5 Keys to the Mindset of a Successful Etsy Seller

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure here.

Isn’t this an incredible time we live in?? Fifty years ago it was RARE for an everyday person to be able to open their own home-based business and make a part-time or full-time income. ESPECIALLY for an artist! A whole new world has opened for the creative person desiring to sell their products--- and Etsy makes it SO EASY to get our creations in front of the right potential customers.

Technology and marketing are certainly simplified, but if you’ve never run your own business or managed yourself before—there can be a steep learning curve to developing the skill of thinking like an entrepreneur. And since the most important ingredient to your success is the way you think about your business, the Mindset you choose to develop will be critical to your outcome.

To streamline your process and get you the results you want faster, today I’m sharing with you 5 Keys to the Mindset of a Successful Etsy Seller. Start developing these mindsets and stay in the game--- and you’re sure to grow and see your sales grow too!

 1.  “Everything is Figureoutable.” -Marie Forleo

The most common mistake that new business owner’s make is that they give up too soon. You’re going to hit roadblocks, challenges, dry-spells--- even catastrophes in your business. It’s just one of the realities of entrepreneurship.

The key is to adopt the mindset that “Everything is Figureoutable.” Always tell yourself: If I don’t know the answer now, I can figure it out.

If you know you could use some growth in this area, I highly recommend this book:

 2.  Be patient

A successful business owner must learn the mindset of patience. That might sound overly simple, but the rate at which people quit early on proves that most people start with unreasonable expectations and very little patience.

Believe me, I know how nerve-wracking this can be if your family really needs the income or you don’t have one more dollar to spend on promoting your business. I’d recommend against depending on your first small business to solve immediate financial needs. Find a way to backfill with another immediate stream of income until you figure out how to make your shop profitable. (ie. Something like babysitting, Uber, Doordash, fiverr, or use another skillset part time to earn the money you need right away.)

So be patient with yourself and your results and just keep going. So long as you don’t quit, you can still win.

Here’s my free guide that will show you the "4 Strategies I used to grow my Etsy shop from $25 to $6000+/month"

3. How can I make my customer’s experience unforgettable?

Sometimes in today’s world, it can seem like everyone is out for themselves. Especially when you’re trying to cancel a flight or return something that didn’t work for you--- it feels like you have to argue your case and brace yourself for disappointment. It’s why we gravitate towards companies like Southwest or Amazon who we trust will allow us to make changes—and they’ll even make it easy and free to do so.

This is where your Etsy shop can really shine! Rather than just focusing on “How can I grow my business” (a valid goal, it just shouldn’t be your only goal!) develop the mindset of “How can I make my customer’s experience unforgettable?”

At first, this shift in thinking made me uncomfortable. I had thoughts like, Gosh, I’m just a tiny business- I can’t afford to give away the farm. And In this day and age, what will it even take to keep my customers happy let alone give them an unforgettable experience?!

But I quickly learned that taking small steps to let my customers know I care about their experience and will take care of them if there’s a problem was more than enough to surprise and delight them. In fact—some of my best shop reviews have come from customers who received a damaged or incorrect piece—but I was able to turn it around with great service.

 4. It’s just as important to work “on” the business as it is to work “in” the business

As a solopreneur, you wear so many hats! Like most Etsy shop owners, I started my business with just myself (and my husband). It was a few years before we could hire help and get some time back.

In those early days when you just gotta crank it out and get everything done yourself, it’s easy to get lost “in” the business completing all the tasks it takes to fill orders. What I want to remind you today is that you have to make time to also BUILD your business—so that one day you can hire help and have that life of freedom you started your business to get.

Schedule a block of time each week to add more listings, develop your shop, market your products, and do research to figure out your next steps of growth. If you don’t plan this time intentionally—your daily tasks will swallow it right up.

 5.  Constant growth

The most successful business owners adopt a mindset of constant growth. They’re always asking themselves:

• What new skills can I obtain?
• How can we do this more efficiently, better quality, faster, easier, more affordably?
• What parts of “me” need development? (ie. Creative skills, writing, customer service, marketing, leadership, getting rid of imposter syndrome, time management, abundance mindset, etc)

The details will be different for every person, but the mindset is the same. Pursue constant growth inside yourself. We all have areas we can develop and grow—and as we do, our businesses will grow too.

I hope these 5 Keys to the Mindset of a Successful Etsy Seller have sparked inspiration and courage in you! If you implement each of them with intentionality, there’s no direction to go but forward.

I’m over here cheering you on and eager to help you however I can. Let me know what other resources would be helpful as you build, scale, or pivot your Etsy shop. You can do this!

If you’re looking for more tips, tricks and insights, I put together this Free Download for you and I know it will help: 

Fellow shop owners--- what would you add to this list?? I can’t wait to learn from you, too!

Warmest Regards,

Lizzie Smiley