When times get tough, the best way to earn a buck is to get creative.
Katelyn Kaiser, a junior studying flute performance, did just that by turning her concern for her Greyhound dog Teddi’s warmth into a profit, channeling her creative side and her wallet.
Kaiser recently opened an online store on Etsy, after selling her custom dog clothing for a few months through social media and word of mouth. The website allows her to market her designs to a “community of 15 million buyers and creative businesses,” according to the website.
“I met a lot of people I wouldn’t have met before,” Kaiser said. “(I’ve met) a lot of new Greyhound owners too … It’s like having other dogs of my own.”
“Teddi’s Closet” has made about 25 sales since it opened before Christmas this past year. Products mainly cater to Sighthounds, who have low body fat and get cold easily, but are made for other breeds as well.
Caitlin Brennan, a senior studying general art, also uses Etsy to sell handmade jewelry that she began making during her sophomore year in high school. She maintained the store until her freshman year at Ohio University.
“It definitely provides small artists with an outlet that’s bigger than what it would be if it was just in local stores,” Brennan said.
Cassie Ciarlillo, a recent graduate of Ohio University who studied communication, opened her shop on Etsy about a month and a half ago, also selling jewelry.
Ciarlillo takes orders in person and sells her jewelry in a local store as well. She said it changes the pricing of her items depending on the commission the medium requires.
Etsy is not the only site, however, with competitors including Artfire, Folksy and Big Cartel. eBay is also an option for online sellers, though it attracts a different customer base.
“When I began, I was looking between eBay and Etsy,” Brennan said. “I could list it for cheaper on Etsy, and it was specifically for handmade crafts, where eBay is more of a yard sale.”
Rachel Burgess, a freshman studying media arts and studies, on the other hand, joins forces while assisting her boyfriend’s mother, Janis Sweet Hoye, selling jewelry made from recycled materials. Hoye does not sell online, though Burgess said that Etsy was an option.
“I don’t know if she doesn’t do that because she has enough clients already,” Burgess said. “She doesn’t have that big of a workforce — she does most of it herself.”
She added that creating the jewelry is time-intensive, involving the drying of flower petals and intricate craftsmanship, which limits the capacity of orders that can be taken at once.
Brennan said when she joined Etsy that the site was relatively unknown. She sold about 10 products a year, the price of materials and listing on the site outweighing sales. Running an Etsy shop is a little more complex than people might think, because the large amount of competition on Etsy makes it hard to stand out, she said.
“I’ve done a lot of reading up on search engine optimization,” Kaiser said. “You have to beat everybody else out.”
eb104010@ohiou.edu
