Craft Business Ideas

Etsy’s Team Grant program is here to assist Etsy Teams with their promotions, events and Team ads (or any other fun projects they might be dreaming up!). These monthly Grants will help Teams represent themselves at craft fairs, art shows or other local events, help subsidize team advertising (see the Co-Op Advertising Program for a good model of this) or take part in other opportunities.  We also want to give Etsy Teams promos (stickers, postcards, etc) and handmade banners to help spread the Etsy message to their communities.   

After consulting with Ulysses E. Grant, we have picked this month’s recipients.  We based our decisions on a couple variables, such as how active and organized the Team is, how this grant might promote their Team and Etsy, and if their proposal falls into our budget.  This month’s applicants were exceptional; thanks to all the Teams who applied.  Keep reading to see which teams caught Ulysses’ eye! 

Made On The Left

Made On The Left, an Australian Team, is going to be representing down under!  We couldn’t be more excited!  They’ve been awarded help with their inaugural event, a handmade market to be held on Saturday July 12 at the historic Hyde Park Hotel.  We’ll be working with them to promote their show and help make it a smashing success!  

California Crafters Club of Etsy 

The California Crafters Club of Etsy, or CCCOE,  have a great summer and fall promotion plan. They are going to be all over the great state of California spreading the word about Etsy and their Team.  We’re happy to help with their promotional plan and to send them some Etsy branded goods.  Rock it CCOE!

Etsy Plush Team

Maybe its all those soft and cuddly animals, but The Etsy Plush Street Team really knows how to get along.  They’re working on a meet-up for many of their members (who are scattered all over the world!) at this year’s Renegade Chicago.  If you want to see all the best handmade plush on the web — make sure you catch them there!  This grant will help them promote their team at Renegade and get all the attention they deserve.

Baltimore Etsy Team

Baltimore’s got it goin’ on.  They sent us an exiting application and we’re happy to help with their next big adventure!  The B.E.S.T. (Baltimore Etsy Street Team) will have a booth at Artscape and an Etsy grant will help them reprint their team’s postcards and also share the Etsy love with some sweet promos.   Have fun Baltimore!

And that wraps up this month’s edition of Team Grants! Congrats to all these fabulous Teams!  We can’t wait to start receiving the next round of Grant proposals. Etsy Team Grants are reviewed and awarded on the 15th of each month. For more information on applying for a Team Grant, check out this Q+A. To check out previous grant winners, check out our continued coverage.  [...]

We received some amazing Etsy logo designs as part of the Etsy Design Face-Off. The Etsy Community voted and the ballots have been run through our special vote tallying machine.

If you missed out on the Face-Off, check out the Competitions & Opportunities Featured Column within the Storque for more info.

Congratulations to argylewhale.etsy.com! The community has decided that design #1 is the supreme champion of Etsy Logos!

Design #1 by argylewhale

The Etsy Labs has printed a limited edition run of bandannas with her design, which are now available in the EtsyLabs shop.  The community also expressed so much interest in the designs of JuliaPott and somethingshidinghere that we decided to print their designs on Etsy Merch as well. 

Check out the shop for some amazing JuliaPott tote bags as well as Etsy stationary sets with the designs of somethingshidinghere.

Design #2 by JuliaPott


Design #5 by somethingshidinghere

Thank you so much to the Etsy Community and our featured designers for all their hard work and input. You are helping the Etsy Labs create a  more diverse style of merchandise to offer to everyone interested in spreading the handmade love that is Etsy.

See posts in the Competitions & Opportunities series. [...]

Dear Sellers,

Here comes the next installment of the Cooperative Advertising Program -  Mary Engelbreit’s Home Companion! 

In case you’re not familiar with this program, here are the important details:

• Etsy will purchase ad space in various magazines, subsidize the cost, and design the ads.
• Etsy Sellers are able to purchase spots in the ad at the discounted rate.
• You will get to display your shop name, an image of one item, its price, and its category.  
• The limit is one spot per seller, per advertisement.

This ad will be in the October/November issue of Mary Engelbreit’s Home Companion magazine. 

• 30 spots will be available to sellers at a price of $75 each.
• Spots will go on sale on Tuesday, June 24, 2008 at 1:00pm (ET). 
• Spots are purchased in the same manner as a Showcase.
• If you successfully buy a cooperative ad spot through Showcase, your item photo and information must be sent to adam@etsy.com no later than 3:00pm (ET) on Monday, June 30, 2008.

About Mary Engelbreit’s Home Companion

• Paid Circulation is 353,859
• Mary Engelbreit’s Home Companion is published 6 times annually.
• The theme of the October/November issue will be Flea-market Magic, and it goes on sale September 9, 2008.

Mary Engelbreit’s Home Companion inspires its readers to unleash their “artistic spirit” to attain personal style and meaning in their lives. The magazine focuses on art and artists, home design and decoration, creative do-it-yourself projects and artistic travel destinations.

