Ryan aka Littleputbooks was one of our first Etsy Sucess Stories profiled here on the Storque. She's also taught a class and offered much useful advice on how to promote your shop. We asked Ryan to give us some hardcore useful info for sellers as we head into a busy December. Here's what she came up with.

Last year at this time I was knee deep in orders and drowning in chaos. I learned a swift lesson about planning ahead and staying organized.  Here are a few of the techniques I’ve employed this season.  Since I actually have time to sit down and write this out I can tell you, for the most part, they are working.

1. Plan ahead.  If you’re headed out to buy craft supplies or printer ink bring enough money to buy twice what you need. Create an inventory sheet of office and craft materials and be sure you check it before heading out.  Running out of anything mid-workday is huge waste of time.
2. Work in batches.  If your product allows, make multiples of each item.  This is a time saver twice: it allows you to re-list a sold item without new photos/descriptions and working on multiple items at once can speed along the creation process.
3. Clean your desk. Having an organized workspace can make life a lot easier.  Keep your tools where you need them, your supplies ready and waiting and remember to put everything back when you’re done. When I am disorganized it feels like I lose more time looking for my scissors than I do making product.
4. Slow days don’t last.  If your business has been steady you will experience a few down days, maybe even multiple down days. Keep in mind people are looking and preparing to buy, and they will probably come back all at once.  Use the down time to restock or shoot photos of new stock. Don’t let your customers catch you off guard, be prepared for business well into January.
5. Keep a notepad with you.  Often buyers will have an after thought about something they’d like changed or rearranged after purchase.  Keeping notes off Etsy for special requests saves time and can help you keep track of who wanted what.
6. Stock up.  I know it is a bit late in the season for some of you experiencing your first holiday rush but if possible use your free time to make more.  Having a lot of stock this season has been a lifesaver for me.  If I hadn’t been planning for Christmas since August, I would be sold out by now.
7. Stay one step ahead of your orders. Don’t sell items you haven’t made yet.  If at all possible have the items in stock before you list them.  If you do custom work put your time frame in your shop announcement. Communicating your time frame with customers will keep them happy and help you keep track of their needs as well. 
8. Keep up with your shipping.  You may be inclined to take a few days off (like I did over Thanksgiving) but not shipping regularly can really add up fast.  I send items out 4 days a week.  This keeps me ahead of the game and it also gives my customers the chance to order more if needed for the holidays.  Letting your shipping get behind can be a nightmare and will snowball into insanity if you can’t get caught up.
9. Avoid the PayPal/Etsy address mess.  Most top sellers have a system, here is mine: A. I cut/paste the receipt into text edit and print it out.  This gives me a visual of each order plus the address and email. B. I ship only to the Etsy listed address, I no longer bother with the address PayPal lists since 1 out of 3 addresses seems to be wrong.  C. I use a shipping service www.endicia.com and avoid PayPal shipping completely. Endicia is much faster & it tracks your package just like PayPal. They’re offering a free trial right now so it is a good time to check it out. D.  I mark all ordera shipped so I can make sure no one has been skipped.  Shipping is still a pain but this year it is 100 times easier than last.
10. And lastly, hire help.  Don’t be afraid to have someone come help you get caught up. There are always tons of things to be done that don’t require actually making your products.  Last year just before the season ended, I hired someone to help me with shipping.  This year, knowing I was going to be featured in Parents Magazine, I hired two people.  Becky aka daisychains and Lea aka leakarts. They come in and help me a few days a week. Lea packs up my orders and keeps track of what is selling out; she keeps my shipping smooth.  Becky adds bales to pendants, organizes my wholesale and keeps me up to date on what else is needed.  I could not survive this holiday season without them.  Having them here has helped me stay creative and sane despite all the chaos.  Thanks girls!

While the holidays may seem like a lot of work, chaos and mess, remember this doesn’t last.  It is easier to push myself through the 10-14 hour days knowing I’ll have some much needed play time after the winter season.  This is what we have been waiting for and I am so glad it has arrived!

Happy Holidays!

Ryan *girl* Littleput Books