Etsy has long been known as the go-to place for handmade artisan goods, but it’s also spawning a new breed of entrepreneurs. Its sellers generated $525-million in global sales last year. Its reach is not to be undermined. Etsy has 15 million users and 875, 000 active sellers in more than 150 countries. These independent and creative businesses are moving beyond the scope of the craft store into full-blown entrepreneurship — and they’re turning back to Etsy for guidance.
The company has hired its first Canadian Community Manager Nada Alic to tackle the greater issues surrounding entrepreneurship and to help further expand the Etsy community. Alic runs her own curated Etsy shop Friends With Both Arms, but most of her success stems from her music blog of the same name and various positions with non-profits such as Invisible Children and To Write Love On Her Arms.
“DIY no longer applies,” she says. “The entrepreneurial route can feel lonely and overwhelming – it’s healthy and empowering to meet likeminded individuals who share a similar lifestyle. I think everyone needs help — and it’s always better when you do it together.”
Alic has planned the first-ever official Etsy meetup in Toronto to take place next week on June 15 at Oz Studios. The free event “sold out” on ticket selling site Eventbrite in less than a day. It will feature talks from various artisans who will share stories of how they grew their businesses and became successful entrepreneurs on Etsy. There’s also free drinks and food and tracks spun by DJ Mike Juneau.
An undeniable aspect of Etsy is the superior ratio of female sellers. Etsy is using this as an opportunity to encourage more women to learn about technology and engineering. “We launched a scholarship program for women in technology called Hacker Grants to encourage more women to get into engineering roles at Etsy and beyond. Twenty women are chosen to come to New York to enroll in a summer Hacker school hosted by Etsy to learn about programming. Etsy’s success is largely attributed to the result of empowering women to do what they love,” Alic says.
The Canadian hire is part of the global company’s effort to localize. Most major cities, especially active ones such as Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver, have grassroots street teams that meet independently.
“A strong entrepreneurial Etsy community already exists. We only want to continue to build them up and provide them with more opportunities for success,” Alic says. Alic has been working with Toronto’s Etsy Street Team in partnership on next week’s event. She’s in the process of planning a sort of Etsy 101, a series of entrepreneurial-focused workshops and gatherings for Etsy sellers ranging in topics including how to take great product shots, how to ship products effectively through Canada Post, how to use social media, how to pitch yourself to bloggers and more. She’ll also be arranging craft nights and more artisan-focused sessions.
“This kind of education will not be limited to workshops, but to blog posts, newsletters and through collaborating with similar preexisting events and festivals,” Alic says. The Etsy blog already features a section called Quit Your Day Job where it breaks down stories of (mostly) woman who managed to turn their Etsy shops into their businesses. Alic maintains job-quitting status is not guaranteed, but Etsy does try to provide the resources to help sellers reach various levels of success if they want it.
Alic factored this in when choosing the sellers to feature at next week’s meetup. She chose three women operating at three different levels of the seller experience.
“Arounna [Khounnoraj] from Bookhou is an established seller with a brick and mortar shop. Allison [Gledhill] from Grace Design has been creating handbags for years but has just recently become a full-time maker. Sarah [Parker] from The House of Hemp lives outside of the city and balances her shop with being a mom – something that a lot of women can relate to. The makers are just as diverse as the products they make, so it’s important to share these stories with the community,” Alic says.
Alic says part of Etsy’s magic is that each shop tells a tale. “Retail is boring,” she says. “There’s no story there.”
The Official Etsy Meetup runs Friday June 15 from 6 p.m. — 9 p.m. at Oz Studios, located at 134 Ossington Avenue. Arrive early. Space is limited and an RSVP does not guarantee entry.
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Sheena Lyonnais writes about tech for Toronto Standard. You can follow her on Twitter at @SheenaLyonnais.
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