Do you make custom jewelry, decorative home items, or other handmade products for sale or gift giving? Do you want to build an online store for your crafts?
If so, this course will teach you how to start an online shop for your unique line of handcrafted items.
In partnership with Etsy, a leader in e-commerce for creative entrepreneurs, Knoxville Entrepreneur Center is offering classes to help craft makers like you establish an online business to sell your products to a wider market and earn extra income.
Etsy Entrepreneurship classes are taught by successful online craft sellers who coach and support participants through every aspect of setting up their online shops. Using Etsy as a learning lab, teachers share best practices on topics that impact new sellers most, including time management, branding, pricing, shipping, and photography, to help them earn supplemental income through their craft business. This program is virtual and open to makers both in Knoxville and from outside the area.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
Have at least one handmade item ready to sell
Commit to attending all classes
Have a checking account and debit/credit card
Have regular access to a computer with an internet connection
Be at least 18 years of age, or have a parent/guardian in attendance for the first class to open your shop
Upcoming Classes
May 2023 CLASS
Status: Applications Closed
Location: Hybrid: In-Person + Virtual
Program Fee: FREE
Funding for this program requires that we give priority to makers in rural communities in East Tennessee.
To apply, please fill out the application below.
Because spots in this workshop are limited, all applicants will be added to a waitlist. Applicants will be notified of acceptance in late January.
Class Schedule:
Week 1: May 7th + 9th (virtual)
Week 2: May 16th (virtual)
Week 3: May 21st + 23rd (virtual)
Week 4: May 28th (in-person)
curriculum breakdown
Lesson 1: Becoming an Entrepreneur
The objectives of this workshop are to give students an overview of Etsy as a selling platform and have them start
their Etsy shops. It’s best to attend this class if you do NOT already have an Etsy shop. You may skip it if you have one opened and functioning.
Lesson 2: Branding and Finding Your Audience on Etsy
The objectives of this lesson are to begin to identify who their target market is for their product(s), introduce students to the importance of branding, and understand how to apply basic branding principles in their shops.
Lesson 3: SEO and Business Logistics
The objectives of this class are to show how to maximize SEO in their listings and shops, to introduce students to basic business expense recording, and to effectively price their products to be competitive.
Lesson 4: Photography and Social Media
The objective for this lesson is to teach students best practices and techniques for taking beautiful, effective photographs for their listings. They will also be walked through the social media landscape and best practices for a marketing strategy.
Lesson 5: Strategies for Growth
The objectives of this class are to introduce students to shipping through a variety of platforms and how to use Etsy to purchase shipping labels. We’ll also cover how to track your progress and success using Etsy’s stats and how to increase conversions using special offers like coupons and sales.
If you work with Chamber of Commerce, community center, or entrepreneur resource location and are interested in bringing Etsy Craft Entrepreneurship classes to your community, email us.
Past Classes
Knoxville | Knoxville Entrepreneur Center
Cookeville | The Biz Foundry
Jefferson City | Penult Place
LENOIR CITY, TN | LOUDON COUNTY VISITOR'S BUREAU
ERWIN, TN | SQUARE ONE
SEVIERVILLE, TN | ARTS IN COMMON GALLERY
COOKEVILLE, TN | BIZ FOUNDRY
Interested in teaching the Etsy Craft Entrepreneurship Program?
After leading several successful classes in Knoxville and surrounding areas, our goal is to train and empower new instructors to lead Etsy CEP classes in communities across Tennessee. If you're an experienced Etsy seller who's a self-starter, comfortable speaking in front of a group, and interested in being trained to teach Etsy Craft Entrepreneurship classes in your community, apply today! Once selected, instructor trainees will participate in a teaching workshop led by our current instructor, Alaina Smith of Cold Gold. Trainees will be provided a small stipend for time + travel.