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Isn't a cardboard box a house?
I have to believe that 99% of the people saying that making a living = being creative and happy are either living with their parents, or living in a small apartment with 10 other people and no car, insurance, children or retirement account.
From what I read in the Forums, it seems that Etsy could help people make a living by advertising to bring them some buyers, rather than by having admitted school dropouts teach them business management. I run a very successful business, and I feel a lot of compassion for the sellers who want a strong venue rather than advice.
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5 Comments:
Whoop!
Really good quote!
Etsy is another sorry case of a venue trying to convince hobbyists that they are running a business. Just like bricks and mortar antiques malls or co-ops in the pre-web world. Dealers felt successful if their gross sales paid their booth rent. I felt successful only if my gross sales were 3 times my rent, or more: pay the rent, pay for inventory/ supplies/ transportation/ etc...and most important of all, pay yourself. Even then, that was not equal to earning a living. It was a part time business that put some walking around money in my pocket. I just shudder when I read the forum posts about whether or not your shop is earning enough to pay your Etsy bill. Wake up, people!
Etsy can re-define "making a living" all they want, but remember that every QYDJ seller has benefitted (as most stores would on the site) from thousands of dollars of FREE advertising and promotions on Etsy.
Etsy helped them attract numerous sales by promoting them in several sections of the site at the same time, and often
The fact remains - most of these promoted stores do not have to buy ANY advertising or spend hours marketing OFF THE SITE because Etsy does it all for them------FOR FREE!
Instead of ratcheting up the site to handle 200,000+ stores, they spend all week, every week working for only a few stores writing, sending, and slotting only a few stores for prime spots on their site. Remember now, FOR FREE!
Funny one--I absolutely agree with all that. And the ones who aren't really suitable for featured seller (because they don't make things from scratch) get free FP advertising every damn day.
Oh the lamentable QYDJ. I wish they'd (Etsy) list everything the seller participates in, that is NOT Etsy, to sell their wares. What percentage of their "living" comes from Etsy? Do they live at home, with a partner who supports them? It's important to know that Saly makes earrings for a living, has child support and uses food stamps, or that Richard has a trust fund, and Jerry's wife supports his work with her high paying lawyer job while he watches the kids... (Generic examples, but I hope you know what I mean)... an honest portrayal of how they managed to quit their day job would be lovely. I did it & it was one of the most wretched years of my life. I know it's different for everyone- maybe they live out in Nowheresville & their rent is $50 a month...
I'm lucky- I like my day job. I also like paid vacation, health insurance, paid sick days, a steady paycheck...
Get real Etsy, even your biggest "handmade" seller sells at other venues in order to "make a living"...
I say do away with QYDJ altogether. Maybe someone is out there doing it all by themselves, Etsy only, outsourcing nothing (no prints, buttons...etc.), paying for their own everything, including health insurance, with money to spare. Does that exist?
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