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Post by Ann @ frabjous fabrica on May 21, 2021 7:41:55 GMT
I'd appreciate some advice here please. I am in the process of having a website set up and I'd like to be able to sell some of my felt work and also my "Bags of Inspiration" which are basically (as it says on the label) "Contents selected from Natural/Synthetic Hand/Commercially dyed .. spun .. woven fibres .. yarns .. braids .. felt .. fabrics plus beads .. buttons and other embellishments. Average weight 85 gr (min 80gr) Let your imagination run free. There is no limit to what you can achieve with a Bag or two." (I also do Batts of Inspiration which are carded fibres of all sorts and colours, and I'm about to try to reduce the size of my Projects stashes as I know that I'm never going to be able to use most of them before I drop off the perch!)
So how do you suggest I go about it? Do I sell from my website or do I join Folksy or some other online marketing platform? I was thinking of joining Etsy, but I've heard so many bad comments about them recently that I don't think I want to go ahead with them. There have been lots of comments about Etsy closing shops without warning or giving a reason. I don't think I could take the worry. Folksy is a UK based platform which is otherwise similar to Etsy and seems a bit more user friendly, but you have to have a Paypal account to sell through them. I have a Paypal account which my husband and I opened when we started tying to sell unwanted bits and pieces, but frankly Paypal frightens me and I'd rather not use it if I can avoid it. So many pitfalls to avoid.
I seem to have become a bit of a wimp, but that could be because I used to be a lawyer and am aware of the sort of mess you can get into if you don't really know what you are doing.
I forgot to say that I don't do facebook, so I can't sell that way.
How do those of you who sell online manage?
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Post by MTRuth on May 21, 2021 16:05:45 GMT
Good luck on this new venture. I understand how you would be hesitant. You will have to use some kind of payment system and the reason I use PayPal is that it works in a variety of countries. I have used PayPal for fifteen years or so and have never had any issues. I'm not sure what other options you have in the UK but we have things like Square in the US that has the payment system built in to the create your own websites.
I have never used ETSY or Folksy so I'm no help there.
I have been thinking about selling from my own website too but I have not moved forward with it. Procrastinating, I guess.
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Post by lyn on May 22, 2021 7:46:36 GMT
Hello Ann Any new venture is frightening - you're not a wimp!
Here's what works for us:
We don't use 'facebook' - didn't get on with it.
We sell on our own website (website currently through 'Typepad' but we'd like to change that to another) and we sell through 'Etsy' and we use 'Paypal'.
Etsy has been a good selling platform for us - it's a popular market place - and setting up a shop is very easy. You will find plenty of official Etsy advice on how to get the best from your shop.
'Etsy' will also deal with VAT for you. Although you don't have to register for VAT in the UK if your turnover is less than £85,000, selling in the EU is a different ball game.
We use Paypal but we made a Paypal account just for 'rosiepink' - it's not a good idea to mix it up with personal stuff. We also have a separate bank account for 'rosiepink'.
Inform 'The Inland Revenue' with the start date of your business and do keep accurate records of income and expenditure for an annual return. When your business is small a very simple book-keeping of 'ins' and 'outs' with supporting paperwork is all that you need.
When you post an item through Royal Mail, get a free 'proof of postage'. If anything goes astray you can claim for loss or damage against Royal Mail.
Good luck and if you think of any specific questions please ask away as someone on here may have the answer you need.
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Post by Ann @ frabjous fabrica on May 22, 2021 8:23:40 GMT
Thanks Lyn and Ruth, I suppose I should just bite the bullet and get on with it. A couple of points: Before I decided to get into selling if I could, I had a word with a friend who is an accountant about my tax position. He said that under new regulations, if my sales income does not exceed my costs by much, then I'm technically not trading and don't need to file a return. But I think to be on the safe side I'll do what Lyn suggests and contact them with details. I have only recently, well in the last couple of years, been told by HMRC that I can stop filing returns, having finished my self employment and although I used to file Returns for clients when working, I hated doing it for myself (too many interesting things I'd rather do). But again - Bite the bullet. The other thing is, does Etsy allow you to deliver only within the UK? If not, then I think I'll go to Craftsy, which (I think) does. I really don't fancy trying to deal with VAT if I don't need to. I think that there might also be problems with selling to EU countries after Brexit. Thanks again, your comments are helping.
