Etsy Sellers Are Fed Up

©iStock/Michael Vi

Etsy's CEO Josh Silverman announced that starting April 11, 2022 the company would increase the 5% transaction fee for sellers to 6.5%. This was done to fund improvements in marketing, and seller tools, among other changes, Silverman said.

Etsy seller's reaction?  Strike.

The [global] sellers are fed up with new transaction fees and other Etsy-imposed costs. Many sellers feel like Etsy is intent on squeezing the platform's independent artists with these new policies.  In response, Etsy sellers banded together and launched a campaign, urging other artisans and their customers to abandon the site for one week in protest. Organizers said more than 5,000 shops pledged to participate this week.

Let's see what happens.  Kudos to the creatives for taking action!  Whether it be Starbuck's employees, Etsy sellers or the Great Resignation (employees at all companies), people are standing up for their rights and their passion.

Watch out all social medium platforms for collectively, sellers, as in the case of Etsy, can establish some sort of labor organization for independent sellers.  It will come.  It's just a matter of time.

Global Design Awards Announced by Etsy

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Etsy recently announced the winners of its inaugural Global Design Awards.  Interactive Magnetic Dino Wallpaper, the winning creation from London-based designer Sian Zeng, is a creative approach to children’s imaginations and the bedroom walls that house them.

Small-business owners representing the United States, Greece, and Israel all took top prizes in their respective categories; these winning designs include a custom midcentury doghouse, upcycled sandals, and papercut wedding art—brand-perfect entries for the e-commerce site, which is known for its unique and handmade products.

Further details can be found here concerning the winners and how the judges chose all of the design entries on the basis of quality, creativity, utility, and branding.

How to Leverage Online E-Commerce Marketplaces to Grow Global

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The secret to billions of customers finding you is to build a world stage comprising of a combination of social tools such as a blog (like this one), Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest, as well as cultivate a brand presence on a website, mobile apps and other online databases.

Using a proven e-commerce platform such as Amazon, eBay or Etsy is beneficial too, provided its visitors are in line with your ideal target market.  Just remember that each of these platforms takes a percentage of the transaction profits and, in some cases, they even charge a monthly subscription fee. I always caution people to read the fine print when it comes to your costs.

After you test your products in new online marketplaces and enjoy significant revenue returns, it is then time to advance and create your own ecommerce platform to sell to the world and pocket all the profits. -- Source:  Business Success Strategies Q&A with Laurel Delaney: Going Global for Business Growth

For more information on using online e-commerce marketplaces as a stepping stone to taking your business global, visit:  The Top 5 Online Marketplaces for Small Businesses Looking to Expand Internationally

Third-Party (3PL) Internet Platforms Offer Stepping Stones to Export Success

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Third-party (3PL) Internet platforms such as Amazon, eBay, Rakuten, Etsy and CafePress all offer stepping stones to export success provided its visitors are in line with your ideal target market. They are easy to use, have a global reach, and can help you sell more goods worldwide at a profit.  These platforms also allow you to test the salability of your product on someone else's proven successful infrastructure before making a substantial investment to set up an e-commerce site from scratch.

In "Amazon Helps Mom-And-Pop Store in Barcelona Reach Global Village," the reporter talks about how small businesses in Spain use web-based platforms to escape domestic slumps or to drive additional growth to their existing business.

According to Javier Alvira, head of [Amazon's] the country's third-party operations in Spain:

"Spain is the fastest-growing market for the Amazon logistics service which handles deliveries for retailers"

Pictured:  Barcelona port