San Joaquin Valley Rural Development Center Presents Two-Day Etsy Entrepreneurship Workshop

 

 

OCED's San Joaquin Valley Rural Development Center (SJVRDC) hosted a group of crafty and industrious entrepreneurs last month for a workshop focused on launching and growing businesses using Etsy -- the online marketplace for crafters and artists selling handmade and vintage goods.

The workshop, which was offered over the course of two Fridays, was led by professional Etsy trainer and shop owner, Terra Williams. Williams credits much of the success of her shop, DuetVintage, to online platforms such as Etsy. She says that the platform enables entrepreneurs and small businesses like hers to reach masses of customers and make sales all across the world, without the added burden of operating a brick-and-mortar store.

The workshop covered a range of topics including navigating the site from the shop owner's perspective, search term optimization, social media marketing, making the first online sell, and tips and tricks for product photography. She also emphasized the importance of keeping up-to-date with Etsy's continual updates and improvements.

Participants' products represented a cross section of all types of handmade items: jewelry, quilts, custom stationery, pet products, custom prom and wedding dresses, stuffed animals, skin care products, essential oils and others. In addition to providing valuable information for new sellers, the workshop offered an opportunity for sellers to network with one another and make connections with other creative and entrepreneurial individuals locally.

This event was held in partnership with Central Valley Small Business Development Center, UC Merced Central Valley SBDC, Clovis Community College, Access Plus Capital and California Association for Micro Enterprise Opportunity. For more information on future workshops like this, email Eduardo Gonzalez.