Etsy Seller 1: Becky Kennedy

BeckyQueenOfFrocks.etsy.com

I've been making beautifully finished UK size 6-20 frocks since 2009 from my home in Nottingham. Each piece is 100% handmade, unique, and cut to a classic vintage pattern.

Do you set goals for your business? How do you track your progress towards these goals?

As my shop isn’t my main source of income, and I’m really doing it for the love of dressmaking, I don’t set myself financial goals because I think this would take some of the fun out of it for me. I do, however, have some more conceptual, long-term goals about the direction of my product lines; I’d really like to move away from using pre-designed fabrics, and get my own printed instead. This will allow me to have control over every step of the design process, and using locally-sourced materials will make my shop and processes much more environmentally and socially ethical.

What do you wish you had known when you first started selling on Etsy?

That patience is key - lots of new sellers feel like giving up if they don’t make their first sale after a week, but often it can take a lot longer than this. That doesn’t mean that your products are bad or that you should give up - a quiet shop is an opportunity to use that time to grow and improve as a seller. Take better photos, tweak your tags and titles, and hang in there!

Bring your dreams to life