Etsy as an incubator

Megan Auman, who authors one of my favorite indie business blogs, Crafting an MBA, recently posted about how to use Etsy as an incubator and why you should eventually move on. It really resonated with me because that is exactly how I view my Etsy experience. I've had a shop there for a while and I've worked on the exact topics Megan mentions, like product development, market research and branding. I also realized that my current shop is not working and I want to go a different direction. And of course, grad school also played a big part in forming my ideas for my future plans, too.



For my new shop, I still plan to use Etsy as an incubator while I finalize business plans (because this one is a much bigger plan). But once I have those plans ready to go, I'll be moving in other directions to become a multi-channel retailer. I never plan to leave Etsy completely. I just love the community there* and wouldn't want to lose touch with it, but I know I will outgrow using just Etsy and brick and mortar consignment eventually. You can check out a little preview of my new designs here and here.

*Speaking of communities, I'm a proud member of the Etsy Beagles Team, and we have a challenge coming up called "Lazy Days of Summer." That picture up there is part of the supplies for my challenge entry, and I'll post the finished piece when it's ready.

Happy weekend!