The Mary Engelbreit brand has been built on the principle of living an artful life. This artist-turned-lifestyle-maven believes your home should be a personal reflection of whom you are and what you value most, that design and decorating doesn’t come from a textbook, but from the heart. Mary Engelbreit’s Home Companion provides readers with a mix of art and whimsy, a lifestyle that follows inspiration rather than fashion trends, to bring comfort and enjoyment to her loyal fans.

A few facts about Home Companion readers:

• Median household income is $87,000.
• 99% are women.
• 86% took action as a result of reading Home Companion.
• 90% purchased handmade objects of art.
• 71% do home decorating.
• 97% say interest in creative arts will continue to influence their lifestyle.

Upcoming Ads: 2008 Calendar coming soon. Check back!

FAQ

1. What is the Cooperative Advertising Program?

• By purchasing a spot in a Cooperative Advertising Program, Etsy sellers can show off their items in an Etsy-branded magazine advertisement, reach new buyers, and help boost their sales and shop awareness. Print ads in popular magazines are often priced out of reach of small entrepreneurs. Etsy is able to purchase larger ads for more impact, and let sellers buy into the ads.

2. How does it work?

• Etsy reduces costs to sellers by subsidizing the ads.  We pay half of the cost.  The cost to you is the remaining amount, divided by the number of spots for sale.
• Sellers get to display one image of an item from their shop, its price, its main category and their shop name. The appearance of the ad is similar to our homepage.  See the original article for an example.

 3. How do I purchase a spot?

• 1: Go to the Showcase Gateway.
• 2: Choose "Cooperative Ads – Mary Engelbreit’s Home Companion Showcase." There will only be one date to choose from.
• 3: Hit the "Purchase" button.  The fee will be added to your normal Etsy bill. 

*Note: The items that appear in the Showcase section of "Your Etsy" will not affect this purchase.  The item photo that you send in via email to adam@etsy.com will be what appears in the ad.  There is not an online Showcase associated with this purchase!

4. What do I do next?

        You’ll receive a conversation from Adam with details, and we will need the following from you:

1. Your shop name.
2. The price of the item.
3. The main category that the item is listed under.
4. A high-resolution photograph of your item.  This means 300 dpi, at 1.25 inch (L) x 1 inch (H) size. Otherwise known as a horizontal rectangle.

• If you need help with photo issues, please ask, and Adam will send you detailed instructions.  If you already have a photo that you like, great!  If not, check out some of our photography tips.

• We will need your image by 3:00pm (ET) on Monday, June 30, 2008 to give us time to lay out the ad and meet our deadline with Home Companion.

5. How many spots can I reserve?

• You can purchase one spot per advertisement.

6. Can I cancel a spot after I’ve made a reservation? Is the fee refunded?

• We will only cancel and refund spots under very special circumstances. Deciding you are no longer interested in your spot does not count.  If you feel like you really have a valid case please email adam@etsy.com.

7. How do I know if the current Cooperative Ad is right for me?

• Do some research!  We’ll provide helpful info for each ad as it becomes available (see above). And, it may be helpful to visit your local bookstore or newsstand to see if they carry the magazine.  Remember, there will be more of these Cooperative Advertising opportunities available in the future, including Craft, Venus, and Bust.  If you don’t feel like  Mary Engelbreit’s Home Companion is perfect for you, there will be other opportunities…

[...]

UPDATE:
Voting will be ending on Wednesday June 11 at 7pm Eastern time (that’s tomorrow, folks!)

The Etsy Labs has noticed your requests for a more diverse style of promo merchandise and have created the Etsy Design Face-Off with the intention to involve you, our beloved Etsy community, in the design process of our new line of Etsy goodies.

The Etsy Admin have hand-selected three designers that are already doing an awesome job on the site.  We asked them to create up to three new Etsy branded designs, and now it’s up to you to decide whose Etsy Design will reign supreme!  Just cast your vote for your favorite new Etsy Logo Design in the comments below.

The voting will be open until Wednesday, June 11, and the design selected by the community’s vote will be screenprinted at the Labs and featured in an exclusive limited edition run of merchandise for sale in the official Etsy merch shop.  This month’s contenders will also have their designs featured on hundreds of Etsy promos that will be available at the Renegade Craft Fair on June 14th & 15th.  Stop by and visit the Etsy booth to talk with admin and get some of your very own!

Let’s Meet The Contenders:

This month’s competitors are strong, established designers with a large bag of skills. With all artists weighing in at over 50 sales each, this match up is going to be a very exciting race!

• On the Purple & Green platform we have argylewhale, hailing from right outside the Boston, Massachusetts area. She has been a member of Etsy since October of 2007 and has already sold over 81 items!  You may have also seen her work at lazerbeanz where she collaborates on projects with her talented husband.

• On the Green & Gold platform we have juliapott, hailing from the East end of London. She is a fairly new member of the Etsy community, joining in February of 2008 and has already sold over 51 items!

• On the Pink & Blue platform we have somethingshidinghere, hailing from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They have been a member of Etsy since May of 2007 and have already sold over 723 items!

#3 (juliapott)