Latest / The Modern Etsy Seller Podcast / EP 30. Can I Build an Etsy Shop If I Only Have 2 - 3 Hours a Week? | Etsy Print on Demand Tips for Busy Women
Transcript
- 0:06SPEAKER_00: Hey there, welcome to the Modern Etsy Seller Podcast and What You're Wondering, the segment where I answer one specific Etsy question in under five minutes.
- 0:15SPEAKER_00: I'm Melissa, a busy working mom with two profitable Etsy shops, and I help other busy women make money with Etsy and print on demand.
- 0:22SPEAKER_00: Today I'm answering the question: can I build a successful Etsy print on demand shop if I only have two or three hours a week?
- 0:29SPEAKER_00: My answer is absolutely yes.
- 0:32SPEAKER_00: Now, does having only two or three hours a week mean it's going to take you longer than someone who can spend 20 hours a week?
- 0:39SPEAKER_00: Of course, right?
- 0:40SPEAKER_00: That's the math of it.
- 0:41SPEAKER_00: But taking longer doesn't mean you can't get there.
- 0:44SPEAKER_00: It simply means it's going to take longer.
- 0:46SPEAKER_00: But so what?
- 0:46SPEAKER_00: Your reality is your reality.
- 0:48SPEAKER_00: And if you're in a season of life that has you busy and provide you minimal extra time, but this is something you want, then you just need to be intentional as you build.
- 0:59SPEAKER_00: I want to talk about three things you can do to help you make steady progress toward building an Etsy business that makes you extra money regardless of your time constraints.
- 1:09SPEAKER_00: The first thing is to set realistic expectations.
- 1:13SPEAKER_00: If you only have limited time each week to work on your Etsy business, you can't expect to make the same amount of progress as someone who's treating Etsy like a full-time job.
- 1:22SPEAKER_00: Your expectations should match the amount of time you have available.
- 1:27SPEAKER_00: And if they don't, you're setting yourself up for frustration and disappointment because your business won't grow as quickly as you think it should.
- 1:36SPEAKER_00: And that often leads to people quitting before ever giving it a fair chance.
- 1:41SPEAKER_00: On the flip side, if you know it's going to take some time, if you accept that you're building your business at a pace that fits your life, then you're going to be a lot more likely to stick with it.
- 1:53SPEAKER_00: Remember, a business built over 12 months is just as valuable as one built over six.
- 1:58SPEAKER_00: The second thing is having a plan.
- 2:00SPEAKER_00: When you only have two or three hours a week, every minute matters.
- 2:04SPEAKER_00: You don't have time to sit down and spend 30 minutes deciding what you're gonna work on.
- 2:08SPEAKER_00: Before your work session even starts, you should already know exactly what you want to accomplish.
- 2:14SPEAKER_00: Your plan is going to look different depending on how your time's broken up.
- 2:18SPEAKER_00: Someone with a two-hour block each week may work differently than someone who finds 15 minutes here and there throughout the week.
- 2:25SPEAKER_00: But regardless of your schedule, having a plan means you spend your time building instead of deciding.
- 2:32SPEAKER_00: Now, if I had to boil it down, I'd say to spend the majority of your time on these three areas researching, creating designs, and publishing listings.
- 2:42SPEAKER_00: Those are the activities that will move your shop forward.
- 2:45SPEAKER_00: The third thing you need to do is build simple systems.
- 2:50SPEAKER_00: This is something I recommend doing in the early days of your business.
- 2:53SPEAKER_00: Even though simple systems will save an incredible amount of time, this is the step that most people want to skip.
- 2:59SPEAKER_00: Sometimes because they just want to get to the good stuff and to start creating products and getting listings published.
- 3:05SPEAKER_00: And other times it's because they hear the word systems and think, what does that even mean?
- 3:10SPEAKER_00: You might be thinking that right now.
- 3:12SPEAKER_00: When I talk about building simple systems, I'm talking about creating a repeatable way to do the things you'll be doing over and over again.
- 3:20SPEAKER_00: Instead of starting from scratch every time you sit down to work, you create something once and reuse it again and again.
- 3:28SPEAKER_00: Remember those three things I just said you should spend most of your time on the researching, creating, and listing?
- 3:35SPEAKER_00: Well, having a system for each of those allows you to accomplish so much more in the limited time you might have.
- 3:42SPEAKER_00: One example that I teach inside my program is something I call a product listing kit.
- 3:47SPEAKER_00: Before you create multiple listings for a product, you build a kit of all the reusable pieces.
- 3:53SPEAKER_00: So I mean your listing description, informational listing images, mock ups, design files, a keyword database, and anything else that you'll use again and again.
- 4:03SPEAKER_00: It takes a little more time up front for sure.
- 4:06SPEAKER_00: But once it's finished, every future listing comes together much faster because you're no longer starting over each time.
- 4:13SPEAKER_00: And when you only have two or three hours a week, that's exactly the kind of leverage you're looking for.
- 4:20SPEAKER_00: So if you only have two or three hours a week to work on your Etsy business, remember these three things.
- 4:26SPEAKER_00: Set realistic expectations, have a plan, and build simple systems.
- 4:31SPEAKER_00: And if you'd like help building those systems instead of trying to figure them out on your own, applications for my founding student cohort are open right now.
- 4:39SPEAKER_00: We'll build your Etsy business together, and I'll walk you through creating the systems that will save you time for years to come.
- 4:46SPEAKER_00: The link is in the show notes.
- 4:48SPEAKER_00: Thanks so much for listening today, and I will see you next time on the Modern Etsy Seller Podcast.