Jillian of weeones has been making a successful go at her Etsy business since leaving her day job as a research scientist in April of 2008. As a research expert, she fully analyzed that statistical side of her Etsy business and made plans accordingly before fully taking the plunge.  She's learned how to reach and cater to her target audience. She even tells us how creating new designs is a much better marketing tool for her business than trying to drum up interest in her listed designs!  Keep reading to find out how this full time scientist took the plunge into full time Etsy seller.

When you first started selling on Etsy, did you have dreams or goals of eventually quitting your day job?
I think that being self-employed has always been a wild dream of mine. I started sculpting miniature animals out of clay when I was still running around the playground. But to be honest, when I started selling on Etsy I was hoping to offset the cost of eating out for dinner on Friday nights. I was so excited when my Etsy shop started to do more than that. About once a month, my husband and I have a discussion about how we can't believe how much the business has grown. It's all pretty mind-blowing.

How long were you selling on Etsy before taking the plunge into selling full time?
That depends. I was putting 40 hours a week into my Etsy shop after about two months, and my time commitment continued to grow after that. But at that time I was still working as a full-time professional research scientist. I left that profession to focus only on Etsy after a year and a half.

What was the deciding factor resulting in pursuing Etsy as your full time job?
I wanted to be my own boss, and to have control over my own time. It's true that running an Etsy business is not a 9 - 5 job. And although you're likely to be working many more than 40 hours a week, you can schedule those hours to fit with the rest of your life. Because my handmade items don't require a lot of equipment, my business is essentially portable. I can pack my Etsy shop into a suitcase and visit my family without having to worry about the number of vacation days I have left.

Did you do anything to prepare ahead of time before taking the plunge?
Yes, I did my homework and understood what running my own business would mean from a financial and time-management perspective. I made graphs plotting my sales, average prices of the items I was selling ... you name it, I plotted it. I knew what my best-selling items were from month to month and tried to identify traits of successful items. I also made sure to offer items that would fit a range of budgets.

My husband and I are both scientists, so we take great joy in analyzing data. We were able to see to see where WeeOnes had been, and to project where it would go. I also made sure I had longer-term plans for my shop that I thought would be profitable.

What are the most effective ways you have promoted and marketed your Etsy business? What's you're best marketing tip?
My best marketing tip is to know who your target customers are, listen to and respect them, and find ways to reach them. I love accepting special orders for unique dogs or cats, and have found that my customers have excellent ideas. Some of my favorite items were suggested by my customers.

Although I sell my miniature sculptures as jewelry, most of my items are stitch markers. Stitch markers are used to keep track of pattern motifs and rounds in knitting and crochet. Because these are social activities, my items are readily seen by other fiber artists. In addition, many of my sales are spurred on by knitters who blog about WeeOnes. Word of mouth is a powerful form of promotion, and I'm grateful to my customers.

What have you found to be unsuccessful promotion? What's something that's just not working for your shop?
In general, I think that time is best spent being innovative rather than promoting the items that I already have. Although advertising is important, making new products invigorates me and keeps the shop feeling fresh. No one wants to come back to a store that never changes. If I am trying to promote my existing items rather than coming up with new ideas, the sales don't come as readily.

Would you walk us through what a typical workday might entail being your own boss?
Like many people, the first thing I do when I wake up is run downstairs to check the shop. I excitedly tell my still sleeping husband how many items we have sold during the night.

• Then I have two shots of espresso.
• My morning hours are spent restocking items that have sold.
• During the afternoon, I work on new items and special orders. Most of my special orders are requests for animals that aren't in my Etsy shop, or miniature sculptures of pets.
• When I'm done with my checklist for the day, it's time to package items so they are ready for the post office in the morning.
• Whenever my fingers get tired from sculpting, I respond to conversations and send emails notifying customers that their items have shipped.
• Balance is necessary in life (something I have come to appreciate after moving on from my day job) and I make sure that I get out of the house to exercise and spend quality time with my husband and dogs in the evening. Balance makes me more excited to work.

What do you enjoy most about not having a day job? Is there anything you miss?
I enjoy structuring my own day and doing what I love. When I worked as a scientist, I barely had time at the end of the day to fill orders for my shop and certainly did not have time to create many new products. All those things that I always wanted to make can now be made. The one thing I miss is spending time during the day with coworkers.

If you could go back in time before you took the plunge, what advice would you give yourself knowing what you do now?
My decision to start running WeeOnes full time was not a spontaneous one. I spent a lot of time mulling it over and researching it and I have no regrets. That said, I wish that I had known the benefit of owning my own business well before two years ago. The U.S. tax system is set up to benefit business owners with deductions, etc. I never knew that you could deduct a percentage of your rent, electricity, and more. Running my own business has taught me so much!

What advice would you give someone else thinking about taking the plunge to sell full time on Etsy?
I would suggest researching everything fully. By everything, I mean that it is important to know who your target customers are and how to reach them, and also to be aware of the tax and other savings benefits associated with owning your own business. How much income your shop generates is important, but it is also important to understand how much income you are keeping that would otherwise have been spent on taxes, gasoline, and wear and tear on a car. There is also a lot of value in having control over your own time.

How's it going so far? Are you supporting yourself?
Things are going really well so far! Self-employment is a relatively new thing to me since I left my job in April of 2008, but sales have continued to grow and I am enjoying every second of my current life.

What goals do you wish to accomplish in the coming year for your Etsy business?
I would like to continue to expand my Etsy business. I know there are a lot of potential customers who aren't yet aware of my products, and I'd like to find ways to reach them. I have a list of ideas that I'm planning to implement over the coming year.  One of my shorter term goals is to make one new item every day. This keeps my creative juices flowing. Many times the new items never make it into the shop, but they do get me thinking, creating, and honing my skills.

 
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
I would like to thank Etsy for providing artists with a venue for selling handmade things, and my customers for their business and support. Also, a special thank you to my husband Jim and my mother-in-law Nancy for all the time and suggestions they have offered over the past two years!

Thanks to Jillian for sharing her story and business with us!  Check out the related items below to see some of her items. You can find some of our previous Quit Your Day Job posts here.