Running a business, specifically an online business can be done a million different ways and might seem a bit mysterious. So I thought I’d dive into the nitty gritty details of what it costs to start an Etsy shop which also includes my website and blog. Disclaimer: I am in no way an expert at this online business thing and am learning and trying out new things all the time.
I won’t be going into all of the details of each item I use. However I have my top business tools post here and here if you want to learn more about them.
Here’s A Breakdown of What It Costs to Start an Etsy Shop and Run My Online Business
Website & Blog
When you start and Etsy shop you don’t technically need a website, however with Proof & Parchment I knew I wanted to also include a blog. I went with wordpress.org to give me the freedom to be creative with themes, plugins, and more. WordPress.org is free to use however there are different fees when going this route like the hosting of the website. Templates can also range from free to hundreds of dollars or more if you want something custom, it all depends on individual needs.
- WordPress.org: free
- *WordPress theme: $53.10 one time fee
- *Genesis framework: $59.95 one time fee
- *SiteGround web hosting with SSL certificate and malware scanner: $15.93 per month
- Go Daddy domain name hosting: $28.16 per year
Etsy
Etsy is a relatively easy and low cost way to have an online shop. There are plenty of ways to spend more money in this area but as I’ve learned you should only spend the extra money in areas that you are already doing well in. I keep my advertising budget pretty low and focus on other areas to drive traffic to my shop. I do spend a bit on Marmalead since I know that SEO is very important for a successful shop.
- Marmalead: $17.67 per month
- Etsy promoted listings: $15-$30 per month
- Etsy listings: $0.20 per listing
Social Media
Using social media in a business may feel unavoidable but you don’t have to do it all. It’s best to focus on what fits your business model the best. For me that is Pinterest since it’s basically a visual search engine it bodes well in driving traffic to my Etsy shop and blog. Since Pinterest is my focus I currently only spend money on Tailwind.
Design
Design is my business however I don’t have to spend much in the area since I already have Adobe Creative Suite. Eventually I will update to the Creative Cloud which will add another monthly charge.
- Adobe Creative Suite: free
- Creative Market: $5 and up on a per item purchase
Business
On the business side outside of my website costs above I try to minimize the costs. I do however pay for Google mail since it’s so much easier to manage my work email through Google’s interface. Plus I can use all of the additional features with more storage than a personal account. The rest of my business tools I’m able to use the free versions for now.
(All of the links that have a * next to it means they’re an affiliate or referral link. If you click them I get a small commission at no extra cost to you!)
Courses & Communities I Used To Start An Etsy Shop
I am very choosy when it comes to spending money on courses and learning for my business. There is every type of community and course available to pick from to expand my business knowledge. However these are what I have chosen to spend my money on so far.
Subscriber Tribe: $97 per month, ongoing
The Subscriber Tribe has been a worthwhile investment since it focuses directly on growing an Etsy business and my main focus was to start an Etsy shop successfully. Besides having a great community built in to the Tribe, it also has an amazing teacher who has walked the Etsy walk. In the tribe I attend weekly webinars on Etsy and business topics. Along with that I also receive direct feedback on my own shop and strategies.
Calligraphy Business Bootcamp: $598 one time fee
I may not have a full on calligraphy business but this class was a great beginning resource when I jumped into the creative entrepreneurship world. I learned a lot of background information on everything from being a sole prietor to pricing my design work. I also always have access to this course’s information and resources.
Trello for Business: $29 one time fee
Once I jumped all in to running Proof & Parchment I realized how big of a task it is to keep it running like a well oiled machine. Luckily I listened to The Strategy Hour Podcast and they raved about Trello. They also had a course on using Trello for Business and for only $29 it was a steal. I learned so much about keeping my business organized and became obsessed with all things Trello!
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