Date joined etsy - 11/20/08
Sales to date - 817
-Give us some basic info about you: name, where you live, kids/pets, favorite ice cream flavor, etc.My name is Cheryl Morgan, I live in East Tennessee where I can see the Great Smoky Mountains from my home or be there in 20 minutes. I am a single mom, have been for 17 years, and I have two wonderful, creative children who have their own Etsy shops. We do animal rescue, and
my son works at the zoo. Our house is always full of animals..currently ... over 30 reptiles, 7 rabbits, 3 dogs, 2 cats, a Ferret and a hamster. We hope to move someday to a farmhouse so we can have more room to garden, and room to take in horses and other farm creatures in need of rescue.
-Describe an average day in life of "you".
I have my days and nights mixed up, but I always have. I homeschool, and because my daughter is older (18) and works two Etsy
shops herself she and I can be known to stay up until 2 or 3 a.m. working, sleeping in a bit in the morning, then hit the floor running.
My full time business for 12 years has been my website Funbows.com, which I also have a fledgling Etsy shop for, so I spend alot of my time answering emails, making up samples, etc. for THAT business. For my SmokymistGardens business I get in orders, pack up seeds, and in the spring I ship out plants, so there are the added chores of the garden.
Somewhere in there I manage to get homeschooling , and household things done, but I have two
great kids that help with everything. I am also a writer for Tennessee Gardener magazine, so every now and then I get to enjoy writing which was a childhood dream of mine. I always say when I can sit my canning pot on the stove and heat up the kitchen making a batch of some yummy jam or jelly, THAT is relaxing to me !
-Were you creative growing up/what did you enjoy doing?
I grew up crafting, canning and gardening with my mother. I remember sitting one Christmas and blowing the yolk out of eggs so she and I could make egg ornaments for the tree, and she still has those ornaments on the tree. Mom taught me all about gardening, then when I started getting obsessive about my garden collections, I taught her a little bit back. I enjoyed going with my mother to the Fair as she entered her canned jams and jellies, and now all of us go together with ALL of our canned goodies to enter.
-What made you want to start selling on etsy?
Etsy is a smart business move for anyone. Free setup, easy setup, great listing price, and your item stays on for a good amount of time. Google search engines pick up on Etsy shops better than my own website. There is great potential for anyone selling on Etsy, so hang in there if your sales start out slow.
-How long did it take for you to get your first sale on etsy?
Took me a week, and that felt like the longest week ever !
-Top 5 favorite foods, tv shows, and bands?
Hmmm ....well as I've given up certain foods over the past 4 years, and lost 87 lbs so far ..I dont' eat red meat, etc.. I do LOVE pizza, but I can only have that once a week lol. Southern pinto beans, cornbread, and my chow chow.. I love Brussel sprouts, good salads, am currently obsessed with Turkey Bacon...artichokes, yeah those are awesome too. Love fresh produce straight from the garden. Biscuits and Gravy...but in moderation !
Now if I were to pick my 5 favorite foods if I could have anything ? That would be anything my mom makes because she is one good southern cook.
Tv Shows..anything paranormal..Ghost Hunters, Ghost Hunters International ( Barry wears one of my handmade fleece hats !), Ghost Whisperer, Ghost Adventures, and I also really enjoy HGTV.
-Is there anything you'd like to try your hand at doing? Knitting, baking, soap making, wood working, etc.
I also paint, but haven't been able to do much at all lately, so I would like to get back into that more. I would love to learn how to crochet , so that I could sit and do that with my daughter Catie.
-What would you suggest to new etsy sellers to promote their shops?
Don't...Give..up..
So what if you have 20 items listed and no sales...maybe it will be that 21st item that will be THAT sale you need. Keep adding items to your shop, think of all the people out there and their diverse tastes . When you make a sale, communicate with your customer. Mail your item on time, and if you think you're running late, send them a little note to let them know.
I also always send something free in their package, a free pack of seeds, etc, and they love that!
Remember, that first description line is what potential customers will see if they do a search say on Google. Be very descriptive !
Every other night I try and hop into an Etsy chat...you meet other artsy people, and when you leave you usually have more people who have made you their favorite. Make a Facebook account for your business, some people even twitter their businesses.
-3 etsy shops you just LOVE?
Well...I would have to say my children's...because I do seriously love them.
http://www.aricmorganphoto.etsy.com
http://www.catiescritters.etsy.com
http://www.craftycatie.etsy.com
-By New Years Eve 2011 I'd like to have at least _____ sales.
2000
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Want to be a featured seller? Contact me at phletcher@gmail.com
As always, thanks for reading :)