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Post by lyn on May 22, 2021 15:24:30 GMT
Thanks Lyn and Ruth, I suppose I should just bite the bullet and get on with it. A couple of points: Before I decided to get into selling if I could, I had a word with a friend who is an accountant about my tax position. He said that under new regulations, if my sales income does not exceed my costs by much, then I'm technically not trading and don't need to file a return. But I think to be on the safe side I'll do what Lyn suggests and contact them with details. I have only recently, well in the last couple of years, been told by HMRC that I can stop filing returns, having finished my self employment and although I used to file Returns for clients when working, I hated doing it for myself (too many interesting things I'd rather do). But again - Bite the bullet. The other thing is, does Etsy allow you to deliver only within the UK? If not, then I think I'll go to Craftsy, which (I think) does. I really don't fancy trying to deal with VAT if I don't need to. I think that there might also be problems with selling to EU countries after Brexit. Thanks again, your comments are helping. Hello Ann Etsy will allow you sell anywhere in the world. But yes, this VAT thing is very annoying! If we sell to a UK buyer through Etsy, they will get charged VAT, even though had they bought directly from us they would not have to. The upside is that if we sell to Europe (there's about 27 different VAT rates) we don't have to worry about it. When we decided to start selling we attended a half-day workshop with Inland Revenue. That was a few years ago so things may have changed, but the advice then was that no matter how small your income, it is still income and should be declared. It takes minutes to complete the annual return - there's a short version that may apply to you. It's basically total money in / total money out / profit / who gets the profit. Job done. Of course you will have to keep all the paperwork should you need to prove your figures. Lots to think about!
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Post by Ann @ frabjous fabrica on May 22, 2021 20:41:14 GMT
As you say Lyn, lots to think about. Thanks
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Post by Shepherdess on May 23, 2021 16:35:51 GMT
The most profitable and flexible is your own website but the problem is getting traffic to your site if you don't do social media. Do you do Instagram? You can use it to get people to your site. and there is the forum here and the blog. All these things help. Square is what I use at shows and the farmers' market. It lets me take credit and debit cards. I am sure you can link it to websites other than Square sites. It's a good setup. You can set up inventory in it and send invoices and track everything you sell. I really like it. I have a WordPress site through Host Popa. It's not too hard but is a steep learning curve setting up your site. I like it because I don't have to ask anyone else to do things or update it.
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Post by Ann @ frabjous fabrica on May 23, 2021 16:56:13 GMT
Thanks Ann. No I don't do Instagram either I'm afraid. I've not heard of Square. I have given up with shows and markets - it's years since I've even managed to cover my stand fee and I'm getting a bit old for all the hassle with setting up, standing around and then taking it all home again! I suspect that I'll be setting up with Craftsy and sticking with Paypal and hoping for the best. Thanks again
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Post by flights on May 24, 2021 7:44:58 GMT
1. You don't have to use Paypal if you are using your own site to sell. Stripe charges less! 2. There are lots of selling sites other than Etsy and Folksy. It may well be worth looking at Handmade at Amazon, Artfire, nuMonday. What about starting with eBay? Lots of potential buyers look on ebay before everywhere else! I do! 3. Wherever you list, be sure you understand the WAY to list. eg on Etsy you will find the names of products are quite bizarre because it's set up in such a way to find all the words you include - so your 'inspirational craft kit' may have to become 'felt, feltmaker, wool, craft kit, tutorial, inspirational, home learning'! 4. Be sure also to add tags, but ideally no more than 10 (I've been told) and only those that are relevant or Google searches can penalise you by ignoring your listing. What I am saying is that even if you list with a selling site rather than your own, it isn't quite plain sailing! 5. I don't know where you are based but do you have a Nextdoor site in your area? Depending on the moderators in your area you may be able to list as a business, or may have to list as personal, but it would be a good way to judge if there is any interest in what you are offering. 6. Don't write off Facebook. You don't have to post any personal stuff but once you have a personal page you an set up a 'working page' for publicising what you are doing and also you can use Facebook Marketplace. I have sold a lot through Marketplace and you an name your areas so if you choose ones near you, you can even 'save' people postage by letting them collect. Can't comment on instagram as I've not got to grips with it, but I believe it appeals to a younger audience in the main than FB. Hope this helps - do contact me direct if you want a more indepth discussion
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Post by Ann @ frabjous fabrica on May 24, 2021 8:09:39 GMT
1. You don't have to use Paypal if you are using your own site to sell. Stripe charges less! 2. There are lots of selling sites other than Etsy and Folksy. It may well be worth looking at Handmade at Amazon, Artfire, nuMonday. What about starting with eBay? Lots of potential buyers look on ebay before everywhere else! I do! 3. Wherever you list, be sure you understand the WAY to list. eg on Etsy you will find the names of products are quite bizarre because it's set up in such a way to find all the words you include - so your 'inspirational craft kit' may have to become 'felt, feltmaker, wool, craft kit, tutorial, inspirational, home learning'! 4. Be sure also to add tags, but ideally no more than 10 (I've been told) and only those that are relevant or Google searches can penalise you by ignoring your listing. What I am saying is that even if you list with a selling site rather than your own, it isn't quite plain sailing! 5. I don't know where you are based but do you have a Nextdoor site in your area? Depending on the moderators in your area you may be able to list as a business, or may have to list as personal, but it would be a good way to judge if there is any interest in what you are offering. 6. Don't write off Facebook. You don't have to post any personal stuff but once you have a personal page you an set up a 'working page' for publicising what you are doing and also you can use Facebook Marketplace. I have sold a lot through Marketplace and you an name your areas so if you choose ones near you, you can even 'save' people postage by letting them collect. Can't comment on instagram as I've not got to grips with it, but I believe it appeals to a younger audience in the main than FB. Hope this helps - do contact me direct if you want a more indepth discussion Thanks for this, a lot to look into. I'm in Dorset UK and we do apparently have a Nextdoor site here. I've never heard of it before so I'll have to look into it. I expect that my friend who is setting up the website for me, and a couple of others who I know use it, can tell me about facebook. I really appreciate all the help and advice from everyone. I knew I could rely on the Forum for help. Ann
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Post by Shepherdess on May 26, 2021 2:28:16 GMT
You can use Facebook to get people to your site but please do not use Facebook marketplace. It is full of scams and scammers. There are no live people to help you at Facebook if something goes wrong. I use Facebook a lot I run my own group and manage several groups and pages for others. I am in the help group and marketplace is just one complaint after another either people not getting paid or not getting what they bought. I have never had a problem with either paypal or square.
