We know that DIY crafting is an easy way to stay occupied. What many people don’t know is that your artistic hobby can become an easy way to start a business.
Etsy.com is a sort of online arts and crafts fair featuring everyone from middle school students in need of a hobby to grandmothers with fantastic knitting skills.
Evidently enough, the University of Florida also has painted orange and blue over the Etsy website.
“I found out about Etsy last year, while helping my best friend plan for her wedding,” said Lynn Searfoss owner of Dream Love Boutique. “I decided to turn my hobby into a business.”
Searfoss, 24 and a 2010 UF graduate and dental school hopeful’s Etsy shop concentrates on hand-painted quotes on canvas.
“I’ve realized that most people have that ‘special quote’ they live by and sometimes it’s hard to find that quote on a art piece,” Searfoss said. “That’s what by shop does: brings to life your special quote, lyric or life motto so you can be inspired by it everyday.”
Stina Roth, 23, and creator of Stina89c found Etsy to be a way to share everything that inspires her with the customers around her.
“I have always loved painting,” Roth said. “I don’t necessarily paint things I think will sell. I just paint my favorite things.”
Roth may not be a University of Florida student or alumni, but she certainly has a connection with Gainesville.
“I have Cystic Fibrosis which is a lung disease [and] I was listed for a double lung transplant last March,” Roth said. “So I moved to Gainesville in October of last year.”
Having a Gainesville local site can benefit Gator-oriented shops.
“I do get quite a few students at my Gator Made site, especially in the football season and graduation.”
Kat’s GatorMade site advertises itself as the right place for customers looking for all things gator.
“I am a UF Alumni…love me some Orange and Blue,” said Kat, GatorMade shop owner on the website. “My largest target market is actually UF Alumni all over the world.”
Kat said she has sold “To the Swamp” signs for customers in Germany, Hawaii and Australia.
“The Gator Nation is everywhere,” Kat said.
Most importantly, Etsy can aid students in becoming small business owners.
“I used my store on Etsy as a trial run to see what it would be like to run my own business, and I am now work[ing] for myself as a full time artist,” said Tessa McSorley, 31, and owner of HowToUseArt. “If Etsy hadn’t been there when I was just starting out, I don’t know if I would be where I am today.”
McSorley graduated from UF in 2005 with degree in Studio Art and an emphasis in Printmaking. She believes that Etsy is a great way for students to become business people early on.
“I definitely think that recent UF grads and current students can benefit from opening a shop on Etsy,” McSorley said. “It’s a great way to ‘test the water; and see if their handmade items will sell online, and it also gives them a sense of what it’s like to run a small business.”
Getting started on Etsy is really very easy. Start off with getting your own Etsy account and browse the websites shops and merchandise. If you are looking specifically for local shops, use the Etsy feature to find shops and type in Gainesville.
Here are the shops and the owners:
GatorMade: http://www.etsy.com/shop/GatorMade
HowToUseArt: http://www.etsy.com/shop/HowToUseArt
DreamLoveBoutique: http://www.etsy.com/shop/DreamLoveBoutique
