsy store is... I believe I can't say I already have a succesful store yet. It takes more time to achieve that. But if I can give advice to fellow creative people: keep doing your own stuff, creating your own style. Try to keep believing in your own specific style.

19. Last item I bought on Etsy was... a stack of very colorful and quirky fabrics to make more plushies and lots of wooden buttons for those plushies!

20. Product I chose to feature from my store is: Mr. Giggles. It's my first plushie. I made it after a lot of tips from my mother, who is a professional seamstress. It was fun to be able to ask her for advice and to brainstorm with her.

Thank you Ann for sharing your experiences! Remember if you'd like your shop profiled and have pet-related items you sell on Etsy, email me at loveatfirstbark@gmail.com or convo at my Etsy Store, LoveAtFirstBark.