Shows can be a drag. They really need to be art shows or high end shows anyway. If you can manage it a gallery is a great place. I want an agent. I hate doing the selling part.
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Post by Ann @ frabjous fabrica on May 26, 2021 9:16:39 GMT
You can use Facebook to get people to your site but please do not use Facebook marketplace. It is full of scams and scammers. There are no live people to help you at Facebook if something goes wrong. I use Facebook a lot I run my own group and manage several groups and pages for others. I am in the help group and marketplace is just one complaint after another either people not getting paid or not getting what they bought. I have never had a problem with either paypal or square. Shows can be a drag. They really need to be art shows or high end shows anyway. If you can manage it a gallery is a great place. I want an agent. I hate doing the selling part. Thanks for the advice Ann. Can I use facebook to direct people to my website, but without putting a lot of personal stuff on or getting lots of followers (I think that's the right term)? I really don't want to get involved with all the hooha that seems to go on on facebook. I have had a problem getting cash out of paypal, after sales of household items on ebay - they were collected rather than me sending them, so lots of to-ing and fro-ing. I am pleased to say that I have been accepted at an art & craft shop attached to a gallery which might help, but it's not on the "Tourist track" so I don't know how well sales might go. I think an agent would be a great idea. I want to sell stuff only because I'm having trouble keeping my head above the accumulated "makes" - there's no way I'll make any profit. Giving stuff to charity shops just doesn't cut it. thanks again Ann
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Post by Shepherdess on May 26, 2021 12:17:48 GMT
It's all about settings. You create a personal profile but you can set it so no one can tag you in pictures or see anything you put there, you don't have to put anything there. Set up two factor authentication so it is secure. Then you start a page. It is separate. On a page, only the things you post, show. ON the page you post pictures of your work links to your site. Links to where you sell things like that. people can contact you through the page. I run several and mostly they are people looking for information if they send a message. people follow you so they see what you post. Usually, the place you see hoopla is in groups. People join and it's all interactive. Instagram I don't know a lot about accept is all about pictures and short videos. I have one I don't use much but I have it set to automatically share anything I post there, with my Facebook page. If you have questions or need help feel free to ask.
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Post by Ann @ frabjous fabrica on May 26, 2021 13:30:06 GMT
It's all about settings. You create a personal profile but you can set it so no one can tag you in pictures or see anything you put there, you don't have to put anything there. Set up two factor authentication so it is secure. Then you start a page. It is separate. On a page, only the things you post, show. ON the page you post pictures of your work links to your site. Links to where you sell things like that. people can contact you through the page. I run several and mostly they are people looking for information if they send a message. people follow you so they see what you post. Usually, the place you see hoopla is in groups. People join and it's all interactive. Instagram I don't know a lot about accept is all about pictures and short videos. I have one I don't use much but I have it set to automatically share anything I post there, with my Facebook page. If you have questions or need help feel free to ask. Thanks so much Ann.
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afiberartist
Full Member
I updated my web presence. Https://daisyhillstudio.art.blog
Posts: 205
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Post by afiberartist on Aug 16, 2022 22:02:47 GMT
Hello Ann Any new venture is frightening - you're not a wimp! Here's what works for us: We don't use 'facebook' - didn't get on with it. We sell on our own website (website currently through 'Typepad' but we'd like to change that to another) and we sell through 'Etsy' and we use 'Paypal'. Etsy has been a good selling platform for us - it's a popular market place - and setting up a shop is very easy. You will find plenty of official Etsy advice on how to get the best from your shop. 'Etsy' will also deal with VAT for you. Although you don't have to register for VAT in the UK if your turnover is less than £85,000, selling in the EU is a different ball game. We use Paypal but we made a Paypal account just for 'rosiepink' - it's not a good idea to mix it up with personal stuff. We also have a separate bank account for 'rosiepink'. Inform 'The Inland Revenue' with the start date of your business and do keep accurate records of income and expenditure for an annual return. When your business is small a very simple book-keeping of 'ins' and 'outs' with supporting paperwork is all that you need. When you post an item through Royal Mail, get a free 'proof of postage'. If anything goes astray you can claim for loss or damage against Royal Mail. Good luck and if you think of any specific questions please ask away as someone on here may have the answer you need.
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