Combining Shops

For those of you who shop or sell at Etsy - the number one site to buy handmade craft and art - you may know that some sellers run more than one shop with the idea that different types of items should be sold in apart from each other. A few years ago, I opened a second shop for my photography, pastperfect. I did this for two reasons - the first and foremost, was that I was interested in becoming a member of the Etsy photography "street" team called POE - Photographers of Etsy. When I had contacted them from my shop, qbranchltd I was told that only shops that sold only photography were admitted as members. The second reason to open the second shop for photography was the idea that I could direct galleries and other interested parties to that shop to see my photography - without any distraction of the other things that I sell.

What I have found since opening this second shop is that it is very difficult to promote two shops equally and the attention and effort that is devoted to one takes a great deal away from the other. Yes, the second shop made some sales, but nothing like my first shop makes. I almost said my "main" shop. This is what happens. It is very hard to treat two shops as equal children - giving them both the love and attention that they each deserve and must have to flourish.

I have been seriously thinking of taking all of my photography - as it expires (and a great deal of it has already expired) and move it to my first shop. There it will get the attention of my efforts that I put to promote that shop. There it may get noticed by those who come to browse - to those whose initial attention is attracted by other things.

If I do this, it will happen a week or two into the new year - which by the way arrives in about six hours. With the Christmas retail season past and the late winter and Spring holidays on their way, perhaps - just perhaps - things will change for the better in sales of my art photos, nestled snugly in their own little category at qbranchltd. Come around in a few weeks and see.

If you are thinking about opening a second shop, think long and hard about how you will promote it and the time and resources that you have to do that. Whatever you do now will then be split in two. It is something to consider.

And crazy me! I have something new and different for me that I am thinking of making and selling and I had the thought that it might do better in --- it's own shop.

Happy 2010 to all!