Starting A Website Question or Two....

[Kayleysmom]

As most of you know, I make things and donate...I buy all of the supplies to do all of this myself. I just recently went through receipts and looked at my paypal and ebay to see what I have spent, let's put it this way, it has been waaaaaaaaaaay too much.

I need to find a way to make my own supply money instead of using my money for my family that is for more important things.

Should I make an item extra of the things that I amke and donate and sell it on a website that I start, should I use ebay or etsy? I need to make some money back for all of his work and money taken from us for supplies to be able to do what I do, but just not sure what to do about how I should go about it. Brian says that I need to somehow reimburse myself for all of this and since I will be getting in the hair pieces and will have to pay for them ( and today found out that they are not gonna be as affordable as I had thought) I have to do something... *sigh*

If you have your own online website, do you make quite a bit or just enough to cover yourself?

Which sites do you use and which work better if you do?
Thanks in advance. Angie

[My4Kiddos]

I started making bows because I wanted to be able to give them to babies and little girls that were ill. I was inspired to do this by a special baby girl named, Lucy...who just passed away two weeks ago, she would have been a year old yesterday...sweet, sweet, baby girl.

For a while it was okay to buy supplies and send my bows to those that could benefit from them...just experience, the "joy of a bow"

Once I realized how much I was spending on supplies, I started selling my items word of mouth. It suprised me how quickly I picked up customers. I tend to average about three orders a week, which is not a lot, but these orders really help cover the cost of my supplies. I did open an Etsy shop, but more as a place for local customers to "window shop".

I would suggest doing both...giving and selling. Use the money from your sales to pay for the items that you give. When I have an order and I am already making a certain color bow, I will often make an extra to stash away for the next set that I give away.

[tpj58]

Ebay is great- sells are probablly better there. But if you don't have your own web site I would suggest doing an etsy shop. That way you will in essence have your own web page an a direct url where your customers can shop.

[Kayleysmom]

Originally Posted by My4Kiddos

I started making bows because I wanted to be able to give them to babies and little girls that were ill. I was inspired to do this by a special baby girl named, Lucy...who just passed away two weeks ago, she would have been a year old yesterday...sweet, sweet, baby girl.

For a while it was okay to buy supplies and send my bows to those that could benefit from them...just experience, the "joy of a bow"

Once I realized how much I was spending on supplies, I started selling my items word of mouth. It suprised me how quickly I picked up customers. I tend to average about three orders a week, which is not a lot, but these orders really help cover the cost of my supplies. I did open an Etsy shop, but more as a place for local customers to "window shop".

I would suggest doing both...giving and selling. Use the money from your sales to pay for the items that you give. When I have an order and I am already making a certain color bow, I will often make an extra to stash away for the next set that I give away.

Sorry, I must have stated something wrong, my intentions were never to STOP gifting, I won't stop doing it, I just need to make my supply money back...and after I get a couple of things sold then more supplies I will be able to get to make even more things for them. I just spend SO much and I realize that I take away from extra things that I need to be doing around here.

[Kayleysmom]

Originally Posted by tpj58

Ebay is great- sells are probablly better there. But if you don't have your own web site I would suggest doing an etsy shop. That way you will in essence have your own web page an a direct url where your customers can shop.

Thanks, got a few pm's and gonna do an etsy and an ebay.

[lilredsmiles]

From my experience, Ebay doesn't sell as well as Etsy. You get 3-4 free listings per month on Ebay though. So try it out and see what you think. With Etsy, you have to keep relisting to stay at the top of the search list though.

Good luck!!!

[Kayleysmom]

Originally Posted by lilredsmiles

From my experience, Ebay doesn't sell as well as Etsy. You get 3-4 free listings per month on Ebay though. So try it out and see what you think. With Etsy, you have to keep relisting to stay at the top of the search list though.

Good luck!!!

See, I didn't know that. Thanks! I won't be doing a ton of things, so it will be good for me. I am just gonna make an extra one of the things that I make and try to sell it.

[julia44]

We'll work it out. I told you I would help you

[luvsfordpower]

You also get a lot of traffic on Etsy by being active in the forums. I notice a steep decline if I don't hang out in the forums every day. Try posting in at least 10 topics each day, mostly in ETC., and with less than 10 replies already.

[Kayleysmom]

Thanks julia and luvsfordpower, all of this is good info!