Not So Social Butterfly

I consider myself a pretty social person. I love chatting with people at parties and functions. I can usually make conversation with just about anybody but when it comes to talking about my business- EPIC FAIL. I have never been good at "selling myself". I never wanted to be perceived as "that pushy sales person" because to me there is nothing worse. Since starting my business 4 months ago, its been a learning curve trying to figure out how to market my business without feeling like I'm being too pushy.

Etsy was the perfect first step. An online shop was a great match for me because I was able to put myself out there without being "in your face". Navigating Etsy is a learning curve all in itself- slowly but surely though, I'm finding my way. I found all of these new buzz words dancing in my head like Forums and Teams and Treasuries- OH MY! Almost every evening I would carve out time to investigate the animal that is Etsy. Little by little, I made it a point to become more involved whether it was creating treasuries to share or joining Etsy teams that pertained to my craft.

I was fortunate enough to come across the EtsyKids Team- a team geared solely toward shop owners that deal in children's products. It is an application based team so you must apply and be accepted. The team wants active participation from members to ensure that everyone joining is there for the good of not only their shop, but to help other shops succeed as well. I loved the concept and obviously being a children's shop I thought- perfect match! I applied, was accepted and now one of my items is featured on the Seasonal page of their website (http://www.etsykids.com/shoppingguide/seasonal.php) for the whole month of September.

I am now starting to realize that I have to TALK about my business in order to GROW my business. If I don't talk about my business, how will people know I have one? I am starting to come out of my shell and spread the word that is Lovely Lyla Jean but I still feel that the art of subtly is key and I don't necessarily have to be pushy to share my passion♥