#BTNETSY Blog Hop!

If you've not already seen the Brighton Etsy Team (of which we are leaders) currently has an awesome blog hop happening! A blog hop is where you answer a set of questions and then nominate other folk to write their own posts and answer the same questions. We were double nominated by designosaur and Georgie St Clair! So here goes...

What inspired you to start your business or Etsy shop?

At no point do we remember ever saying ‘let’s go in to business together!’ I think we just had a mutual love for good, clever and fun design and after visiting the first ever Pick Me Up (London’s Graphic Art Festival) we decided that we were going to teach ourselves to screenprint at home. Our aim was always to sell through Etsy, it was just the perfect fit for us.

We're looking at goals in the Brighton Etsy Team this month, can you share one of your goals for your shop for the next six months?

Over the next 6 months our main aim is going to be releasing new things and refreshing some of our product photography. We can’t wait for Summer to arrive so we can have fun with some outdoor photoshoots again, trying to model t-shirts outside in Winter is NOT fun! We’re also attempting to blog more often, which is being greatly helped by blog hop nominations!

What are you working on at the moment?

A whole range of new designs! We don’t want to give too much away, but there will be animals and there will be puns! (nope, we haven’t run out yet). We’re also going to be launching a new range of brand new products…ones which have been requested many times since we started hello DODO! Right now though we’re about to move in to our first house so things are a bit chaotic and we’ll be setting up our new studio. We’re also going to be exhibiting in Pick Me Up this year, so will be launching new work to showcase there.

If you could give other sellers or someone looking to start their own craft business one piece of advice what would you say?

First off we’d say take some time to figure out what it is you’re going to be making and who your customers might be!  It’s also super important to take the time to get your name, branding and photography right as all of these things will help you convey your products best through the internet. And then the most exciting thing you’ll ever do…you LAUNCH! And if you’re anything like us and most small craft businesses only your friends and families will care and buy anything at first! But if you keep working hard and make social media your brand’s best friend then you WILL start to get somewhere. I find it so strange when people don’t promote their brand online….we’re soooo lucky to have twitter, facebook, instagram, pinterest, blogs etc and it’s all FREE! I’ve just realised that we’ve listed more than one piece of advice there, but all good and useful hopefully!! :o)

So now it's nomination time! We would like to nominate Cat-a-Cake Creations and Beetle Cherry to take party in the #BTNETSY Blog Hop! Happy blogging! :o)