Anyone Read This? Chad & the Senate

Sue from MeekaMayesMarket 10:30 pm Jul 22, 2012 EDT

nyconvergence.com/2012/07/etsy-ceo-talks-innovation-and-entrepreneu...
Etsy CEO Talks Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Senate Committee Meeting

July 20, 2012 at 12:56 pm

Chad Dickerson, CEO of Brooklyn- based Etsy, discussed the trends in innovation and entrepreneurship at the Senate Steering and Outreach Committee meeting in Washington DC earlier this week. Mr. Dickerson talked about his company’s involvement in the rising NY tech industry during the committee meeting, which was focused on successful job creation, business policy and fostering dialogue between Senate Democrats and tech community leaders such as Dickerson.

Dickerson, invited by NY Senator Charles E. Schumer, explained that Etsy’s community of entrepreneurs should represent a model for small business policy for Washington lawmakers. Etsy users think of an idea, manufacture it, and publicize it through social networks like Facebook to a global market nearly instantaneously. Dickerson told the committee that Etsy sellers are taking advantage of the fact that they can bring a product to market without any difficult barriers online. This also means that consumers are using Etsy to find creative businesses without jumping through hoops. 40 million unique visitors come to Etsy’s site each month and sellers who use the platform have grossed more $525 million in sales.

Although he did not offer specific recommendations, Dickerson urged the committee to re-frame how they view small business and policy as lawmakers. The people who use Etsy, Mr. Dickerson explained, “don’t open up shop intending to grow to a payroll of 50 employees or hoping to patent a new technology they develop, yet they create work, traditional jobs, and overall value in the economy. Platforms like Etsy are injecting income directly into households, through the empowering opportunity to create a business with a few clicks of a mouse.”

A representative for Sen. Schumer said Dickerson was invited to the committee meeting because Etsy has played an integral role in NY’s rapidly expanding Silicon Alley. A recent study by the Center for an Urban Future estimated that over 1,000 startups were created in New York since 2007. Schumer told the Senate in his opening remarks, “Chad and Etsy get entrepreneurship and innovation because that’s what they do and that’s who they work for.”

Admin

Chad Dickerson from chaddickerson 9:50 am Jul 23, 2012 EDT

Hi everybody,

Thanks for all the comments! I'm going to post an account of my trip to the Senate sometime this week. My only goal in speaking there was to make sure the Senators understood two things: 1) how important the contribution you all make is to the US (and world) economy and 2) the opportunities that an Internet platform like Etsy creates for people like you. Altogether, 17 Senators heard the message. I'm going to continue telling that story far and wide.

I also understand that running any kind of business is challenging and not easy. The "few clicks of a mouse" phrase was intended to illustrate how relatively simple it is to set up a shop on Etsy compared to some of the other very complex businesses that were presenting at the same session -- large-scale clothing manufacturers, metal fabricators, pharmaceutical companies, and others that require millions (if not billions) just to get started.

More to come!

Lo 2:18 pm Jul 23, 2012 EDT

Thumbs up, Chad, indeed! (Thanks, dressurdolly2).

Glad to see such a happy response to this. I am as excited as you to dig into Chad's blog post and follow this story as it develops. One of those times I'm really proud to work for such a groundbreaking company.

Cheers!

Admin

Chad Dickerson from chaddickerson 3:44 pm Jul 23, 2012 EDT

Here's my blog post on the Senate visit:

www.etsy.com/blog/news/2012/notes-from-chad-visit-to-the-united-sta...

Thanks again for the comments. When I spoke to the Senators, I could feel the strength of all of you in the Etsy community behind me.

Admin

Rob White 8:33 pm Jul 23, 2012 EDT

realfaery from realfaery says
Wow, really amazing to see what kind of work Etsy put behind us. Thanks a lot!

======

It's funny that you say this, because it's the work that -you- and the rest of the Etsy community have done that allowed this to happen!

Admin

Marie Kelly from EiramVintage 3:45 pm Jul 25, 2012 EDT

To quote from Chad's speech "Etsy is a community of real people creating real economic value"...I love this!! It's been a pleasure interacting with the Etsy Community on a daily basis. On a personal note, I'm an artist myself and you all inspire me to create again...something I haven't done in quite some time:)

FrancescasFancy from FrancescasFancy 1:02 am Jul 23, 2012 EDT

Sorry for being a bit skeptical, but what was his objective to speak at this hearing? Was he trying to say it's easy to run a business? I am highly confused and very worried because what may be the result of this meeting may misrepresent how small businesses become successful or how they integrate in society and the big business of commerce.

As an aside, I am wondering if this may be connected with the encroaching taxes, specifically the state sales taxes in online purchases.

* * *

Victoria from VictoriaCampDesigns 1:09 am Jul 23, 2012 EDT edited

FrancescasFancy from FrancescasFancy says

Sorry for being a bit skeptical, but what was his objective to speak at this hearing? Was he trying to say it's easy to run a business? I am highly confused and very worried because what may be the result of this meeting may misrepresent how small businesses become successful or how they integrate in society and the big business of commerce.

As an aside, I am wondering if this may be connected with the encroaching taxes, specifically the state sales taxes in online purchases.

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From the article, this is what I gathered his point of being there to be:

"Although he did not offer specific recommendations, Dickerson urged the committee to re-frame how they view small business and policy as lawmakers."

In other words, I think he's speaking on behalf of the (ultra!) small business owners. Not just the "small business" by definition of quantity of employees or gross revenue, but the REALLY small business, run by the individual or just a few people.

Harriet from HGWjewelrydesigns 1:16 am Jul 23, 2012 EDT

Nice post, but Chad makes selling on Etsy sound so easy. If only you could open a shop, post your items and sit back and wait for the sales to come in. Not going to happen. We all work very hard for every sale, but it is nice that Chad was asked to speak and I do hope they listen.

Susan from WarmWeenies 1:19 am Jul 23, 2012 EDT

I hope they listen to Chad and I hope Chad listens to us.

Rachel from 2TrickPony 1:20 am Jul 23, 2012 EDT

micro business.
go Chad.

its not easy. but its easier than it was for us before the internet.

Madame from PrimroseLaceRibbon 1:27 am Jul 23, 2012 EDT

Interesting read! Thank you

Liz Hutnick from LizHutnick 1:31 am Jul 23, 2012 EDT

Nice! Thank you for sharing.

lightinawormhole from lightinawormhole 7:27 am Jul 23, 2012 EDT

Brilliant. thanks, Sue, for sharing.

lightinawormhole from lightinawormhole 7:36 am Jul 23, 2012 EDT

FrancescasFancy - you make an intelligent point. The more thirsty government becomes for increased tax revenue, the more likely they are to try to tap into potential tax revenues across State boundaries......after all the deductions, State taxes and the IRS, I think most of us are already working for well below MINIMUM wage. If an across the board internet sales tax were enacted.....geesh! I couldn't make it work anymore. So.....I'm not sure what the lawmakers who listened to Chad were contemplating...anyone have anything brilliant on the tax thing to add?

Rose LAbbate from rosepetalsjewelry 7:39 am Jul 23, 2012 EDT

Back later to read. Thanks for the info

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