On Tuesday, Etsy held a community Town Hall event to talk about some of the ways we hope to make it faster and easier for you to run your Etsy business in the coming year. Here are the highlights of the event and some tips you can use right now.
Better Time Management Tools
Many Etsy shop owners report spending just as much time on creating items as they do on maintaining their shops and fulfilling orders, according to a recent survey of 5,500 U.S. sellers. With that in mind, throughout 2014, Etsy will be working on tools to make it easier and faster to manage large batches of listings at the same time and list one-of-a-kind handmade and vintage items. We also have some new and improved shipping tools in the works for sellers around the world.
In Your Shop: If you haven't yet, check out Shipping Profiles, which allows you to apply shipping costs and processing time updates to multiple listings at once. Meanwhile, study your workflow to find ways to streamline overall shop management. For one week, document how much time you’re spending on different shop tasks. Then, reflect on your findings and think about how you might improve. For instance, would grouping specific tasks together shave off some time? Should you hire someone to help complete certain tasks? Periodically reviewing your time management will ensure you’re not wasting valuable minutes (which can quickly turn into hours). For more tips on managing your time, read 5 Ways to Work Smarter, Not Harder.
Improved Support
Etsy will also be building on the urgent phone support program launched last fall. This year, we’ll be expanding phone and online chat support to address more seller challenges, according to Heather Jassy, vice president of member operations.
In Your Shop: As a seller, you know better than anyone that orders can sometimes get complicated due to misunderstandings with a buyer, mysterious lost packages or even an unexpected personal emergency. To find out more about handling customers issues quickly and calmly, read Just in Case: Resolving Disputes Through Communication.
Intellectual Property Resources
Etsy takes intellectual property rights very seriously. Today, we hosted a Forums Q & A discussion for members to ask (and vote on) their burning intellectual property questions, with the Etsy Legal team responding to questions with the most votes. This chat is just a jumping off point as we work to clarify policies and build programing that will help you best protect your business.
In Your Shop: When it comes to legal structures and protection, education is key. Explore our collection of legal articles to learn more about copyright, the best way to structure your business entity and other legal issues.
Tell Us What You Think
Fill out this survey to volunteer for future user research and testing, which will help us identify how we can support you with new tools. If you’re looking to give feedback on products already in production, check out your options in prototype teams. You just might find your new favorite time-saving tool.
Do you have a favorite tool for managing your shop? Tell us about it below.
Cheyne Little is Senior Product Educator at Etsy. Before joining Etsy as an Admin in 2011, she worked full-time on her accessory line and on the leadership team of her local Etsy Team in Texas.